In a society with a high rate of unemployment, many people decide to take the risk of forming their own businesses. These are the entrepreneurs, who take the risk of opening a new company or project in order to offer a new product or service, or to take advantage of the needs and demands of the market.

But being an entrepreneur requires, apart from initiative, a series of skills that can be useful for the survival of the new company. Therefore, below you can find 30 books for entrepreneurs that are absolutely essential .

About thirty books for entrepreneurs

In order to help entrepreneurs obtain useful knowledge for the formation and survival of their business (or to motivate them), we recommend a series of books that may be useful.

1. The Art of War (Sun Tzu)

This well-known writing by Sun Tzu reflects and reflects on different ways of achieving victory in conflict situations through strategy. Although the tactics proposed are thought out and focused on the field of war, his teachings can be applied to many other facets, such as the business environment and competition within the market. There is also an edited version focused on the business side.

  • If you are interested, click here.

2. The Black Book of the Entrepreneur (Fernando TrĂ­as)

Although it may seem a somewhat pessimistic starting point, this work delves into the different factors that cause more than three quarters of startups to fail . It allows us to see which elements to avoid or take into account in order to help our business function and be maintained.

  • To learn more about the book visit this page.

3. The Atlas Rebellion (Ayn Rand)

This book, a novel by Ayn Rand, allows us to observe the philosophy that existed in the United States regarding the business sector during the 20th century. Economics is an important part of the argument, indicating that to achieve progress we need economic freedom. It can be used to identify the dangers of individualism taken to the extreme (although this was not the author’s intention).

  • Here you will find more information about the book.

4. The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People (Stephen Covey)

This book studies and indicates different habits that are useful for the entrepreneur to be able to carry out a better leadership of his company , making it much more efficient in the management of his economic activity.

  • To read more about this work, click here.

5. Rich Father, Poor Father (Robert Kiyosaki)

Based on comparisons between different ways of thinking, the author aims to indicate ways of acting that can lead to success , while helping to take advantage of the skills that each one possesses for the benefit of the company.

  • Visit this page to learn more about the book.

6. How to Start a Successful Business on the Internet (Miguel Ángel Florido)

New technologies are nowadays a key piece and a fundamental part to achieve that our company expands and becomes known , besides being a good base from which to start a company. It has a free ebook version.

7. 100 Ways to Motivate Others (Steve Chandler and Scott Richardson)

Running a business usually involves talking to and managing contact with different people, from suppliers and employees to customers. Knowing how to motivate them and having the techniques to do so is fundamental.

  • Are you interested? You can find more details at this link.

8. Guerrilla Marketing (Jay Conrad Levinson)

To be able to open and maintain a business of your own requires being able to generate strategies that are far from the usual in order to stand out. The author seeks to use unconventional methods to achieve the proposed objectives.

  • To learn more about the book, click here.

9. The Blue Ocean Strategy (W. Chan Kim & Renée Mauborgne)

The blue ocean strategy is to find market niches that have not yet been discovered. Not competing with other companies is an advantage when it comes to creating a profitable business. In other words, it is proposed that the business to be created be elaborated in such a way that the existence or non-existence of competition is not relevant .

  • To purchase the book or learn more about it click here.

10. The Entrepreneur’s Handbook (Steve Blank & Bob Dorf)

A small guide that can help us to orientate ourselves in the complex process of setting up, maintaining and developing our own company . It is a very useful and quite exhaustive work.

  • You will find more information on this page.

11. The Art of Beginning (Guy Kawasaki)

Simple and motivating book that can help us to reflect on what is important and most essential when creating a company, service or product.

  • Find out more about the book here.

12. Ideas that stick (Chip Heath & Dan Heath)

This work tries to analyze the main principles and factors that possess the ideas that are attractive and survive. Simplicity, concreteness, credibility, emotionality, succession and unexpectedness are the main properties that this kind of ideas usually have.

  • Consult more information about the work at this link.

13. Permit Marketing (Seth Godin)

Marketing is a fundamental element when it comes to making your product known in a way that is attractive to the public. However, the general population is saturated with advertising, so it is necessary to develop good strategies so that potential users do not feel manipulated and are attracted to the products.

  • Do you want to know more about the book?Check out this website.

