What is the Best Business Book if You Are New to Business?

I read a lot. And, there’s no reason for you to read a book just because I think it is good. There are plenty of books I thought were great, but my book club would 10 out of 10 not recommend, so my goal is to tell you enough about the book, and why I like it, so you can determine for yourself if you should buy, rent for free from the library, or pass. You will not see my pass books here, because I don’t feel that is a good use of anyone’s time, so instead I will periodically write about a book I found helpful, and hopefully you will as well.

What is the book? I thought you’d never ask. Business Made Simple by Donald Miller. In this post, I’ll cover what I created with the book’s action steps and show you how it helped me.

Whether you already have a business idea, or are a recently established business, Business Made Simple by Donald Miller gives you everything you need to get off the ground. I got the book originally from my library and listened to it for 27 minutes every day on my daily walk or on my daily couch when it was too cold, or too rainy, or. . . . I ended up buying a physical copy because I wanted to highlight, take notes, and keep it as a reference. It was that good! The book promises that it will help you master marketing and sales, among other skills, in 60 days. Now, while I did learn a lot and I did implement the suggestions, I am only one person, and it is impossible to do all the book recommends in 60 days and become a master.

Why is Business Made Simple an Important Reference?

Business Made Simple is easy to read, and includes actionable steps to complete daily for 60 days. They are very doable, and he even offers an email a day to correspond with the book. It is not overly academic, which I found to be pleasant, and includes examples that are clear and understandable. It was geared more toward a “company”, and not solo-preneurs or entrepreneurs, but there is not a chapter that I left un-highlighted. Even though not everything related to my business, the content is adaptable.

The Best Way to Start a New Business without a Business Background

Sometimes, as new business owners, we are not fortunate enough to have a mentor. I know some who are that fortunate, and the mentorship is invaluable. For those of us on our own, a good book with practical advice from someone who has made it work, is the next best thing. Find a mentor if you can. If not, get started on this book and see what happens in the next 60 days.

If you can improve profit, efficiency, and systems, what have you got to lose? A quick read, or audio on your daily workout. Take what you can use and leave the rest.

Action Steps for Starting a Business

Some of the actionable steps are to create a mission statement, critical actions, a theme, and a story pitch. There are examples and prompts to get you started. I uncovered that I wanted to create websites for service based beginners, that I wanted to provide a fast turnaround, and that I wanted to be affordable. And the reason this is important to me, or more commonly referred to as my “why”, is that I want to help creatives bring dreams to life quickly, without needing a loan to do it. And it was also important to me, that as their business evolves, they were able to make changes to their websites on their own. And even though I had that in my head, and even had it written down somewhere, to compile it into a one page document that I can place in my planner and look at daily, helps me to keep my focus.

I can look at that document before I hop on a discovery call, or when I’m feeling less than enthusiastic about doing the not so fun parts of business, or not seeing a return on my investments yet.

What if I Don’t Have Any Team Members?

I also realized that since I am running solo, I can’t neglect all the parts of a successful business. I actually need sales to profit. And in order to make sales, I need to let people know I even have a business. It helped me to get organized, and think about all the roles I need to play, with only being one person and not having a team. And, which “team” members needed to get in action first.

So, now it’s your turn. If this book sounds intriguing, give it a read—or listen to it—and let’s talk! I would love to hear which parts worked for you, what you created as your theme and mission statement, and what your takeaways are.

And, if you are interested in a business book club. Let me know! We could throw in a psychological thriller or true crime in every once in a while to mix it up and keep it entertaining. And, if you are in need of a website, or would like to chat about why I like Squarespace for new websites and businesses, get on my calendar, I’d love to chat. Say Hello