A guide for a beginning businessman. "The Smartest Guys in the Room" by Bethany McLean, Peter Elkind

* The calculations use average data for Russia

The publishing business is considered one of the most difficult. And this complexity is due to the specifics of the product. Unlike food, the consumption of publishing products is limited only by the availability of high-quality (or not always high-quality, but very in demand) literature on the market. Thus, competition between publishing houses lies not only and not so much in price, but in the range and quality of publications. As a matter of fact, as a rule, new publishing houses are opened by entrepreneurs who themselves were faced with the problem of finding good books and saw in the existing shortage in the market an opportunity to develop their own business. This is how new publishing houses with a certain specialization appear.

The attempt to occupy a narrow niche in the market is also explained by the need for investment: a universal publishing house is too large-scale and expensive a project. But here another problem arises: competition in the book market, despite all the difficulties, is increasing, and good books that have not yet been published by anyone are almost impossible to find. Modern authors who are able to “produce” a high-quality product for quite a long time can be counted on one hand. But to publish Western literature you need to pay a lot of money, find a good translator, and launch an advertising campaign (all this is often beyond the means of small publishing houses). The last hope of book publishers is Soviet books (mainly children's literature for adults nostalgic for their childhood), almost all of which have already been republished. The target audience is also limited: there are not many people left who still read books. Moreover, those who read books in printed form, and not electronically, downloading them freely available on the Internet. All this leads to the fact that most initially specialized publishing houses (for example, specializing in children's or business literature) soon find themselves at a dead end, having exhausted all their opportunities for development. And then it is either bought out by a large publishing house, or it remains autonomous, but begins to publish everything, “forgetting” about its original subject. Nevertheless, the new publishing house has prospects, but only if its founder has extensive experience in the book publishing industry, has sufficiently large start-up capital and connections, and has the talent to find good authors and quality works.

Before you start organizing your publishing house or at least start drawing up a preliminary version of a business plan, you need to decide on your goals and capabilities. Answer the following questions: what books are you going to publish, what is your target audience, how will you promote your products? In this article, we will look at a very special type of publishing house, which will specialize in developmental and educational literature, and will also try to answer the question of how the author himself can ensure that his work is noticed and published.

A big advantage of the publishing business is the relatively low cost of entry into the market. The cost of one book with a circulation of up to 10 thousand copies is about $1-2. We are, of course, not talking about a gift edition. Investments in the publication of the first book will amount to $5 thousand. However, the assortment of a start-up publishing house must include at least several titles so that its products can reach the shelves of bookstores. Don’t forget about other significant expenses - renting premises, purchasing office equipment, salaries for employees, etc. Thus, an initially small amount turns out to be quite a decent start-up capital. New book publishers cannot count on loans. And before the crisis, banks were extremely reluctant to lend to high-risk businesses such as book publishing. Now the situation has only worsened. There are, indeed, considerable risks. Problems can begin at the stage of searching for authors and collaborating with them. It is quite possible to find authors who have already written but unpublished manuals. But further cooperation with them is a big question. The author may violate all the terms of the contract or go to another publishing house that will pay him more. An entrepreneur who has his own publishing house cannot provide more or less significant collateral for a loan. Book products quickly become illiquid if they are not in demand.

Where to look for funding for a new project? To begin with, you can try to attract private investors. In principle, the amount required is small, and it is quite possible to find people willing to invest in your publishing house, even if not to make a big profit in the near future, but at least for charitable purposes. Small start-up publishing houses can also turn to a large publishing company for help. An interesting and promising project has every chance of attracting the interest of the “giants” of the book market. But this option is only suitable if you have truly original author’s work. Moreover, you need to take into account the specifics of the chosen specialization: most modern textbooks require not only the text itself, but also artistic accompaniment - high-quality illustrations. Although a partner can provide the design, it is still desirable that the search for artists and control of their work be carried out by those who own the rights to the manuscript. For a small publisher, such cooperation does not seem very profitable in the end, since the profit, at best, will be divided in half. But it can be considered as an investment in promoting the publisher’s products and increasing awareness. A large publishing house will provide a large circulation and good distribution. The latter may be interested in such cooperation, since universal players cannot be specialists in all narrow niches. This is a good option for starting and building your name and reputation, but then you will have to try to get by on your own.

Ready ideas for your business

What difficulties does publishing educational literature entail? Before moving on to the disadvantages, let’s first write about the advantages of this direction. There is certainly competition in this market, but not as great as it might seem. And it’s not just that most publishers prefer the children’s fiction segment (which, needless to say, is very attractive). Publishing developmental and educational literature has its own nuances, which we will discuss below. However, with low competition, the demand for quality benefits only increases. Additional education and tutors are expensive, the level of school education does not suit many parents, and the requirements for passing final and entrance exams are constantly changing. In the total sales of literature in Russia, applied and school teaching accounts for over 20%. Today, there are several publishing houses that publish textbooks. This business is profitable, but the level of most publications on the market leaves much to be desired. Over 80% of them were not written by specialists with appropriate education and extensive work experience and they are not published under the control of the Ministry of Education and Science.

