Everybody Writes: Your Go-to Guide to Creating Ridiculously Good Content
by Ann Handley. Writing intimidates a lot of people, but you have to do a lot of it for modern marketing strategies. When you’re a small business, you may not have the resources to outsource this work to experts. “Everybody Writes” covers everything you need to know about creating excellent content, whether you need it for marketing or internal communication. Handley covers every type of content you need during the course of running a business and getting the word out to people.
How to Win Friends and Influence People
by Dale Carnegie. This classic appears on many small business book lists for a good reason. Excellent people skills are a must in the real estate industry, and this book is the best primer out there. You learn everything from how to make a persuasive argument to improving your relationships with your employees.
The E-Myth Revisited: Why Most Small Businesses Don’t Work and What to Do About It
by Michael E. Gerber. Everyone has high hopes that their small businesses will succeed, but the reality is that many people fail during this process. You can prepare yourself for the challenges that await by going through this insightful book and learning from the experiences of other small businesses. The primary focus of these lessons is to get you into a position where you attain consistent growth and improve your profitability.
Traction: Get a Grip on Your Business
by Gino Wickman. Business leadership skills can be tricky to learn. You have to have a strategic viewpoint that considers everything going on in your company, plus the people skills to keep employees following your vision. If this is the first time that you’re running your own business, then it can be particularly intimidating. “Traction” gives you an actionable roadmap to success by focusing on six core areas of your business. You learn about common situations that you need to address and how to solve them profitably and productively.
Crushing It!: How Great Entrepreneurs Build Their Business and Influence-and How You Can, Too
by Gary Vaynerchuk. Social media is a major component of small business marketing strategies, but one area that often gets overlooked is how they help you build your personal brand. One of the advantages small businesses have is that clients can put a face to the company. The owner isn’t inaccessible behind layers of management and leadership. “Crushing It” helps you leverage this benefit by explaining how you can effectively build your personal brand to benefit your company. You learn about all the major social media platforms and what you need to succeed on each.
The life of a small business owner can be tough, but you have plenty of sources for advice. These books give you a comprehensive look at what you need to do to maximize your productivity and profitability, as well as setting up your company for long-term success.
