When I realized that having a business excites me more than having a regular job, I started searching for best business books of all time. Through my research, I came across so many influential and wonderful books but it’s not really possible to read all of them. Because at the end of the day, we want to do business and not cram it. But when you’re putting something in application, you need to have some knowledge about it or else everything will just go haywire.

In a world full of expensive online courses or diplomas, purchasing a book seems like a bargain. These books won’t teach you the technical part of business, let’s leave that to our accountants. These will teach you how to do a business even if you have no background of business.

I don’t feel anyone needs a degree to learn something. Everything is literally available either on the internet or in the books. When someone really wants to educate himself/herself about a particular topic, all they need is one or a few good books. You just need to have that passion and determination to learn.

Coming to what we are supposed to discuss today, I’ve personally read these books and they really have changed the way I used to look at business. I know there are thousands of articles regarding best business books of all time but come on, nobody likes choosing one book from a list of 100 other books. That’s why I’m just gonna suggest you 5 top business books which have helped me get better towards my business.

Disclaimer: There are a few affiliate links in the post and if you buy from those(with no extra cost to you), I might get a tiny commission that’ll help me support my blog. I only recommend products which I personally feel are worth buying.

1. Profit First: A Simple System to Transform Any Business from a Cash-Eating Monster to a Money-Making Machine (2014) by Mike Michalowicz

I liked this book so much that I wrote a whole article about it because well it was needed. The system that he proposed is genius. It’s not out of the world. It has always been right in front of our eyes and yet we couldn’t see it all these years.

It’s basically about the fact that you find the money going away more quickly than it came. Our business was supposed to pay us and make us profits rather than just to having pay our bills and business expenses. In fact sometimes, business gets so bad that even paying bills seem impossible. It helps us to prioritize our profits over other expenses. It’s a system that makes sure that our business makes profits with every sale or service as it should.

You’ll get a really good summary of the book here but obviously I couldn’t write everything. It’s just a gist of the book. You’ll get the idea of how good the book is.

Related: Can You Even Call Yourself An Entrepreneur Without These Skills?

2. The 4-Hour Workweek: Escape 9-5, Live Anywhere, and Join the New Rich, by Tom Ferris

The name says it all. Imagine working for four hours a week for the rest of your lives. This guy has explained how he made it possible for himself to live a life that every human on this earth wants. And yes, you’d still be making enough money, but by working way less that you are right now.

Tim Ferriss is an advisor to Facebook, Twitter, Uber, Evernote, StumbleUpon, and other big-name companies. The guy must know what he’s talking about. The author did the practical experiment himself first to see if it actually works or not. He went from making $40,000 per year on an 80-hour workweek to making $40,000 per month on a 4-hour workweek. When I read it I feel it’s completely practical. So if you want a business that wouldn’t end up consuming you, please read this book.

3. Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity (2001) by David Allen

This book is all about management and productivity. A business needs management, it goes without saying. A poorly managed business is no business at all. The book’s basic idea is to move all the projects and tasks out of the mind and then break them into small actionable tasks which seem achievable. You won’t see any post of the best business books of all time without this one!

Many times we end up procrastinating about our work because we are seeing it as this big gruesome task that we won’t be able to finish ever. And we just keep it avoiding it. But that’s not how business works. Every business demands management and planning.

This book will help you in making a workflow and a plan to that’ll help you organize your business. It has two elements- control and perspective. So if your business needs some planning and organization, then you really need this book.

Related: You need a good marketing strategy plan, not luck

4. The E Myth Revisited: Why Most Small Businesses Don’t Work and What to Do About It (1995) by Michael E. Gerber

Just like the first one, I have a whole article about this book as well. This book will tell you the secrets of being a successful entrepreneur. We all know these secrets but none of us really follow them. And when you’ll be going through this book, you’ll realise that the most famous entrepreneurs have these all qualities.

This book isn’t about an online business or an offline shop. It’s about every kind of business, big or small. He has explained that the sole purpose of starting a business is so that it’ll function even in our sleep. According to him, you should have a business that has the capability to work without your interference. A business that can make you money without putting any conscious efforts.

Also Read: Story Of A Famous Entrepreneur For A Life Changing Motivation

5. The Lean Startup: How Constant Innovation Creates Radically Successful Businesses by Eric Ries

This book is also like the previous one but it basically focusses on how the failures in a business can be prevented. It gives a new approach of how companies are built and products are launched.

The book is for both the kinds of businesses, one which are quite influential and the ones which are just finding their ways up. Inspired by the lessons from lean manufacturing, it relies on “validated learning,” rapid scientific experimentation, as well as a number of counter-intuitive practices that shorten product development cycles, measure actual progress without resorting to vanity metrics, and learn what customers really want.

It asks for the businesses to be flexible and keep changing as per the needs. It offers entrepreneurs a way to adapt and adjust their businesses according to the customers before it’s too late.

P.S. It’s my favorite and literally one of the best business books of all time!

If you know about any other great business books, do mention those in the comments!