The most difficult task in any publishing house is finding good authors. But for a start-up publishing house, this task turns out to be twice as difficult. Already established authors prefer to work not with newcomers, but with large companies that can offer large fees and ensure the promotion of their literary works. Of course, the investment in promoting fiction and textbooks also differs significantly. Large publishing houses can spend up to $100 thousand on advertising a promising detective story or a science fiction story, while the budget for promoting textbooks turns out to be much more modest (often it is completely absent). Moreover, the chances that a start-up publishing house will be able to successfully enter the market with a new author are quite low. Of course, there are examples that suggest the opposite. But, firstly, they can be counted on one hand, and, secondly, in all these examples we are again talking about fiction, and not about such specific literature as educational literature.

The chances of success of a new specialized publishing house increase if there are good authors among its founders or partners. Moreover, the authors are not just one manual, but a whole series (these can be either manuscripts ready for printing or a detailed plan for several books in advance). Such a co-founder author or even the publisher himself has his own interest in the development of the publishing business and can count on greater profits than he could get from cooperation with other publishing houses. Note that there are examples of such businesses in our country. Authors whose developmental and educational manuals are in good demand sooner or later think about working independently. They already have their own achievements, a well-known name, a recognizable style and a good reputation, and all that remains is to find like-minded people and organize their own business.

So, you have authors, an idea and ambitions. What's next? Next you need to assemble a team. You need to start by finding an editor. An editor is one of the main people in any publishing house. He selects the manuscripts to be published and turns them into books, he determines the pricing policy and often even handles promotion. You will also need a sales director. Organizing the sale of books is not an easy task. Especially when we are talking about a small publishing house with a still very small assortment. In principle, the staff of a start-up book publishing company may be limited to these employees. All other work can be performed by contractors: freelance artists, designers, proofreaders, etc. Many printing houses, in addition to the actual printing work, also carry out complete pre-press preparation of the book - from layout to proofreading, but it is still better to control the publication of the book at all stages. The production of a small manual takes little time - from the approval of the manuscript to the publication of the book it will take about two months.

Ready ideas for your business

But here another problem arises - the finished products must be sold. This is not easy to do in our country. The main difficulty lies in the very small number of bookstores that have not yet closed. And these stores themselves are not very popular due to the small assortment and high prices for books in comparison with the largest online stores. The latter offer extremely unfavorable conditions for beginners with a small assortment. Moreover, such cooperation cannot even be considered as promotion - books from little-known publishers and authors without positive reviews will simply go unnoticed among the huge assortment. Wholesale and distribution companies that specialize in book products also focus on large volumes and prefer to work with large publishing houses. If the new publishing house does not cooperate with famous authors (which is unlikely), and, especially, if we are talking not about fiction, but about textbooks, then most likely you should not count on wholesalers. But even if you are lucky and your books are accepted for sale, this does not mean that they will sell. Wholesalers are not interested in promoting certain books from other publishers. They only act as intermediaries between the publishing house and retail stores.

The best option is to promote your books yourself - negotiate with retailers, provide stores with promotional materials and work with each outlet. After all, even in large cities, bookstores can be counted on one hand, and there are even fewer specialized stores and retail outlets that specialize in selling educational literature. Convince every store that your books are worth carrying. It makes sense to start promoting your books on various local sites and forums. The main thing is to do it unobtrusively. Maintaining groups on various social networks also works well. Moreover, your main target audience is there - children and teenagers, as well as their parents. Try to receive feedback from your readers (or rather, “users” of your manuals), especially since this is not difficult to do on the Internet.

The risks of a book publishing house with specialization are even higher than those of a universal one. First of all, they are associated with the authors with whom the publishing house works. Moreover, if this author is alone and it is thanks to him that the publishing house has become successful. Any force majeure or disagreement - and you will have to look for new authors, which will take a lot of time and effort. As compensation, the publisher, of course, can demand that the author who violated the contract return the advance for the books that he undertook to write, but this will not solve the problem of finding a new author. Unfortunately, it is impossible to completely protect yourself from a writer leaving for competitors. By law, publishing houses cannot enter into contracts with authors for future books, so it is almost impossible to retain them. On the other hand, the demand for high-quality and proven educational literature, unlike fiction, has not decreased for many decades.

However, educational literature also has its advantages. If it is almost impossible to calculate the success of a work of art, then a high-quality textbook with good illustrations and a methodological basis, which a child can use both independently and with tutors, parents or teachers, will be in constant demand with proper promotion.

In order to prepare a textbook, it is enough to have at least a little experience in the field in which the textbook is being written, and the ability to express one’s thoughts more or less well. However, many people do without this, simply compiling existing manuals and slightly changing them. The work is based on the following algorithm. First, the author determines the topic of the textbook and begins to collect the material he needs. At the next stage, he builds it according to a specific plan, guided primarily by two criteria - how interesting it is to work according to the chosen textbook, and what practical material he has. Then the actual writing of the manual takes place, that is, the logical arrangement of theoretical and practical material.

