If you are looking for advice on how to start or grow your business, books are a good place to start. We asked Fetola’s experienced business mentors to recommend books to help entrepreneurs improve. This is what they said. We have also included a video book summary of each book.
“If your business depends on you, you don’t own a business, you have a job. And it’s the worst job in the world,” said Michael Gerber. In this classic business book, Gerber points out the difference between working on your business and working in your business. He also explains how common assumptions, expectations and technical knowledge can hinder the running of a business.
According to Gerber, the number one entrepreneurial myth is that most people who start businesses are entrepreneurs. Myth number two is the assumption that someone who understands the technical work of a business can successfully run a business that does technical work. This book is packed with information and tips that will make you rethink your core strategies and help you grow your business.
Recommended by Ockert Fransch
The E-Myth Revisited is available from Takealot for R389.
Good to Great is know as one of the best management books. It is a follow-up to the bestseller Built to Last and focuses on how mediocre and good companies can become great organisations. Collins, fascinated by what makes some companies successful and others not, conducted research on 11 companies and found a few commonalities:
The leaders of good-to-great companies are introverted, hiring the right people before setting out the company’s vision is key, complacency must be overcome, there needs to be a prevailing culture of discipline, how they choose technology sets them apart, going from good to great takes time – success does not happen overnight, and a company’s core purpose and vision must align with more than making money. You are definitely going to want to read this book.
Recommended by Jane MacGregor
Good to Great is available at Takealot for R449.
“Don’t just get more stuff done, get the right stuff done,” said Brendon Burchard. “Study high performers and you will see that they have systems built into their days that drive their success.”
For more than 20 years, Burchard has been researching why some people succeed more quickly than others and sustain that success over the long term, why some individuals are happy on their journey and what motivates people to aim for higher levels of success.
He shows that with the right (six) habits anyone can become a high performer in any field. If you want to know how to reach your next level, this book is for you.
Recommended by Lisa Illingworth
High Performance Habits is available from Takealot for R489.
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