8 Smart Books to Read Before Starting Your Own Business
Freelance work and creative pursuits have exploded into full-time money-making opportunities for crafty and clever girl bosses everywhere. Thinking about giving it a go for yourself? Though you might know a craft like hand lettering inside and out, learning the basics of running a biz is a totally different part of starting up. Luckily, there are tons of digital classes and resources that can make mastering opportunity much easier, along with a bunch of fantastic books to fill your shelves with. From marketing insight to how you should treat your first customers, scroll on for our faves.
1. #GIRLBOSS by Sophia Amoroso ($10): Get a massive dose of #Girlboss inspiration by reading this book by Sophia Amoroso, the founder of NastyGal. Her journey from unemployment to successful CEO is definitely one to take notes on.
2. The Personal MBA: Master the Art of Business by Josh Kaufman ($10): Though starting a business with an MBA or more formal education probably makes it all easier, it’s totally not required. Get a legit understanding of basic principles and need-to-know info with this smart read.
3. The $100 Startupby Chris Guillebeau ($10): Dream of being a startup founder? Know that it’s possible to get your great idea off of the ground with very little. Give yourself a strong foundation and dedicate time to forming good habits right from the start while mastering the ability to be scrappy. You can do it!
4. Etsy Excellence: The Simple Guide to Creating a Thriving Etsy Business by Tycho Press ($13): Creative types, take note! This book is all about spilling the secrets that Etsy’s most successful businesses use to thrive. The business tips apply whether you’re selling prints, baubles, furniture or something else entirely.
5. The Art of Work by Jeff Goins ($8): Discovering what you’re best at will give you an upper hand in business, especially as you grow yours. Learning how to outsource parts of the work you hate (or that simply take too much time!) will allow you to do more of what you love, helping your passion and talents drive your work and biz.
6. The Pumpkin Plan by Mike Michalowicz ($15): Running a successful business starts with planting the right seeds, which is exactly what this book is all about. Based on tried and true success tactics, the author will teach you how to figure out who your best and worst customers are, along with how you can give ’em what they want or need most.
7. So Good They Can’t Ignore You by Cal Newport ($11): Setting yourself and the product or service your business provides apart is critical to success at every stage of your business. Brush up on the basics of showing off your skills with this easy-to-understand book.
8. The Power of Nice by Linda Kaplan Thaler ($11): Relationships are super important for business, and being nice to customers is a total art. You’ll love the awesome anecdotes and examples that show how treating people well can pay off — along with exactly how to do it in common situations.
Did you recently start your own biz? Tell us what you do on Twitter @BritandCo!
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