Ready ideas for your business

But what happens next in the manuscript depends on who publishes it and why. Many textbooks are compiled by university teachers. Such an author will not be able to make money from their publication, since he pays all expenses out of his own pocket. But publishing your work makes it possible to confirm your qualifications and the right to engage in scientific activities (with a slight increase in salary). In this case, at the next stage, the finished manuscript is sent to the editorial and publishing council of the university. Previously, the material is included in the plan of scientific work for the coming year and is submitted in accordance with the established deadlines. Specialists who are members of the editorial and publishing council read the manuscript, write a review of it and return it to the author for revision. If there are few edits, then after correction the council is presented with only those excerpts from the manual that needed to be changed. After approval of the material, the council draws up an estimate for the publication of a certain edition of the approved textbook, and it goes into print. Of course, this option cannot be called a business.

However, if you have an idea or even a ready-made version of an author’s textbook based on your work, but there is no opportunity, desire or need to open your own publishing house, you can publish the book yourself and start promoting it. Fortunately, modern technologies make it possible to do this at relatively low cost. First of all, as in the case of a publishing house, you need to decide on the target audience. The best option is for preschool children and primary schoolchildren. As for the topic, it doesn’t matter much whether you teach children a foreign language, Russian or mathematics. The main thing is to combine the gaming and educational aspects and be guided, first of all, by the interests of the child.

If your manual is designed for children of preschool and primary school age, you should not rely on the budget version of the publication. Children love colorful pictures and task-games. Accordingly, the cost of your benefit increases, because you will need the services of a professional artist and high-quality printing. Where to look for money? If you don’t have enough funds of your own, you can use the crowdfunding model. Crowdfunding is so-called crowdfunding, a collective collaboration of people who voluntarily pool their money and other resources together to support the efforts of others (mostly all done online). Crowdfunding has certain distinctive features and limitations.

Firstly, you won’t be able to raise money for your personal needs using this model. Funds are collected only for specific, clearly stated purposes. The final amount of the collection and the period during which it will go are limited. This is necessary in order to assess how attractive the proposed project is for “public investors”. If, after the collection deadline, the required amount has not been collected, the money is returned to the users. The focus of crowdfunding can be anything - from raising money to record an album and hold a personal exhibition to an election campaign or launching a new invention into mass production. Note that educational projects are very popular, and raising money for them is much easier. When investing money in a particular project, users do not receive a guarantee of return on investment. Often they do not expect compensation for their contributions at all, but in the case of production, the crowdfunder can offer users bonuses. For example, if we are talking about the production of a product, then, depending on the amount contributed, the “donor” can count on receiving a discount on the purchase of the product (for significant investments, the discount can be 100%). Money, of course, is not given “to nowhere”. The recipient is obliged to fulfill its obligations and report this to the participants. Otherwise, you will have to return the money received for the implementation of the project.

This model first appeared in the West, but quickly became popular throughout the world. In Russia, crowdfunding is still in its infancy, but there are already quite a large number of crowdfunding platforms. It makes no sense to list them, since this list is quickly losing its relevance: some sites cease to exist, and new ones take their place. For this reason, it is better to choose the largest and most established crowdfunding sites. Carefully study the requirements for placing applications, try to make the most complete business plan for the implementation of your project, give a detailed description of the final product. In this case, your chances of receiving the required amount increase significantly.

Today there is a huge amount of literature – specialized and fiction – about entrepreneurs and their activities. These are books that reveal the secrets of a successful business.

These are the stories of great, famous people who created their own business from almost nothing. Every aspiring and fairly successful businessman should read them to replenish the arsenal of effective methods for organizing and managing a private business.

We bring to your attention a literary selection, including books for entrepreneurs who have been developing their business for some time. Private business is very sensitive to the changing conditions of its operation.

In order not to lose the company, it is important to develop. Useful for this manual are many theorists and practitioners, among whom we highlight books by such authors:

• G. Ford;
• T. R. Kiyosaki;
• R. Cialdini;
• I. Adizes;
• W. Isaacson.

"My life, my achievements"(H. Ford, 1922). Autobiographical work of a famous American entrepreneur of the early twentieth century, one of the fathers of the US automobile industry. G. Ford sets out his business philosophy.

This is a book about mistakes, losses of fortune, collapse, rise, litigation, losses, victories of a man who managed to pull the country out of the economic crisis.

The activities of many companies today are based on the ideas of H. Ford's management. It's never too late to read this work.

"Rich dad, poor dad"(R. T. Kiyosaki, S. L. Lechter, 2000). Here the myth that for people without higher education all paths in life are closed is destroyed.

This is the work of each person, his natural abilities, multiplied by determination. This book is often called a practical guide to financial literacy.

"Management in times of crisis"(I. Adizes, 2009). The key philosophical idea of ​​the work is the need to prepare the company for any changes: positive, negative.

