The life of an entrepreneur can be a challenging one;…
Here are 5 books that can offer you that. These books were written by successful entrepreneurs drawing lessons from their experiences in business.
1. Ladies Who Launch: Embracing Entrepreneurship & Creativity as a Lifestyle by Victoria Colligan and Beth Schoenfeldt
If you are considering starting a business but are hesitant or not sure how to move from idea to bringing your passion to life, then this book is for you. It contains self-tests, inspiring stories, and practical information, that gives women the courage to dare to follow a cherished but unfulfilled dream.
And because it is written by women for women, the style of writing is very feminine or ‘girly’, if you will, making it relatable to most women. Ladies Who Launch seeks to ignite a fire under your dream or occupation to propel it to an infinitely higher level.
If you are apprehensive about launching a business, this book is exactly what you need!
2. Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead by Sheryl Sandberg
In 2010, Sheryl Sandberg, Chief Operating Officer of Facebook, gave an electrifying TED talk in which she expressed her concern that progress for women in achieving major leadership positions had stalled. This inspiring talk gave birth to the book, Lean In, in which she uses humorous personal stories and lessons on confidence and leadership to give practical advice for women based on research and her own experiences.
In her book, Sheryl outlines the importance of women negotiating for better working terms rather than shying away from those tough discussions. She also encourages women to lean in and not drop out of their career long before they have to.
Lean In is a great read for women looking to climb the corporate ladder as well as entrepreneurs.
3. Outliers: The Story of Success by Malcolm Gladwell
This book is a compelling read with an important message for all entrepreneurs; men and women alike. The writer begins by asking; what makes high-achievers different? Instead of focusing on what successful people are like, he pays more attention to where they are from. That is, their culture, their family, their generation, and experiences of their upbringing.
Outliers is an extremely eye-opening book that comes highly recommended to anyone who would like to discover the real keys to success whether in business, career or other areas of life.
4. Leading from the Front: No Excuse Leadership Tactics for Women by Angie Morgan
Unfortunately, many women have never received formal leadership training. They weren't taught to be decisive, commanding and ready to take risks. These are very crucial skills in the business world.
The authors, Angie Morgan and Courtney Lynch, were not born leaders. They became leaders during their years in the U.S. Marine Corps, enduring some of the toughest training on earth. In this book they pass the leadership skill and experience from that training on to you.
The world of business comes with a lot of challenges and Leading From The Front will give you the confidence you need to lead like the toughest Marine, but with a woman's touch.
5. The Lean Start-up by Eric Ries
It is a known fact that most start-ups fail. But your business does not have to suffer the same fate. The Lean Startup offers entrepreneurs a way to test their vision continuously, to adapt and adjust before their businesses go under. This book comes with lots of invaluable wisdom that you might want to print out and paste on your office wall. One notable one is; "Remember, if we're building something that nobody wants, it doesn't much matter if we're doing it on time and on budget."
In his book, Eric Ries tells businesses, and especially start-ups, how to start small and simple, then grow through learning, testing, measuring, and rapidly innovating.
The Lean Startup is great for those starting a company, those who already own a company and those thinking about making that move.
All these books are available at any leading bookstore. However, Chase Bank would like to give you a free copy of Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead by Sheryl Sandberg.
Click here and stand a chance to win a copy of this inspiring book.
But wait…there’s more!
Chase Bank through its Chase Woman division, is also offering you a chance to access funds for your business. Click here to share your details with Chase Bank and a Chase Woman representative will get in touch with you to guide you through the application process.