Starting a business is hardly a walk in the park. Most of the time, you have a good idea and it's up to you to make it come alive. To do this you will most likely need to wear many hats during the process, some of which you probably have never tried.
Since Alex and I have been working on Haleks, I've managed to work as a programmer, designer, book-keeper, advertiser, blogger and the list goes on. I have limited knowledge in some of these fields. That's where books come along.
As an avid reader, I believe books and articles are probably one of the best tools one can have to learn new things. In my opinion, every new entrepreneur should surround themselves in as many books as they can. Knowledge is going to be you best friend, you will have to be an expert in many fields.
So to get you started, here are a few books I suggest you pick up:
Contagious by Jonah Berger
If you're looking for ideas on how to make people gravitate towards your product, you might want to try out Contagious. Filled with anecdotes of people who made their brands catch on in surprising ways, separated with explanations of why their method worked, this book is a fun read.
Creative, Inc.by Mateo Ilasco & Cho
Creative Inc. is axed more towards freelancers. However, it has a few tips anyone can apply for a better chance of success. It's also filled with interviews with freelancers from different fields.
The Power of Why by Amanda Lang
This book will change the way you think. It will turn you into a tree-year-old child, asking the same question over and over - Why?
You will see the world in a new perspective an rekindle that curiosity, something that's very important when you want to invent, improve, create.
Networking for People Who Hate Networking by Devora Zack
If you're an introvert trying to start a business, or even just trying to meet new people, give this book a shot. I found it to be quite interesting. It's a quick read filled with tips, tricks and a few exercises. Networking is a big part of creating your business, so it shouldn't be something painful for you.
Make Sure It's Deductible by Evelyn Jacks
A book all about taxes. I know right? You're probably jumping with excitement. Ok, so even though this is probably the one I've least enjoyed reading, it's also the one that has offered me the most information. I was blown away by all of the claims I could make for my business account, the tips they offered to increase you income and pay a lot less. Definitely a book I recommend to all Canadian entrepreneurs.
Content Rules by Ann Handley C.C. Chapman
Content rules is a book for the social media gurus. If you have a blog,
are making videos or even writing an ebook, this book has great advice to offer. From finding your style to using social media to get your content out there. It's taught me a thing or two.
Obviously, there are a plethora of books available to make the learning curb a bit less steep. I, for one, have not even made a dent in my to-read pile and am always finding a new, interesting book to add to it.