If a company is prepared for a crisis, it will never go bankrupt. By using the right tools, even during an economic downturn, it is possible to not only maintain the stability of your business, but also benefit.

"Psychology of influence"(R. Cialdini, 2010). The book tells about 50 psychological techniques that work to increase sales and improve business processes.

Examples from entrepreneurial practice and theoretical aspects of building a business are given.

The book is full of ideas for developing a private business. This is a kind of practical guide about the way of thinking of businessmen, their clients, and business partners.

"Steve Jobs. Biography"(W. Isaacson, 2011). The book describes the story of trial and error of the founder of Apple on the path to success. The author emphasizes that the computer empire was built by the hands of an ordinary average person.

Dismissal from his company, return, turning it into a global corporation - all this is Steve Jobs. He is rightly called an effective manager. And businessmen of our time have a lot to learn from the classic.

A successful entrepreneur should not stop there. His duty is self-improvement and development. Books about business are his best assistant.

Business literature for beginners

For new business owners, starting a private business can seem especially daunting. What business idea, model of company organization to choose, how to use funds - these and many other questions worry them in anticipation of a start-up. Books by such authors can guide them:

• V. Harnish;
• R. Branson;
• R. T. Kiyosaki;
• T. Shay;
• E. Fig.

“Rules for profitable startups. How to grow and make money"(W. Harnish, 2002). The book tells about the key principles of the activities of successful famous businessmen. You should use them as an example for yourself. J. Rockefeller is the best example.

When organizing a startup, it makes sense to start building your business model following its example in order to achieve stability in the future.

The key aspects of the company's activities should be taken into account - focus (goal), data (feedback), rhythm (activity).

“To hell with everything, go ahead and do it!”(R. Branson, 2006). The key idea is to take from life everything that seems possible. The presence of special education, experience in business or other activities is not essential for human endeavors.

Enough intelligence, enthusiasm, initiative, activity, and a sober view of things. The main thing is to do what you like, give up what tires you and exhausts you. Life is short. There is no point in wasting it.

“Rich dad. Before you start your business"(R. T. Kiyosaki, S. L. Lechter, 2006). An American investor writes about his own first victories as a youth.

Shares information with readers about achievements and failures at the origins of his entrepreneurial activity.

“Delivering happiness. From zero to a billion"(T. Shay, 2010). This is a collection of autobiographical stories by T. Shei himself, who took the path of an entrepreneur at the age of 9.

Over the course of three parts of the book, the author talks about the process of founding and development of the Zappos.com company, personal mistakes, and victories. Formulates 10 principles-lessons that must be followed from the very beginnings of business to achieve further success.

"Business from scratch"(E. Rees, 2011). The American entrepreneur and business blogger dedicated his book to the idea that a startup should be built on the basis of a clear methodology, and not be chaotic and overly dynamic.

Lean Startup involves testing new products with customers. Based on the results of this, the business idea should be adjusted in the process, and finances should be invested only in the idea that has been confirmed in practice.

Thus, today aspiring entrepreneurs have a wide opportunity to receive a kind of literary master class on startups from famous businessmen of all times.

To help the individual businessman

For individual entrepreneurs, there is also a wealth of special books that can help you navigate when organizing your activities. Among such literary diversity, it is worth highlighting the books of A. V. Kasyanov:

• "Individual entrepreneur. Encyclopedia" (2006);
• “Handbook for individual entrepreneurs. A complete practical guide" (2008).

Both books have gone through more than one reprint, taking into account legislative changes that periodically occur in the Russian Federation.

Of particular interest is the “Handbook for an Individual Entrepreneur.” The author talks in detail about the procedure for registering a company. A description is given of how to register with various inspectorates and funds.

Also, an important place is given to the organization of labor relations between the entrepreneur and the company’s personnel. Possible difficulties during hiring and dismissal are taken into account and disclosed. Ways to avoid conflict situations and resolve them at an early stage are determined.

For each point of entrepreneurial activity described in this work, vivid examples of real-life situations are given. This allows the information presented by the author not to be boring or “dry”.

V. A. Kasyanov supplements the theoretical and practical blocks with diagrams, tables, sample document forms, examples of the correct filling out of various declarations, accounting documents, etc.

Job “Individual entrepreneur. Encyclopedia" examines in detail the same aspects of the activities of individual entrepreneurs, but has a different structure. It is based on the principle of constructing encyclopedic publications.

All aspects of an entrepreneur’s activity are ranked and considered in alphabetical order. There are links throughout the text, which greatly simplifies the process of finding the information you need.

Despite the fact that the books are written as manuals for Russian entrepreneurs, they can rightfully be considered universal.

Successful businessmen and those who strive for this status must remember: you cannot stop there. What is relevant today may lose its effectiveness tomorrow.

Both beginners and experienced entrepreneurs need to develop and grow. Business literature is an important means of self-improvement.

How to open your own business? Where can you find inspiration if not in business books? Based on the experience of people who have created their own successful business, you can develop your own business strategy, or at least understand where to start, and what pitfalls may be encountered on the way to achieving your goals?

