Literature for Young Businessmen and Entrepreneurs
In order to become successful in business, you need, among other things, dedication, direction, and grit. The ingredients are more or less dependent upon your specific area of expertise, but one thing will always remain constant: You must be well-read. The best businessmen you’ll find all have in common being well-read (and given the abundance of free and affordable information out there, you can be, too).
The purpose of this piece is to share insightful books, magazines, and blogs that are valuable to up and coming business professionals (if you aren’t interested in reading physical books then consider listening to audio versions). Odds are that if you’re still in college or recently graduated, you’ve spent much of the last few years reading dull, tiresome literature, so this list is not a snooze-fest, it is a compilation of captivating works by experienced, successful people who really know their stuff. Consider this your new summer reading list.
Books
It’s very important that businessmen and especially entrepreneurs know how to sell. You want to read books geared toward sales techniques and practices, like Sell or Be Sold by real estate magnate and speaker Grant Cardone and How to Master the Art of Selling by sales trainer and renowned real estate agent Tom Hopkins. Along with sales comes psychology and people skills, which are the social aspect of selling. Books such as To Sell Is Human by writer, host, and producer Daniel Pink and Influence: Science and Practice by Doctor of Psychology Robert Cialdini can serve as touchstones in your quest to master sales and client relations.
When it comes to business basics, there is an absolute plethora of self-help books out there that discuss the practices and mindsets conducive to success. To name a few, Extreme Ownership by US veteran and writer Jocko Willink, Outliers by writer and speaker Malcom Gladwell, and The Effective Executive by management consultant and educator Peter Drucker. In regards to the basics of entrepreneurship, there is also no shortage of self-help literature by affluent industrialists, such as Lean In by tech executive and writer Sheryl Sandberg, Start With Why by speaker Simon Sinek, Profit First by entrepreneur and speaker Michael Michalowicz, and Think Big and Kick Ass by economist and entrepreneur Donald Trump.In addition to these essential works, it would behoove the young entrepreneur or investor to read books on the philosophy of economic science, such as Capitalism and Freedom by economist and researcher Milton Friedman and The Wealth of Nations by economist and philosopher Adam Smith.
Magazines and Journals
Most magazines these days can be found online, if not for free then for a yearly subscription fee. “Entrepreneur Magazine” for example publishes articles like Does an MBA Make You a Better Entrepreneur? by CEO Chris Porteous and 4 Ways To Make Time Your Most Important Business Resource, an excerpt from Success Masters by self-help writer Napoleon Hill. Another acclaimed magazine is “Harvard Business Review,” which publishes articles on a wide array of topics including marketing, entrepreneurship, career planning, and leadership. One lesser-known magazine is “Strategy + Business,” which puts out articles like Seven steps for highly effective deal making and How to think like a CEO. “Inc. Magazine” pumps out daily content for startup companies and all things entrepreneurial, along with “Wired,” a tech-centered magazine that covers emerging technologies and how they impact the economy.
Blogs
When it comes to blog content, you obviously want to be particular about what you spend your time reading. While there are many to choose from, always be sure the content you’re consuming is well-researched and scholarly. Under 30 CEO is rich with pertinent information focusing on tips geared toward helping Millennials and Generation Z succeed in the ever-advancing realm of entrepreneurial business. Another one is Smart Hustle, which caters to budding business owners and shares stories and perspectives from a variety of entrepreneurs. Marketing and Entrepreneurship is another fantastic blog providing guidance and news on social media marketing and online content marketing, advertising, search engine optimization (SEO), branding, and start-ups.
Read Your Way To The Top!
Regardless of what you read and whether it’s physical or digital, try to increase the time you spend reading. Whether it’s for one hour one day per week or ten minutes during your commute each morning; think of reading as the vitamin for your mind. Consider reading an extension of your education. While reading is vitally important, so is reading the right kinds of literature for you and your field. While your friends may be soaking in this year’s hit science fiction novel or rereading the same Harry Potter book for the third time, that may not be the ideal use of time for you as an eager business professional.
As a writer, I must admit that much (if not most) of my writing time consists of reading. Look at it this way, in order to be a compelling and well-spoken person, one must spend a lot of time listening to others speak. Similarly, in order to perform well in your career field, you must spend a lot of time consuming the thoughts, ideas, observations, and advice of those who have achieved what you seek to achieve. There has never been a better time to become well-read than the digital era, so do yourself a favor and compound your potential for success by taking advantage of the cornucopia of literature at your fingertips.
