The Best Business Strategy Books For Beginners

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2 years ago
This article showcases our top picks for the Business Strategy Books For Beginners. We reached out to industry leaders and experts who have contributed the suggestions within this article (they have been credited for their contributions below). We are keen to hear your feedback on all of our content and our comment section is a moderated space to express your thoughts and feelings related (or not) to this article This list is in no particular order.

Built to Last by Jim Collins and Jerry Porras

This product was recommended by Kris Lippi from ISoldMyHouse

In this book, Collins and Porras analyzed the factors that helped companies survive and thrive during tough times. It outlines the elements that were used by industry leaders to gain success and longevity, and it compares the framework of big players like Walt Disney and Procter & Gamble. In addition, the book discussed topics that are specific to business strategies, such as setting goals, change management, and adaptable frameworks. The authors highlighted the idea that money is not a primary objective of a visionary company.

1-Page Marketing Plan by Allan Dib

This product was recommended by Chad Montgomery from Parent Intel

The book is straight to the point and all actionable advice. Allan breaks down marketing into an easily digestible format that explains his 1-page marketing plan template. Allan uses real world examples to illustrate his points and make it easy for anybody – regardless of experience – able to follow along. By the end of the book you will have filled in an easy to reference marketing plan that you can use in your day to day business. It’s an excellent book that doesn’t fill pages with fluff and business jargon.

Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson

This product was recommended by Benjamin Basic from Fast Food Menu Prices

For Steve Jobs, Isaacson conducted more than 40 interviews with the Apple co-founder for two years, and more than 100 additional interviews with friends, family, colleagues, and adversaries. In doing so, Isaacson paints an intimate portrait of one of the 20th century’s most fascinating figures and looks at how his views on business and innovation shaped his life, Apple, and the world around him. Jobs’ story is inspirational for any upcoming entrepreneur, and Isaacson’s biography is the best, most intimate re-telling of that story.

The Founder’s Dilemmas by Noam Wasserman

This product was recommended by Benjamin Basic from Fast Food Menu Prices

Former Marshall professor Wasserman’s book laid the groundwork for one of the most popular classes when he taught at Harvard Business School, and it became equally popular at Marshall. Based on his academic research into early decision-making that can make or break a startup, this is required reading for all entrepreneurs.

Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman

This product was recommended by Benjamin Basic from Fast Food Menu Prices

An expert in the field of behavioral economics, Kahneman uses his insight to offer readers an explanation for how decision-making can be affected by stress and explores how confirmation bias can make us jump to conclusions. Kahneman’s insight is tremendous – not only for merchants looking to improve their decision-making skills but also for marketers looking for insight into how consumers make decisions.

The 4-Hour Workweek by Timothy Ferriss

This product was recommended by Benjamin Basic from Fast Food Menu Prices

In The 4-Hour Workweek, Ferris argues that the idea that success comes from hours and hours of grueling hard work without rest is flawed. Instead, he instructs readers on how to redesign their lifestyle and focus on freeing up time through several strategies, like prioritizing important things, learning how to automate income streams, and dropping unproductive tasks.

The Lean Startup by Eric Ries

This product was recommended by Jake Munday from Custom Neon

The Lean Startup discusses a lot of fresh ideas and provides a framework for startups to use in order to achieve success. The book argues that the traditional model of starting a business, in which a large amount of money is invested up front in the hope of achieving a large return later on, is no longer effective. Instead, startups should focus on creating a minimum viable product, or MVP, which is a stripped-down version of the product that can be used to test whether there is customer demand. If there is customer demand, then the startup can slowly expand its operations. However, if there is no customer demand, then the startup should pivot to a new idea. Whilst it seems logical, for an entrepreneur with such a huge belief in their business or product, it can be easy to become tunnel visioned only to realize later down the track they have invested in a lemon. The book has been praised for its practical approach to starting a business and has become an invaluable resource for many entrepreneurs.

Blue Ocean Strategy by W. Chan Kim

This product was recommended by Adam Cozalino from Just Coffee Lovers

Blue Ocean Strategy is a must-have business strategy book for beginners. The book doesn’t teach you to battle with your competitors directly to provide the exact same products or services in a ‘red ocean’ otherwise known as a highly competitive market. Instead, you will be guided through a systematic approach to creating a ‘blue ocean’ and a business that stands out and makes your competition irrelevant.

Business Analysis Techniques by James Cadle

This product was recommended by Kshitij Nigam from Cheefbotanicals

In this book, James Cadle equips business beginners with various frameworks to apply to their current and future business cases. The plethora of reliable techniques is sure to produce equally reliable and favorable results. After all, every beginner needs an ample amount of introductory tools; this book has got them all, in easy language register, for any hopeful business owners.

How to Make an App Business by Ph.D Steven Højlund

This product was recommended by Simon Bacher from Ling App

As a tech business leader with a mobile app product, I highly recommend this book as a must-read for beginners. Learn how to start your mobile app business without formal IT education and earn big bucks. You probably have a bright mobile app idea in mind but don’t know how to get started. This book is the answer to your problem. Christian and Steven have clearly explained mobile app development for business from scratch without coding required.

Start With Why by Simon Sinek

This product was recommended by Rhett Stubbendeck from LeverageRx, Inc.

Every business starts with an idea, and those ideas are inspired by something. I found my inspiration after finishing the book Start with Why. The book taught me that I have the ability to change my life, become an entrepreneur, and make my own rules. I keep returning to this book because it tells a fascinating story about how a small group of people can change the world by starting with what they believe and why. This book influenced my entrepreneurial journey by first motivating me to start a business and then serving as a constant guide throughout my working life. The author’s writing is straightforward and elegant, and it serves as an example of how leaders should conduct themselves. As a result, I keep discovering new ideas and applying them to my personal and professional lives. Therefore, this book will be the best guide for beginners as it will not only lay down a foundation to start a business with but also provide them with guiding principles.