You don't have to buy them to find good business books. After reading our article, you will become familiar with the most popular publications that help you start your own business, and you will find links that will help you download and read books.

What business books should you read first?

Modern publishing houses almost every day publish all kinds of books on business, finance, business guides, books with training, but the authors of such publications themselves have a dubious reputation and cannot always be role models. It’s better to read essays by people who have actually achieved high business heights and share practical recommendations regarding choosing a business and the features of running it.
To make it easier for you, dear readers, to decide, we have collected the top 10 most famous books on business. This list was compiled based on the opinions of various segments of the population:

• successful owners of their own projects, businessmen who managed to achieve success (for their business they used advice from the publications described below);
• startupers beginning their climb to the top of fame.

The books in the article are not arranged in order from most popular to least popular. The order was chosen randomly, so decide for yourself which business book is worth reading first.

1. “I’m like everyone else” by Oleg Tinkov (Download)

This book is simply a bestseller among businessmen; it describes in an accessible and interesting way how to start a successful business. Oleg Tinkov himself is the founder of more than ten successful projects, which he managed to promote and then successfully sell. He is a multimillionaire who owns a successful bank, often appears on television, runs his own blog, and willingly collaborates with journalists.
The book “I’m like everyone else” is autobiographical.

In it, he talks about how he managed to create his own successful business, from the 90s to the present day. The path was not easy, but now it’s not easy for everyone. This work is not a ready-made guide to running a business; it makes you believe in yourself and motivates you to think about fate and business differently.

Are you interested in the book “I’m like everyone else”? It can be downloaded from the following link completely free of charge - download

2. “Atlas Shrugged” (Download)

This work has won recognition and was noted by the largest financial publications. From time to time, self-respecting publishing houses conduct ratings of the most widely read books about creating and running a business, among which you can always find Atlas Shrugged.

After reading it, you will understand why it does not lose its relevance even after time. It helps you understand all the features of the modern economy, the essence of entrepreneurship, and how, specifically, you can influence the country’s economy. In 1991, according to research by the Library of Congress, this publication was recognized as the second most popular after the Bible. You can read the book after downloading it here - download.

3. Richard Branson “Business the Virgin style” (Download)

A successful businessman from Britain, Richard Branson, is an extraordinary, colorful personality, who owns several books about business. For example, “Business Rules: Tips from Millionaires” is a collection of the author’s thoughts on business, money, and life. The book is full of motivating quotes and statements from the author.

Another publication - “Business in the Virgin style” is a non-standard way to develop your own business, from an informal billionaire. The author expresses his own opinion regarding the development of the enterprise, how to build your own successful system.

This autobiographical work will allow you to take a fresh look at the established principles of doing business, and at the development of your own project. After reading the book, you will realize that its content is qualitatively different from classic business books. It is more like a conversation between friends who simply exchange their own knowledge and experience.

You can find out more detailed information by downloading it.

4. “Think and Grow Rich” (Download)

The principles described in this publication are still popular today, despite the fact that Napoleon Hill wrote it back in 1928. The author collected information for this masterpiece for 20 years. To do this, he talked with businessmen, rethought the data received, and understood all aspects of what are the fundamental differences between successful people and ordinary workers. What is the distinctive feature of a successful businessman? Is there a universal system that allows you to achieve your goals?

Think and Grow Rich is a true masterpiece of business literature. Even while Napoleon Hill was alive, 20 million copies were printed. To download the book for free, just follow the link - download.

5. “The Richest Man in Babylon” (Download)

One of the few books that contains practical recommendations on how to become successful. Reading the book, one gets the impression that it contains completely simple ideas that everyone knows about, because we encounter them at every step.

After reading it in full, you come to the realization that knowing and applying knowledge in practice are different concepts.
Guided by the rules of behavior from the book, you can develop your own behavior strategy that will allow you to achieve success.
Thanks to the author’s practical advice, many people were able to change their lives for the better using effective recommendations from this book. The tips are easy to put into practice and can truly change anyone's life. Download a book .

6. “Rich Dad Poor Dad” by Robert Kiyosaki (Download)

It will be instructive for people interested in business, because it describes the life experience of the author himself. The publication contains recommendations from Robert's own father (poor dad), and the father of Kiyosaki's friend, who later became one of the richest people in the Hawaiian Islands. The author himself did not use the rules that his father taught him, but followed the path of his rich dad, which helped him leave entrepreneurship at the age of 47 and teach others.

The books of this author were able to change the fate of more than one person. Thanks to his teaching skills, the author easily conveys his own knowledge to a wide range of listeners. You can read the book by downloading it.

7. “Think big and don’t slow down” Donald Trump (Download)

In light of recent events, this book is especially popular. After all, Trump managed to become not only a successful businessman, but also lead the state.
The book describes Trump's life positions and his business path. He always says what he thinks, and even in the book he dispels all doubts regarding making money and entrepreneurship. Donald Trump expresses his opinion on why some can achieve success while others only dream of it. Only strong and assertive individuals can earn wealth and fame, and flying in the clouds is the prerogative of weak people.