14. Steve Jobs (Walter Isaacson)

The story of Steve Jobs and his passage to success as the founder of Apple can serve as a great example of entrepreneurship . This work reflects the life and numerous interviews of Steve Jobs, which can motivate the reader and help him understand how success can be achieved.

  • To learn more about this bestseller, click here.

15. The Lean Startup Method (Eric Ries)

This book reflects how the methodology of continuous innovation can be used to create successful companies thanks to management based on interaction with current or future customers .

  • See more information here.

16. Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion (Robert B. Cialdini)

The art of persuasion is a very useful element to convince customers, suppliers, promoters and investors of the need to acquire or promote the use of a certain good or service. This book offers different techniques oriented to how to convince others .

  • To learn more about this title, click here.

17. The Entrepreneur’s Factory (Jorge Moruno)

A global vision on the phenomenon of the rise of the entrepreneurial spirit and its transformation during the years following the financial crisis of 2008. A book to understand how markets have evolved and the new paradigm of job searching.

  • If you’re interested, you can find it here.

18. The Purple Cow (Seth Godin)

This book talks about the need to differentiate yourself from the rest and to stand out in order to get your business off the ground and keep it on top, especially through marketing . The aim is to attract attention and make a product attractive.

  • If you are interested, check this page.

19. Who took my cheese? (Spencer Johnson)

Through the story of four mice that have gone from possessing their object of desire to being left without it, the author makes a representation of four different ways of adapting to novelties (or not doing so), being these resisting, adapting, getting ahead too quickly or not even detecting them.

  • Use this link if you want to read more about the book.

20. Zero to One (Peter Thiel)

Pioneering products tend to attract the most attention and the greatest opportunity for profit, but also the greatest risk. This book indicates that the important thing in order to achieve great success is not to pull out elements already created but to start from original and own ideas .

  • You will find more information on this website.

21. The 4-hour work week (Timothy Ferris)

This book aims to help the reader make the most of time through different strategies, avoiding unproductive time and the excessive stress and health problems associated with having too much work. It proposes the search for a correct use of one’s time and a good management of one’s life, without obtaining large sums of money being the objective to be achieved.

  • Click here for more information.

22. The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership (John C. Maxwell)

Good leadership is key to a company being able to manage itself properly . The author makes a study on the capacities and ways of doing and acting of leaders and how we can become one of them.

  • Are you interested? Click here.

23. The Starbucks Experience (Joseph Michelli)

Starbucks is now a world-renowned company. In this book we can see an example of a company that has reached a great level of acceptance and success , being able to learn the different strategies they employed.

  • To know more, consult this website.

24. Small capitalist pig (SofĂ­a MacĂ­as)

This book is a little help in learning how to manage the economy and make the most of your income .

  • Click here to find out more.

25. The Executive One Minute (Ken Blanchard)

Running a business is complicated. In order to help the entrepreneur , this book teaches different techniques that allow to improve the work environment and make the workers more efficient and productive.

  • Check this website for extra details.

26. The entrepreneur’s guide to customer development (Patrick Vlaskovits)

Focusing on doing business between companies, this book drives us and teaches us the importance and the way to validate and work with the client on what needs to be covered. One of the most interesting books for entrepreneurs .

  • To learn more, click here.

27. Generation of business models (Alexander Osterwalder & Yves Pigneur)

The business model of a company is something to bear in mind and that will structure the company and its way of working. In this book, the authors show the most common types, how they can be designed and adjusted and how the different components that are part of a business relate to each other.

  • If you are interested, you can read more about the book here.

28. Making ideas happen (Scott Belsky)

Having good ideas can be complicated, but bringing them to real life is even more complex. The book raises the need for innovation and to allow the creativity of all members of a company. It tries to motivate the reader to put into practice what we believe in.

  • Consult this website to read more about this work.

29. Never eat alone (Keith Ferrazzi)

This book indicates the need to have contacts and to keep them, establishing effective networks under the consideration that achieving an objective will depend not only on oneself but also on the environment and the support given to the idea.

  • If you are considering reading this work, click here.

30. The Myth of the Entrepreneur (Michael, E. Gerber)

In this work the author describes the challenges that small businesses have and how large companies manage themselves effectively . He seeks to give clues and help so that the small entrepreneur can make his business work effectively.

  • Consult this website to find out more.