Your Strategy Needs a Strategy by Martin Reeves

This product was recommended by David Clark from Basement Guides

Martin Reeves and coauthors have written a fantastic read about business strategies. What this book brings to the table is that it dives into some of the more complex questions and answers them comprehensively. All the while keeping the language real simple and easy to understand. Which is why I believe it’s the best book on business strategies for beginners and newbie entrepreneurs.

FREE: The Future of a Radical Price by Chris Anderson

This product was recommended by Dan Belcher from Mortgage Relief

Not everything comes with a price, and success can be possible by giving away services for people to try. The content may be considered a gimmick for some but the tips included here can also be a strategy beneficial for both consumers and businesses, which beginners must understand.

Zero to One by Peter Thiel

This product was recommended by Oscar Rodriguez from OssieRodriguez

This book is a great read for any beginner entrepreneur because it provides valuable insights into how to build a successful startup. Thiel, who is a co-founder of PayPal and an early investor in Facebook, shares his thoughts on what makes a successful startup and how to go about creating one. He also offers helpful advice for dealing with failure and bouncing back from it. Overall, this book is an inspiring and informative read for anyone interested in starting their own business.

Your Next Five Moves by Patrick Bet-David

This product was recommended by Paul Walsh from Weselltek

Your Next Five Moves by Patrick Bet-David has been an invigorating experience for me. It’s not like your usual business books and discusses a very new approach. The book talks about how one should tackle business decisions like a game of chess, anticipating each successive move. It brings about a certain smoothness in your strategy and makes it less likely for you to encounter hurdles or run into a dead end.

The Art of War by Sun Tzu

This product was recommended by Richard Clews from Pants and Socks

I really enjoy The Art of War by Sun Tzu and have read it several times. I think it is a perfect book for beginners in the business world. Its historical context would lead one to believe that this is a book about strategy in war, yet there are many valuable lessons in leadership, ethics, and market planning. Reading through this book is an exercise in drawing comparisons to the business world from the perspective of a brilliant military strategist and continues to hold value for company leaders today.

Playing to Win by A.G. Lafley

This product was recommended by Deepanshu Bedi from Exhalewell

This book offers brand-building techniques to help first-time entrepreneurs navigate a competitive market. It focuses on guiding entrepreneurs in making difficult choices for their businesses rather than easy ones.

Good to Great by Jim Collins

This product was recommended by Chris M. Walker from Superstar SEO

I personally like this book as it focuses on ideas like leadership capabilities, disciplined cultures, and technology and demonstrates how each element contributes to an organization’s success. The book Good to Great teaches readers how to not only survive but also rule the economic world for a sustained length of time.

Good Strategy Bad Strategy by Richard Rumelt

This product was recommended by Jean Will from NiaWigs

This is recommended as this is a good book for exercising your mind to come up with the best business strategy. This book will help you analyze the differences between the good and bad strategies and you will be given tips as well.

Blogging a 6 Figure Business Strategy in 2020 by Brandon Blueprints

This product was recommended by Lily Will from Ever Wallpaper

In this era of social media, this book will definitely help its reader to strategize their businesses. It will help you achieve your full potential when it comes to the virtual world. The author offers a great variety of strategy on how to maximize social media presence, too. After reading this book,you’ll learn how to promote your products to as many consumers as possible. This will ultimately help you achieve your business goals.

Blueprint to a Billion by David G. Thomson

This product was recommended by Ben Grindlow from ProXpn

It analyzes different approaches of every company’s entrepreneurship and leadership. A well-researched book that discusses the growth pattern in every thriving company. This is good for beginners because it can help them catalyze, be empowered, and be motivated to read this.

Strategy by Lawrence Freedman

This product was recommended by Werner Jorgensen from HeatXperts

Strategy: A history is a masterpiece by Lawrence Freedman. It is a book for those who love exciting strategic challenges, decisions and outcomes. The book holds startling scope, erudition and wisdom. I would consider it a treat for the expert strategists and is still good to go for a general reader. It is a perfect disruptor of the reader’s mind with the complete history of the evolution of strategies, incorporating present-day scenarios of policies used by various organizations.

Competitive Strategy by Michael E. Porter

This product was recommended by Kristi Smith from Honest Brand Reviews

Micheal E. Porter has shown in his book how you can surpass your competitors by using three underlying forces: low cost, focus, and differentiation. These forces bring a structure to the task of strategic positioning. He shows us how essential relative costing and pricing are to gain a competitive advantage. The book consists of three chapters, and each section shows the reader a different aspect of studying and challenging their rivals. When you start reading the book, it seems like an encyclopedia about market advantage.

Lost and Founder by Rand Fishkin

This product was recommended by Guy Sharp from Andorra Guides

Everyone thinks they know how a startup story is supposed to go — a young, brilliant entrepreneur has a cool idea, drops out of college, defies the doubters, overcomes all odds, makes billions, and becomes the envy of the technology world. Well, Rand Fishkin’s book gives us an honest, raw, and helpful insight into the trenches of founding a tech startup in this book.

The Innovator’s Dilemma by Clayton M. Christensen

This product was recommended by Ryan Stewart from Webris

Businesses of whatever size should learn to face disruption. This is the core message of Clayton Christensen’s book The Innovator’s Dilemma. Organizations’ well-managed, customer-driven but traditional structure can also cause their downfall. It happens when they fail to adjust their processes to changes. To penetrate niche markets, they need to create a specialized group and adjust their resources, systems, and values to meet the needs of their stakeholders. Likewise, they need to learn how to solve problems they have never encountered before. Dealing with disruptions is a dilemma that new entrepreneurs need to overcome.

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