Trump compares life to a difficult game, and those who want to win it must forget the word “no.” You need to be on alert all the time in order to give a worthy response to your ill-wishers and competitors, overcome obstacles with patience, and then the result will not be long in coming.
You can read Donald Trump's thoughts here - download.

8. Henry Ford “My Life, My Achievements” (Download)

Henry Ford, an American who was able to become the owner of 161 US patents over the course of 83 years of his life. He was the owner of automobile factories in America and around the world in general. A man who was able to boost the US economy and provided invaluable assistance to the state during the Great Depression. The book, published in 1932, was a dizzying success.

In it, every person who is thinking about entrepreneurship will find useful information about what qualities they need to develop in themselves. Ford talks about all the secrets he kept from strangers for many years and how he led his empire to success.
You can get acquainted with it by following the link - download.

9. Bill Gates “Business at the Speed ​​of Thought” (Download)

The hero of our time, the creator of the entire Microsoft empire, Bill Gates, shared the secrets of his success in his book “Business at the Speed ​​of Thought.” The publication discusses exemplary models of business processes using innovative information technologies.
Bill Gates, like no one else, knows how to use modern technology for his own benefit.

This work is a real treasure for those who do not want to mark time, but dream of moving on.

Find out more about the book and read it for free - download.

10. Paul Orfala “Copy This” (Download)

This person’s life itself does not fit into the standard framework, not to mention business. Since childhood, Paul suffered from dyslexia and was a hyperactive child. He was expelled from school after finishing second grade. And he lost his first job because he was not able to fill out checks.
Already as an adult, it was difficult for him to write and read, and sitting still during negotiations was completely out of the question. But the obstacles did not break him, but made him strong in spirit, which helped him become a successful businessman.
With just a small copy shop, he was able to create a multi-billion dollar company. Paul intuitively senses people and gives them more than they deserve.
In his work, he states that every person, even with certain shortcomings, is capable of achieving success in business.

11. “Steve Jobs” by Walter Isaacson (Download)

This publication is a good guide for beginning entrepreneurs and people who already have their own business.

Even after years, this work has high popularity ratings. In it you can learn the story of the successful entrepreneurship of Steve Jobs, his tough business policy, which helped him create an entire corporation with multi-billion dollar assets from nothing.

The idea for the book came to Walter Isaacson after Steve Jobs learned of his terrible diagnosis. He wanted as many people as possible to know the story of his rise to the Olympus business, and the book was written without exaggeration.

Jobs spent a lot of time talking with the journalist so that he could write down all the secrets of doing business. I wanted, without undue modesty, to describe my successes and talk about the failures that arose along the path of life. He hoped that his story could help people who are just planning a business avoid common mistakes.

You can read the book in full here - download.

After reading these books, you will find answers to your questions, learn how to avoid the most common mistakes, and simply look at the world differently.

Dear readers, what business books helped you open your own business, or simply changed your life for the better? Please share your opinion. Perhaps you have your favorite authors who inspired you to start your own business and believe in yourself.

1) “Copy this” by Paul Orfala

The life of P. Orfal is one of the most unusual and incredible success stories that has ever happened in the world of business. He was a hyperactive, dyslexic child. He practically could neither write nor read and could not sit through negotiations. All these problems could not stop him. Paul accepted his shortcomings as unique abilities. From a small copy shop, he created a multi-billion dollar corporation with annual sales of more than $1.5 billion. As a child, Paul was kicked out of second grade at school and then fired from his job because he couldn't fill out checks. This is the person who learned everything from life, took risks many times and relied on people. He learned to feel people and gave them more than they expected. In his book, he shares his philosophy and talks about the fact that any crazy person can achieve success in business!

2) “Business at the speed of thought” Bill Gates

Nowadays, to create your own successful business, it is not enough to have a smart head, intuition and luck. Modern business is a multi-level system, the main key of which is the use of modern information technologies. The philosophy of Microsoft founder B. Gates states that: “only a timely restructured company with an “electronic nervous system” created in it will allow it to stand confidently on its feet and expect victories in the market in the future. The book was written for those who do not want to stop and want to keep up with modern technologies.

3) “Think big and don’t slow down!” Donald Trump

In his book, super businessman Donald Trump reveals the illusions in the world of business. According to Trump, not all people can become rich and successful. Success and wealth are the destiny of the strong, while illusions and failures are the creed of the losers.

Trump's motto is passion for business, healthy anger, a sober view of the world and a creative solution to any problem. Life is a tough battle, and if you want to be a winner in it, forget the word “no”, learn to work with your fist, return blow to blow, never give up and calculate your steps.

4) "Naked Business" Richard Branson

Richard Branson talks about how his business was created, about its failures and successes. Guided by the set of rules from the book, you can create almost any business. Breakthroughs in business are made by a few, the author of this book is one of them - carefully read the chapter “Innovation”, and perhaps you will find yourself among these few.

