This Year, Finally Launch Your Business With The Advice From These Books
In recent years, the number of solopreneurs has exploded. So much so that, according to recent studies, 65 million Americans identify as solopreneurs, making up about 40 percent of the workforce.
Solopreneurs have one habit in common: reading. All the information you need to succeed in business can be found in bestselling books. For this reason, Blinkist was made, a mobile knowledge app that gives you actionable tips from the world’s best nonfiction books in 15 minutes or less.
Using the app, you can read actionable advice from bestselling books or listen to the audio versions on the go. Blinkist offers more than 5,500 titles in 27 categories, so you can choose what you want to learn.
“When we started in 2012, most apps were for social media or gaming. We wanted to do something different and build an app that would help change someone’s life with the power of reading. Now, with collections, we can give our users book recommendations from some of the world’s smartest and most well-read people.” –Holger Seim, CEO of Blinkist
The following are just four of the nine essential books every solopreneur should read that are available in the Blinkist collection, 9 Days to Solopreneur Success. Every aspiring business owner can learn from this collection of tips on how to fund your startup and practical strategies for going solo.
So, if you’re just starting on your entrepreneurial journey, these tips will give you the knowledge you need to excel. Let’s get started.
1. Company of One: Why Staying Small Is the Next Big Thing for Business by Paul Jarvis
Company of One
- 30 min reading time
- audio version available
In Company of One, Paul Jarvis argues that a “company of one” is simply a business that questions growth. It is not always the most advantageous or viable move to grow. There are numerous business tips, ideas, and suggestions that will help you start the business of your dreams by unthinking the typical business model, and by staying small, you can achieve success.
You are more likely to succeed if you have a smaller audience, according to Jarvis. Instead of investing heavily upfront, he suggests making small profits online to build a cash flow that will help you launch your business. The best time to start a business is when you are on someone else’s payroll–don’t quit your day job as you embark on your journey. For those who have always wanted to start their own business but have been intimidated by the prospect, this book is perfect.
2. The Lean Startup by Eric Ries
The Lean Startup
- 18 min reading time
- audio version available
Eric Ries’ book, The Lean Startup, will teach you how to build and manage a successful startup, whether you’re a solopreneur or an entrepreneur with a small business.
Anyone who has been there knows that a dream is only a dream until you take action. Be sure to pick up this book; it has some valuable advice to share. Entrepreneur Eric Ries has a successful business. He co-founded IMVU, a social network using 3D avatars. As a consultant and public speaker, he is in high demand today.
“As you consider building your own minimum viable product, let this simple rule suffice: remove any feature, process, or effort that does not contribute directly to the learning you seek.”Eric Ries, The Lean Startup
3. The Art of the Start: The Time-Tested, Battle-Hardened Guide for Anyone Starting Anything by Guy Kawasaki
The Art of the Start
- 20 min reading time
- audio version available
This essential guide for anyone starting anything, from a multinational corporation to a church group, draws on Guy Kawasaki’s two decades of experience as one of business’s most original and irreverent strategists. He helped Apple become one of the greatest companies of the century in the 1980s, turning ordinary consumers into evangelists. His ideas have been field-tested with dozens of newly hatched companies as founder and CEO of Garage Technology Ventures.
From raising money to hiring the right people, from defining your positioning to creating a brand, from creating buzz to buzzing the competition, from managing a board to fostering a community, this book guides you through an adventure that’s more art than science-the art of getting started.
4. Start with Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Actionby Simon Sinek
Start with Why (old version)
- 22 min reading time
- audio version available
The next book on this list tackles a fundamental question: What makes some organizations and people more innovative, influential, and profitable than others? Start With Why is based on best-selling author Simon Sinek’s hugely influential lecture of the same name, the third most-watched TED talk of all time; these blinks unpack the answer to that conundrum. As Sinek’s examples from the business world, politics, and technology show, it’s all about asking “Why?” rather than “What?”
A Book Explained in 15 Minutes
There are so many things to learn from nonfiction books, but only so much time to read them. Blinkist solves that problem by distilling the key insights from a book into an explainer that you can read or listen to for 15 minutes.
“Blinkist caters to readers with more curiosity than time.” –TechCrunch
You’ll get powerful ideas, actionable advice, and real-life case studies from a book in a fraction of the time.
Discover powerful ideas in Blinkist’s growing library of content.
Apple’s Top Pick for Lifelong Learning
Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO, is among the 24 million people using Blinkist to keep learning, and his company is a big fan of the app. Blinkist has been selected 500 times as Apple’s App of the Day in 2019 and now ranks among the top twenty lifelong learning apps on the US App Store alongside Khan Academy, Udemy, and Coursera.
Learn Business Secrets On the Go
How often do you learn something new while waiting for the bus, brushing your teeth, or wandering the aisles of a grocery store? Even though you may feel like these moments aren’t conducive to learning, Blinkist allows you to listen to explainer packs while on the go.
Content with specific examples and tips to use in daily life
Over 90 Thousand 5-star Ratings
Nearly 75% of all Blinkist ratings are five stars. Over 90 thousand Blinkist fans have given the app five-star ratings across Android and Apple stores. These glowing reviews from learners demonstrate the breadth of ways you can use Blinkist to learn. Take a look at what one user had to say:
“After I got my MBA, I really got fed up with reading, I felt that my brain couldn’t take any more information. The fact is, I was only reading business-related articles or books. With Blinkist, I can now search for new subjects that give my brain more openings to different world opinions and to different theories. I just love it and truly recommend it to everyone.” –Anonymous user review
It’s Backed by Science
While you read or listen to an explainer pack for a bestselling title like The Art of the Start, there’s something special going on behind the scenes to make sure that what you learn isn’t easily forgotten. Blinkist utilizes a technique proven by neuroscience to make learning more effective. In each Blinkist explainer pack, you will find many more examples, scenarios, and case studies like this, which makes learning new things an unforgettable experience.
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Download the Blinkist app today to access thousands of actionable tips from the world’s most important books.
Originally from the north of England, Robin is an experienced journalist, editor, and writer. He has an incredibly specific knowledge of Russian cinema and wrote two dissertations about the Chernobyl nuclear disaster before HBO made it cool. He has travelled across Ukraine and is currently practicing how to cook the perfect blini.
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What is Blinkist?
Blinkist is an app that transforms key insights from great nonfiction books into quick, easy-to-understand highlights. The reality is – everyone loves reading, but no one has the time. Blinkist fills this learning gap and makes acquiring new knowledge effortless.
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