Not so long ago, someone sent me an email asking me how I learnt so quick about business. Apart from CPD courses and following business oriented blogs, I can’t highlight enough the importance of reading business books. Actually, I keep on learning day after day with every new book that I get.

You can always find at least half an hour a day where you can read, whether on your way to work or before going to bed (luckily, I’ve got my Kindle with me!). With just half an hour a day, you can learn a lot about business at the end of the month. Also, reading is cheap; you can get really good business books for around £15 and knowledge is power, and power is priceless!

That’s why I decided to gather the 7 books that helped me the most during my professional career and throughout the process of going freelance. I recommend every single of them, and this why:

1. Blue Ocean Strategy

This book teaches you how to market your business in a marketplace full of competitors. It guides you to go from a red ocean, where all the competitors fight against each other, to a blue ocean when there are no competitors and you can have your own clients.

I first heard about the Blue Ocean when I was doing the Business School for Translator, I can’t recommend enough the importance of implementing this strategy to lead your business just to where you want it to be.

2. The Art of the Start: The Time-Tested, Battle-Hardened Guide for Anyone Starting Anything

It’s a must if you are thinking about going freelance and creating your business. On the other hand, if you have already been working on your own business for a few years, you can also benefit from this book.

It tackles issues such as business plans, how to give powerful speeches, business strategies, and the list goes on and on. All of it decorated with a hint of humour that makes it easy to read.

3. Jeffrey Gitomer’s Little Red Book of Selling: 12.5 Principles for sales greatness

If you really want to master selling techniques, this is your book. From selling techniques, to the necessary attitude to do it right, with this book you will be able to sell your products and services like a pro.

4. Zero to one

Attention aspiring entrepreneurs and startups, this is your book! This book talks about creating value, market positions, how to define your business, how to set up the perfect team for your business, and so on and so forth.

Peter Thiel, together with Blake Masters, explain every single topic through real cases, experiences and showing enough evidences and practical applications.

5. Thrive: The Third Metric to Redefining Success and Creating a Life of Well-Being, Wisdom, and Wonder

Arianna Huffington, co-founder of the Huffington Post, tells us in this book what it means to be successful nowadays. This book will help you to improve your life quality and deal with different aspects of your business, such as the stress, the famine circles, core values in business.

I am still reading this book, but what I have read so far has been enough to add it to this list!

6. The hard thing about hard things

By an entrepreneur and addressed to other entrepreneurs and startups. Ben Horowits talks about leadership and his experience as an entrepreneur in Silicon Valley.

7. The Virgin Way

Tips on how to listen, learn, laugh and lead from Richard Brandson, entrepreneur and founder of the Virgin Group. Very easy to read. I still have this one sentence stuck to my mind: “You’re guaranteed to miss every shot you don’t take”.

 

And what about you? Have you recently read any business book that was useful for your business? I’m sure you can share good book to add them to my list!

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