If you’re thinking about starting a side hustle, then what you need are fresh ideas, good analysis, and wise insights. When you’re just starting on this journey, it can be hard to find the inspiration and information to really get going.
We have your back, so to celebrate World Book Day, we’ve put together a list of top reads for newbie entrepreneurs looking to start their own side hustle. They’ll give you the motivation, inspiration and insights that are essential in starting your journey:
1. The $100 Startup by Chris Guillebeau
This book is a great resource for anyone who wants to start their own business and live the life they want. It has a lot of useful information and a bunch of case studies of people who have started businesses on a shoestring budget. If you’re looking to start your own business or side hustle, definitely give this book a read. It’s a great resource to save you some time, energy and a few pounds.
2. The 4-Hour Workweek by Tim Ferriss
One of our favourite books that will change the way you think about work and will give you a lot of inspiration for your business. The book is about how to create more time for the things that you really want to be doing with your life, like travelling, learning skills, or spending time with your family and friends.
With a few adjustments to function and way of life, Ferriss argues that it is possible to significantly lessen work hours, take frequent “mini-retirements” of three to six months or more, and really take pleasure in existence ahead of any thoughts of ageing.
3. The Cold Start Problem by Andrew Chen
The Cold Start Problem is based on three years of research and interviews with the CEOs and founding teams of LinkedIn, Twitch, Zoom, Dropbox, Tinder, Uber, Airbnb, and Pinterest. This book may be one of the most important secrets of Silicon Valley growth. In its pages, a five-stage framework is used to explain how to start and scale network effects. The book could be specific enough to apply to your own product and is also practical enough for you to follow.
4. The Lean Startup by Eric Ries
What causes so many startups to fail? Usually, the story is that an entrepreneur develops a product in their garage through sheer grit, hard work, and perseverance – turning it into a blockbuster hit. Unfortunately, in reality, most startups burn through their resources and disappear because they rarely bother to see what their potential customers think of what they’re developing. Here, the author discusses how a startup can be made successful through various insights. A great read for those who want to start a business or who want a way to succeed with their startup. In this book, you’ll find out about new approaches being adopted across the globe, changing the way companies are built and how products are launched.
5. Zero to One by Peter Thiel & Blake Masters
Peter Thiel is an unconventional venture capitalist, and this book sums up his views about creating a better future. He believes that technology has stagnated, and most new companies just make incremental improvements to existing products. Nevertheless, he argues that there is much more to discover, and the most valuable and game-changing startups will move the world from 0 to 1. Read on about generating human and economic progress.
6. The Startup Playbook: Secrets of the Fastest-Growing Startups from their Founding Entrepreneurs by David S. Kidder
Some of the world’s most influential entrepreneurs and CEOs share their most closely held advice in The Startup Playbook. Face-to-face interviews with 40 founders provide key insights into how PayPal, LinkedIn, AOL, TED, Flickr, and many others became household names. The book also covers topics from choosing the right idea to pursue to getting funding and overcoming inevitable obstacles. For entrepreneurs big and small, this book is the go-to resource in an economy demanding change.
7. Business for Punks: Start Your Business Revolution – the BrewDog Way by James Watt
One of the world’s fastest-growing drinks brands, BrewDog is known for its beers, bars, and crowdfunding. BrewDog co-founder James Watt captures the essence of his success in this book. This anarchic, indispensable guide to thriving on your own terms covers everything from finances (“chase down every cent, pimp every pound”) to marketing (“lead with the crusade, not the product”).
The Dutch philosopher Erasmus said: “When I have a little money, I buy books; and if I have any left, I buy food and clothes.” Learning from the experience of others is an invaluable ingredient to success, especially in the fast-paced world of startups and side hustles.
