Being an entrepreneur has its ups and downs, and how you overcome these challenges will determine whether you will remain in business. Having to run and manage your business is exciting until you realize you are not as experienced as other entrepreneurs.
You can’t acquire experience in a day; you can only build it over the years. So, it should not come as a surprise when you realize you are not at the same level as others who have been in business for years.
Now that you’ve realized you lack some knowledge to aid your business’s smooth running, the following books will help you grow in business and life.
These books will give you the rundown about being an entrepreneur and how to become a successful business owner. These best entrepreneur books will help your business journey and share tips on handling situations on the road to entrepreneurial success.
Regardless of your experience as an entrepreneur – whether you are just starting or already have a few successful businesses, you can always learn one or two from advice from someone who has plied the same route.
You could need some advice in reviving your business and pumping ideas into your head to reshape your business. Whatever entrepreneurial advice you need, reading one of the best books for small businesses can be the best way to get it. This article recommends some of the best small business and entrepreneurship books for Canadians.
There are hundreds of thousands of must-read books available for small business owners. We have selected the best 20 to guide you on your journey to becoming a successful entrepreneur.
Best Small Business and Entrepreneurship Books
Below is our best pick for small business and entrepreneurship books for Canadians.
1. How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie
How to Win Friends and Influence People is a game-changer for all small business owners. Not only will this book teach you about life, but it will also enlighten you on how to become a better entrepreneur.
This book will undoubtedly open your mind to new ideas and approaches to better yourself and your business. It is a must-read for anyone who considers themselves an entrepreneur, especially people who want to build interpersonal relationships that will aid their business.
In this book, the author breaks down the most crucial steps entrepreneurs must take to maintain a good relationship with people. Regardless of who these people are – competitors or potential clients, this book will teach you how to win over people who seem uninterested in your business or idea.
2. The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Steven Covey
Are you tired of making bad decisions as a business owner? Do you want to get insights into how other entrepreneurs are doing it? Then this book is for you. The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People will shape and remodel your thinking.
It will teach you how to better your business approach. It talks about harnessing your creativity and bringing your best ideas to life. It is one of those books you pick up regularly to get new ideas and pointers.
3. The Startup Playbook by David Kidder
We can all agree that starting a business can be tricky, but with this book, The Startup Playbook, you’ll get a step-by-step guide to starting and running a small business. This book is a perfect guide for entrepreneurs who need advice on any aspects of starting and running a business.
4. Will It Fly? By Pat Flynn
One of the best steps to starting a business is conceiving a business idea. Do you have a business idea and are unsure if they’ll be a market for it? Read Will It Fly. This book will help you answer any question about bringing your business ideas to life.
In this book, the author tries to get readers’ consciousness to take a breather before rushing into a business. According to Flynn, a company must not be impulsive or born out of half-developed ideas or misinformed decisions.
This book is full of practical ideas that will help you evaluate your business ideas and help you make the right decisions. This book also has an action-based exercise and real-world case studies portion.
5. Rework by Jason Fried and David Hansson
Rework is a book for go-getters who learns by action. It will inspire you to change your perception and approach to starting a business. To the authors, starting a business is about achieving your goals.
This book does not teach the conventional way of starting a business; it brings on a new system that can aid your entrepreneurial dreams. And also help you achieve your goals fasters.
6. The Obstacle Is The Way by Ryan Holiday
Are you looking for a book to guide you on business and the challenges that come with starting a business? The Obstacle Is The Way is that book. This book teaches you how to create, overcome, and progress as an entrepreneur.
Written from a philosophical approach, it gives an unbias and great insight into the major principles of being a great business owner. As an entrepreneur, you can use this book to evaluate things within your control and things you can’t control.
Also, how to identify and turn every business challenge into an opportunity to attain a greater height is explained in the book.
7. The Founder’s Dilemmas by Noam Wasserman
Almost every book talks about how to make your business grow, the way to succeed as an entrepreneur, etc. There are so many vices that can wreck your business that you should be mindful of as a business owner.
https://amzn.to/3pxluEDThe Founder’s Dilemma talks about these vices and proffers solutions to them. The book is about knowing what makes small business owners make before you make them.
This book is for entrepreneurs who want to learn how not to fail, as it offers practical tools you need to avoid making bad decisions.
8. The Hard Thing About Hard Things by Ben Horowitz
Starting a business is not all about the business idea. There are a lot of factors that go into establishing a business. The Hard Thing About Hard Things is a book that gives entrepreneurs that reality check. It explains the reality of business and how to deal with situations in your way.
