Building a successful, thriving business isn?t easy. If it was, everyone would do it. According to data presented by the Harvard Business School:
- 25 percent of startups will fail within the first year.
- Of those remaining, 36 percent?will fail within the second year.
- Of those remaining, 44 percent will fail within the third year.
When you look at and think about those numbers, the idea of starting a business can be a bit daunting.?Things can get even scarier when it comes time to actually start investing real time and money into an idea that you hope will take off.
As an aspiring entrepreneur, the best thing you can do to alleviate any fears or worries you have in the early stages of starting a business is to educate yourself and learn from people who have come before you. When it comes to building a successful business, knowledge truly is power.
If you want to take your new business or idea to the next level, start by going through some or all of these must-read resources for aspiring entrepreneurs:
Books
There are a ton of great books out there that can help teach you how to grow your business and succeed. Here are 10 of my favorites:
1. The Lean Startup by Eric Ries
Eric Ries teaches readers how to develop their businesses and products faster. It?s a great book to read when you?re feeling like things are moving too slowly or taking too long.
2. The Four Steps To The Epiphany by Steve Blank
Steve Blank provides readers with actionable information about why some startups succeed while others fail. It?s similar to The Lean Startup in that it focuses on things such as rapid iteration testing assumptions.
3. Rework by Jason Fried
Jason Fried helps business owners zero in on what actually matters when it comes to business success. He also gives a number of great recommendations on how to boost productivity and how to build strong teams.
4. Delivering Happiness by Tony Hsieh
Zappos CEO Tony Hsieh teaches readers how to develop unforgettable customer support and corporate culture programs.
5. Jab, Jab, Jab, Right Hook by Gary Vaynerchuk
Author Gary Vaynerchuk uses his ?no B.S.? style of writing that he?s best known for to teach business owners how to best connect with customers and beat out the competition.
6. Purple Cow by Seth Godin
Seth Godin teaches readers how to develop products and services that are actually worth marketing. It will also teach you how to differentiate from competition.
7. Losing My Virginity by Richard Branson
Serial entrepreneur Richard Branson lets readers in on the philosophy that he has used to build successful companies and products.
8. Founders at Work by Jessica Livingston
Jessica Livingston explains how some of the most successful CEOs and founders built the businesses that we all have come to know and love today.
9. Start Something That Matters by Blake Mycoskie
TOMs CEO Blake Mycoskie will helps aspiring entrepreneurs understand the importance of making a difference in the world when it comes to building businesses and products.
10. The Hard Thing About Hard Things by Ben Horowitz
Ben Horowitz offers key advice on building and running startups. He teaches readers how to confront the big problems that most business owners face at one time or another.
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