5) “The Richest Man in Babylon” Clason George

The book explores aspects of success for each person individually. The recipes in this book will help you avoid an empty wallet and give you the basics of financial literacy. The purpose of the book is to offer those who are moving towards success to learn the secrets of money, accumulate capital, save it and make it work for you.

The pages of the book will take us to Ancient Babylon, where financial laws were born that are still relevant in our time.

6) “The path to financial independence. The first million" Bodo Schaefer

What do you think prevents people from living the way they want? Of course, money! Money is the main tool for a happy life.

Money doesn't come to anyone by accident. Asking money questions is about a kind of energy: the more of this energy is directed towards important goals, the more money it will bring you.

7) “The Secret of a Millionaire” Mark Fisher

Mark Fisher is a financial advisor and economist who is part of the financial team at the Federal Reserve Bank.

The book tells the story of a young businessman who went through a difficult and competent path to his 1 million.

8) “Think and Grow Rich” Hill Napoleon

Do you want to overcome all difficulties and achieve success? Then this amazing book is for you. For many years this book was the No. 1 bestseller in the United States.

This book is charged with amazing energy. Here you will receive a clear plan on how to achieve success in life and business.

This book was written by the “father” of the automobile industry in the United States and around the world. It contains a wealth of materials that will be useful to anyone who wants to create their own successful business.

10) “Rules for a game without rules” Christina Comaford-Lynch

Most people think that only those who have already been assigned a high social status, have connections and rich parents can succeed in business. This is all a mistake and the author of the book is proof of this. Christina Comaford-Lynch went from being an employee at Microsoft to becoming a millionaire. The result of her entire life journey: mistakes, failures, successes and losses, is presented in this book in the form of 10 unusual lessons on building the better life that everyone deserves. Move forward boldly, because there is nothing better than achieving success in your career and business.

The most common advice that can be seen in almost any book in this genre is to be determined and pursue your passion and success will come. Professor Cal Newport makes an important addition to this recommendation: success in any endeavor can open new doors, provide the basis for progress, and, as a result, give rise to a new passion. The author suggests not giving up on dreams, but being realistic and becoming a professional in what you can do.

People like the illusion of confidence in the future, supported by the forecasts of authoritative individuals and experts. In The Black Swan, investor and philosopher Nassim Taleb talks about the vulnerability of this position and uses the example of the collapse of the financial system in 2007 to argue that even the most secure systems are subject to potential dangers.

Dare to Take Action is worth reading if you want to have an informed debate about women's rights to leadership. Sheryl Sandberg combines research and personal stories to reveal how women unintentionally ruin their chances of advancing in their careers.

"The Power of Habit" is one of the most useful and exciting books for young people striving for happiness and success. New York Times journalist Charles Duhigg shares tips on how to break a bad habit, be it smoking, with small steps you can take now.

Something in our culture tells us that we must seek our own advantage in everything, be calculating and selfish in order to achieve something. Psychologist Adam Grant explains why this view is wrong. Research confirms that the most successful people are those who are interested in creating value for others. Adam Grant shares tips on how to be productive and thrive at the same time.

The founder of the online store Nasty Gal, Sofia Amorusa, in the book #Girlboss does not hesitate to share her personal experience with the reader. She talks about her rebellious youth and discusses how being a bully helped her achieve success. The book is filled with practical advice that will inspire you to follow your passion and find your own path to the top.

Interpersonal skills are just as important as the skills we tend to list on a resume. Napoleon Hill was a journalist who became friends with industrial magnate Andrew Carnegie. Over friendly conversations, Carnegie, who was the richest man in the world at the time, shared with Hill the lessons he had learned from his journey from rags to riches.

Though first published in 1937, Think and Grow Rich provides timely, practical advice for building interpersonal and leadership abilities.

Investor and multi-billionaire Warren Buffett's favorite book explores the psychology of everyday interpersonal interactions and helps you understand how to become a leader and influencer. The book was first published in 1936, but the basic advice on how to overcome and inspire people is as valuable today as it was decades ago.

The main message of this book is that we should spend less time thinking about our shortcomings and focus on what we do well. This book will help you find your professional niche based on your character and existing skills, and perhaps tell you where you will contribute more to society and succeed.

We live in a time when young entrepreneurs and startup founders are quickly becoming billionaires, taking the title of the world's most powerful people away from Wall Street financiers. Investor and billionaire Peter Thiel lifts the lid on the current state of business and provides a fun, concise guide to starting and running a company.

This book is recommended reading for those who want to be effective at work and at home. The author gives practical advice on organizing and distributing daily tasks. One such recommendation is to follow the two-minute rule. It says that if something can be done in less than 120 seconds, then it is worth doing immediately, and more time-consuming tasks can be postponed until later.

Well-known networker Keith Ferrazzi believes the reason for his success is his ability to build relationships and communicate with people. The author was born in a small town in the family of a steel worker and a cleaner, but perseverance, talent and communication skills allowed him to earn the title of networker No. 1 and have a telephone directory of thousands of contacts, including numbers of presidents, rock stars and famous entrepreneurs. In his book, Ferrazzi talks about the communication strategies he resorted to on the path to success.

