Business books most recommended to me: Part II.

I've said it before: I used to be a part of the wonderful Rebel Book Club until my daughter came along and eradicated all reading time.

 

Now she’s a little older; I find that recommendations of non-fiction books from people I respect are the best way to choose my material for the precious little time I have to read.

 

But why hog all the fun? I thought you’d like to hear them too, so I’ve made another compilation of the books most recommended to me by other entrepreneurs:

 

It may be fairly old by this point (8 years at the time of writing) but by no means is this book out of date. When I was in the tech startup world, this was my bible. If you've got a marketing budget closer to zero than squillions, how are you supposed to create a movement around your product or service? How can you get to your first thousand - or million - clients? 

 

Although written with SaaS founders in mind, I strongly believe there is something here for every person with marketing in their remit.

 

A cult phenomenon among those who work in graphic, print and web design — and those lucky enough to have discovered the namesake blog — Clients From Hell has been bringing readers to tears with its unbelievable and always hilarious anecdotes from the twenty and thirty-somethings on the frontlines of design. It'll help you realise which clients to appreciate and which you should probably shed for your own good.

 

Series of letters written by copywriting legend Gary C. Halbert explaining the secrets to effective marketing. This is a timeless classic that holds even though the thoughts were penned as far back as 1984. Fewer people appreciate the power of words than Gary, and it all holds today. If words are part of your service, this is a must-read.

 

This has been on my repeated reading list since 2017, but it has never felt more poignant and relevant than following the disruption to the way we work due to Covid. From the founders of the trailblazing software company 37signals (the people behind Basecamp and more), here is a different kind of business book exploring a new reality and way of working. Essential reading for anyone who wants to make lean, remote working a long term part of their business set up.