The 5 Business Books That Help Me Keep Going!

It's been almost four years since I came to Canada from Europe with one thing in mind. I wanted to become fluent in English.

It was December, and it was pretty cold. But on my second day in Vancouver, I got on a bus near my hostel and went to the public library. I got a library card, borrowed my first book, and started reading.

At the beginning, I probably understood only about 10% of what I was reading, so I just picked up whatever looked interesting to me.

6 months later, it was a little better. Honestly, I lived in a small room. I didn't have a PlayStation or a TV, and most of my friends were coworkers or people I met at the hostel or in pubs. So I spent a lot of time alone exercising, listening to podcasts, and reading books.

After one year, I understood a lot more. As I mentioned, I read everything: books about Canadian history, politicians, true stories about baseball and hockey players, travel, finance, business, and anything else that caught my attention.

Then I started to notice something. Business books were the easiest for me to understand, and maybe that's why I enjoyed them the most. I still didn't understand everything, but I felt like I did.

Two years later, when my girlfriend and I moved to from Vancouver to Halifax, I wasn't learning English anymore. I was finally learning what the books were actually about.

Now I don't go to the public library anymore. I buy books because I choose the ones that fit my current stage of building a business.

I don't feel like I have any problems with English anymore. Whether I'm at work, talking to people, or traveling, I feel comfortable. Spending all those hours in the library played a huge part in that.

Why do I still believe in books the most?

I feel like the internet gives everyone a chance to write about things they may not fully understand.

There is so much content about how to start a business, how to market a business, and how to do almost anything.

You never really know where the information is coming from. Maybe someone simply asked AI to generate a text full of keywords.

But if someone took the time to write a book, get it published, and sell thousands of copies with great reviews, there's a good chance I'll find what I'm looking for inside.

Starting a business is a really lonely journey. So many times, I got lost.

So today, I'd like to share.

The 5 Business Books That Help Me Keep Going!

1. Why Most Small Businesses Don't Work and What to Do About It by Michael E. Gerber

I feel like this book is a must-read for anyone who wants to start a business. Mr. Gerber brilliantly explains the difference between a technician, a manager, and an entrepreneur. It helped me understand how a business actually works and why systems and rules are so important.

2. Building a StoryBrand by Donald Miller

The best marketing book I’ve ever read. It perfectly explains how people react to text with a story versus text without one. It shows how important it is to be able to describe your business in just two sentences. There’s also lots of valuable information about email marketing, websites, and how to communicate with customers.

3. The Millionaire Fastlane by MJ DeMarco

The author doesn’t care about excuses. He’s amazingly straightforward, and I love that. This book just makes you want to keep going in business. Plus, there’s so much valuable information about business, marketing, and finance. What a book!

4. Million Dollar Weekend by Noah Kagan

Noah feels like a cool friend in this book. He shares his own stories and experiences, which add a lot of value. The book is full of practical advice for early entrepreneurs about ideas, validation, testing, and getting started as quickly as possible with little budget.  This fits perfectly with the world we live in today!

5. The Mom Test by Rob Fitzpatrick

This book focuses especially on testing and validating business ideas. It’s not always an easy read, but it’s very helpful. It shows you what questions to ask for validation, what feedback is actually positive or negative, and how to avoid common mistakes. This is the kind of book you can keep in your library and always come back to when you need it.

Do you have another book recommendation? Let's share in the comments!

PS: One thing I really missed when I started was someone to tell me, "This doesn't make sense." That's why I do free feedback on business projects. Sometimes a second opinion is all you need. If you'd like honest feedback on your idea, website, landing page, or startup, feel free to click below.

Free Feedback

Speak soon,

Jan