In this book, the author evaluates problems most business owners encounter and shares insight into solving these issues.
9. The Effective Executive by Peter Drucker
The Effective Executive is one of those books you return to whenever you hit crossroads. The book teaches entrepreneurs the importance of getting things that matters to their business done.
It shared valuable advice for business owners to act sluggishly toward their business. It also reinforces how important is time management and decision-making habits.
10. Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill
Think and Grow Rich is a classic and one of the best business books for entrepreneurs. This book has helped many business owners create and execute successful business plans. It provides pointers to business owners on how to change their mindset.
This book gives practical advice on personal and professional development. One of this book’s most recurring subject matter is “GOAL.” The book prepares the mind of readers on how to set and achieve their goals.
11. Canadian Small Business Kit For Dummies By Joann Kurtz And Margaret Kerr
Canadian Small Business Kit For Dummies is an enterprising guide to helping small business owners successfully start and run a business in Canada. The book covers every aspect of starting, staffing, and running a business.
It offers information to entrepreneurs who wish to start their businesses but don’t know how to do it. This book gives readers an insight into HST, its impact on small businesses, and how entrepreneurs can leverage social media to aid their businesses.
12. The Psychology of Selling by Brian Tracy
A great product is not enough to make people buy from you. Entrepreneurs cannot undermine the importance of a good sales technique in business. When dealing in business, not only do you have to sell your product/services, but you also need to sell yourself and your ideas.
The Psychology of Selling gives insightful information and strategies to increase sales by focusing on one thing – the person. Often, entrepreneurs ignore the basics of selling and dive right into getting results, forgetting all protocols. In this book, the author evaluates all major points crucial to doing business.
13. Click Millionaires by Scott Fox
Due to the COVID-19 outbreak pandemic, online business has become a thing. The e-Commerce business is gradually taking over the conventional way of trading.
Click Millionaires focuses on combining outsourcing and automated online marketing to create a monthly income source online. This book teaches you how to develop and build an online business using the available tools. It is the perfect book to guide you on online business and leverage software to aid your interaction.
14. The E-Myth Revisited by Michael E. Gerber
With the numerous misconceptions about starting a business and being a successful entrepreneur, it is normal if you feel somehow about starting your business.
The book The E-Myth Revisited debunked and broke down every myth about starting a business. It is a practical book that takes you through real-life steps to start a business and become successful.
This book shows a functional analysis of the difference between working on your business and working in your business.
15. The Entrepreneur Mind by Kevin D. Johnson
Everything about your being is in mind. The positivity you have inward is what you give outside. In the book The Entrepreneur Mind, the author tries to open readers’ minds to change their mindset to become successful.
The book talks about how entrepreneurs can change their way of thinking to start a business and make it successful. This book gives a practical guide on how to get back up without incurring any losses.
16. The Art of The Start by Guy Kawasaki
The Art of The Start will take you on a journey to start your business. From raising funds to hiring staff and positioning your business. It is an excellent handbook for people starting a business.
It talks about function over form and action over planning. The book includes several historical examples to give practical advice to entrepreneurs seeking funding from capitalists or investors. Tech entrepreneurs will especially find this book useful.
17. The Lean Startup by Eric Ries
The Lean Startup book teaches how to approach a business differently. It talks about out-of-the-norm methods of doing things. The book puts special consideration into fostering capital efficient companies and leveraging human creativity.
The central focus of this book is what the author termed “validate learning.” To learn more about this, grab a copy here.
18. Lost and Founder by Rand Fishkin
Lost and Founder is a 320-page book on the highs and lows of starting a company. It is an excellent book with stories and insights that entrepreneurs can apply in their lives and businesses.
The book takes you through startup launch, expansion, growth, failure, and lifecycle hurdles.
19. Profit First by Mike Michalowicz
Profit First is a straightforward book that guides entrepreneurs on success in business. The book discusses businesses’ financial side and how entrepreneurs can maximize profits.
This book offers an easy-to-enact plan that can get your finances in order. According to the author, you can enact these plans by allotting your income percentages into several channels. The book preaches that you are to benefit from your business as an entrepreneur.
20. One Simple Idea by Stephen Key
One Simple Idea is the best pick for investors who’ll like to work smart, save money and time and license their product in a short duration. This book is an exceptional resource for entrepreneurs who want to achieve their goals while spending less.
Reading this book will maximize your resources if you are the first time you are developing a product or trying to license your product. It teaches you the easiest and fastest ways to bring your ideas to life while maintaining quality standards.
