How to Start Your Own Business. Inspirational Books

There are no books in this selection with practical advice on how to start a business. But don’t be too quick to close the page. There are no less important ingredients for any endeavour – a boost of inspiration and invaluable experience. The editors have compiled biographies and memoirs of outstanding businessmen, as well as success stories of the world’s leading companies. After reading them, your first step towards your own successful business is sure to be a more confident and informed one.

Most of the books in the Business Literature section are little more than handbooks, crammed with charts, figures and lots of terms. On the one hand, this is a good thing. You cannot implement your plans without a basic knowledge of economics, finance and other subtleties of entrepreneurship. But then you have to put theory into practice. This is where it is important to know in advance what to expect. The example of real people who have already gone through all the stages of development and reached business olympus will help.

Before gracing the covers of magazines and appearing at the top of Forbes, Steve Jobs, Elon Musk and other billionaires were also budding entrepreneurs. Behind their dizzying rise there were many falls, and breakthroughs were achieved after a huge number of dead ends. These are the stories that successful people share in their memoirs. Or are written about by professional biographers.

Memories of famous businessmen and businesswomen are a good way to find out if you should take on the idea of starting your own business. The idea of becoming your own boss can be tempting, especially if you have not moved up the career ladder in a large corporation for many years. This step is seen as the key to taking control of your life. Organising your own business, on the other hand, introduces a lot of uncertainties. The books in the selection show how many of these things happen in reality and how they are handled.

Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson

It’s not just IT people who should read Steve Jobs’ biography. No, not because he got half the world’s population hooked on his gadgets. The insights and examples of mistakes you’ll learn from the story of the IT genius and Apple founder are useful to anyone who wants to start building their own business wisely.

Elon Musk: Tesla, SpaceX and Quest for a Fantastic Future by Ashlee Vance

Journalist Ashley Vance’s book about Ilon Musk is probably the most motivating on this list. It makes you believe in your wildest dreams. If a boy from South Africa who read science fiction can become one of the richest people on the planet, why can’t others? Anything is possible! Get inspired for your own projects by reading the success story of the chief influencer of the XXI century. Everyone knows: any tweet by Musk can turn the world upside down. Would you like to do the same? Learn from him.

Mary Kay Way by Mary Kay Ash

Business has long been considered a strictly male occupation. One of the first women to break this stereotype was Mary Kay Ash. It was not for nothing that she was named one of the most successful women in American business several times and was even named Woman of the Century. This ambitious American built the largest cosmetics company, Mary Kay, proving that women can do a lot.

That Will Never Work: The Birth of Netflix and the Amazing Life of an Idea by Marc Randolph

Mark Randolph kept hearing the phrase “It’ll never work” as he once again tried to talk about his idea of video rental by subscription. The idea seemed pure madness to anyone who knew the market. Despite the scepticism of investors and partners, Mark did not back down, for which he is to be thanked. After all, if it wasn’t for his stubbornness, Netflix wouldn’t have emerged. Randolph is an example of the fact that among the thousands of voices of people most often afraid of risk and change, you should listen to only one – your own.

My life. My achievements by Henry Ford

Henry Ford’s autobiography, unlike most written memoirs by millionaires, brings light and the idea of serving business for the public good. “My Life, My Achievements is not only the story of a great man, but also a practical guide to organising the production process and passing on the philosophy of a successful life to future generations of entrepreneurs.

Shoe Dog: A Memoir by the Creator of Nike by Phil Knight

In his youth, Nike founder Phil Knight could not afford to buy a pair of trainers. He never stopped wishing for more in life, but his dreams were not the only ones. Thanks to his persistence, Phil has been able to build a real business empire. This book is his confession about building a company that has succeeded in giving dreams to millions of people and becoming, in a sense, a philosophy. Nike is not just a shop with a bunch of comfortable shoes, but an ideology, a way of life and a system of values.