If you are not inspired by amazing success stories of successful businessmen, you may like this book. In It Won't Be Easy, entrepreneur Ben Horowitz says there is no one-size-fits-all recipe for success. The only way to succeed is to be decisive and pay attention to what is positive for business growth and what is not.

In a book whose title should not be taken literally, Timothy Ferris shares practical advice on how to be as effective as possible and achieve success in your professional and personal life. For example, the author advises using the “fear management” method - a technique that allows you to examine in detail what you are afraid of, calmly analyze the risks and ways to overcome them.

According to Stanford University psychologist Carol Dweck, the key to success is our confidence that we can achieve it. The author cites research that proves that the ability to learn and improve can mean much more than innate talent. The book claims that if you are in your early 20s, with enough determination you can become anything you want.

If you are an introvert, this does not mean that the path to the top of the career ladder is closed to you. The author was prompted to write this book by the injustice of the widespread stereotype that those with this type of personality are second-class citizens. Negotiation consultant Susan Cain's research challenges the idea that you have to be "loud" and extremely outgoing to be successful.

If you want to succeed in business, you will have to understand the complexities of human behavior. Psychology and behavioral economics professor Dan Ariely's book is one of the best ways to do this. The author cites scientific research that explains the nuances of our behavior: for example, why we procrastinate or how we decide to buy a product.

This book, published in 1989, has already become a classic. Whether you are a politician or an entrepreneur, it will inspire and empower you to achieve your professional goals. Each chapter covers a key skill, such as proactivity or synergy. Each of these qualities helps you become an effective leader and a true team member.

Michael Lewis's Liar's Poker tells a frank account of the Wall Street financial district of the 1980s. Lewis himself, after college, got a job at the prestigious investment company Salomon Brothers, where he worked his way up from an intern to a bond salesman. The book is written in the documentary genre, but reads like a novel: the author paints a vivid picture of the trading room and the characters in it.

The reason for writing “Life Strategy” was the author’s meeting with former classmates at Harvard Business School. Then, upon completion of their studies in 1979, the future of each of them was full of prospects, their peers had equal and excellent conditions for employment or starting their own business.

25 years later, it turns out that many of Harvard's former students are in crisis. Some - in the personal, others - in the professional, for example, the former head of Enron Jeffrey Skilling, sentenced in 2006 to 292 months in prison. The book explores why some with great opportunity prosper while others lose everything.

Investor and billionaire Bill Ackman is one of many Wall Street financiers who cite The Intelligent Investor as a book that changed their lives. This in-depth guide to value investing will help not only those in the financial industry, but anyone who wants to make the most of their investment over the long term.

This book does not focus much on the place of work in our lives. This sets Crossing the Unknown Sea apart from other business literature publications. The author views a career not as a quest that needs to be completed with maximum points, but as a person’s continuous contact with the world and himself.

The late Apple co-founder and CEO Steve Jobs became a legendary figure, a ghost hovering over Silicon Valley. Isaacson's biography helps to understand the Jobs phenomenon and offers a glimpse into two sides of his personality: a strong, inspiring visionary and a difficult businessman.

This is the story of how a great man was fired from his own company, and after some time he returned and conquered the whole world. She shows how important it is to recover from failures and move towards your goal.

James Altucher is a hedge fund manager, entrepreneur, podcaster, and best-selling author. “Choose Yourself” teaches you to express yourself in your profession without giving up on your wildest dreams. Altucher is trying to convey the message that someone who works for someone else is as valuable as any businessman.

As they grow professionally and become immersed in routine, many people lose their desire for creativity. The co-founder of Pixar tells the story of the creation of one of the largest animation studios and says that everyone is capable of creating, but many simply do not dare due to various social norms and personal prohibitions. The author argues that love and skill are no less important for bankers or programmers than for writers and musicians.

Early in your career is the best time to define your leadership role. Business professor and leadership expert Herminia Ibarra shares advice on a range of topics, from expanding your professional network to generating new ideas. The author's philosophy is based on the assertion that there is no universal recipe for successful leadership; the best tactics are the ones that work for you.

Journalist and pop sociologist Malcolm Gladwell presents the results of sociological research and explains the mechanics of information dissemination. The Tipping Point was published in 2002, but the material presented in the book continues to help us understand why people share news, facts and ideas, and why some of them spread to epidemiological proportions.

Not understanding how powerful people think and act makes us vulnerable to their will. The biography of New York city planner Robert Moses is intended to shed light. If you want to see how Machiavellian intelligence works, The Power Broker can help you do it.

"Light the fire!" - a collection of essays that will make you take a fresh look at your self and help you overcome the fear of resisting habits and beliefs imposed from the outside. Business strategist and PR specialist Danielle Laporte argues that you are responsible for who you are and that you don't have to conform to what other people think you are to be successful.

The life hacker may receive a commission from the purchase of products featured in the publication.