Summer reading lists aren’t just for schoolchildren. You might be looking for books to read on your lunch break, by the pool or just in the air conditioning. There are a variety of exciting titles coming out this summer for small-business leaders and entrepreneurs. Here are some of the most promising new releases:
1. Legal Guide for Starting & Running a Small Business (18th ed.)
By Stephen Fishman
Publisher: Nolo
This new edition, updated to reflect recent changes to the law, now includes some best practices for how to run your business and handle legal issues relating to insurance, employees and more.
2. Skyrocket Your Business with Social Media Branding
By Isis Bradford
Publisher: Mango Media
Burnt-out kindergarten teacher turned brand and business coach Isis Bradford breaks down strategies for branding, audience personalization and engaging social media.
3. Purposeful Brands: How Purpose and Sustainability Drive Brand Value and Positive Change
By Sandy Skees
Publisher: Kogan Page
According to management and strategic communications consultant and sustainability strategist Sandy Skees, businesses are more likely to succeed when they clearly communicate their values and purpose. Purposeful Brands offers advice to help organizations contribute to an equitable world and find a competitive edge.
4. Cash Confident: An Entrepreneur’s Guide to Creating a Profitable Business
By Melissa Houston
Publisher: Post Hill Press
If anyone will get real with you in business, it’s your accountant. And that’s what CPA Melissa Houston aims to do in this no-nonsense guide for entrepreneurs. This book offers quick and easy steps to learn the basics of money management, avoid financial pitfalls and beat imposter syndrome.
5. The FUD Factor: Overcoming Fear, Uncertainty & Doubt to Achieve the Impossible
By Brendan P. Keegan
Publisher: ForbesBooks
If it’s not clear from the title, FUD stands for fear, uncertainty and doubt—three things that haunt many of us. Brendan P. Keegan, chairman, president and CEO of Merchants Fleet, has some advice for business leaders to overcome the internal struggles that hold them back.
6. For the Culture: The Power Behind What We Buy, What We Do, and Who We Want to Be
By Marcus Collins
Publisher: PublicAffairs
Assistant professor and marketer Marcus Collins has a few things to say. Collins, who was once in charge of Beyonce’s digital strategy, uses personal examples from his own career to teach leaders how culture influences behavior and contributes to community.
7. Radical Business: The Root of Your Work and How It Can Change the World
By David Gaines
Publisher: The Collective Book Studio
Sometimes you can effect positive change in the world and turn a profit. David Gaines, CEO and chief visionary for La Terza Artisan Coffee Roasterie, outlines his strategy to do just that in Radical Business, which is about doing what good businesses do best: meet needs, solve problems and provide value.
8. The Family-First Entrepreneur: How to Achieve Financial Freedom Without Sacrificing What Matters Most
By Steve Chou
Publisher: Harper Business
Many entrepreneurs start with goals such as having enough money to comfortably enjoy time with their families or avoiding burnout. What actually happens is another story, one that has the potential to lead to busier schedules and worsened mental health. In Family First, Steve Chou guides other entrepreneurs who want to succeed without sacrificing the moments that matter.
9. All Money Is Not Created Equal: How Entrepreneurs Can Crack the Code to Getting the Right Funding for Their Startup
By David Spreng
Publisher: Wiley
For new entrepreneurs, navigating financing can be confusing and overwhelming, and it can be easy to find yourself owning only a small piece of your own dream. This guide from Silicon Valley veteran and Chairman, Founder, CEO and CIO of Runway Growth Capital David A. Spreng shares best practices for entrepreneurs to gain funding while maintaining ownership of the business they created.
10. Leading Through Disruption: A Changemaker’s Guide to Twenty-First Century Leadership
By Andrew N. Liveris
Publisher: HarperCollins Leadership
Andrew N. Liveris, former chairman and CEO of the Dow Chemical Company, shares his words of wisdom for modern business leaders who want to create a more equitable and sustainable future.
This article originally appeared in the May/June 2023 issue of SUCCESS magazine. Photo by iStock/Sensay.