5 Must-Read Books for Small Business Financing

There is perhaps no more thrilling feeling than starting your own business. Besides the advantage of being your own boss, it comes with a feeling of accomplishment and pride as you are chasing after a life-long dream. 

As exciting as it may be, the path to successful small business ownership comes with its own challenges and uncertainty. Finding financial independence comes with a lot of trial and error as you learn the ropes of being a new entrepreneur. 

To help ease the process it can be extremely beneficial to read small business finance books to gain valuable insights from people who were once in your position. Doing so can help quicken the learning curve and avoid making costly mistakes.

Below, I share 5 finance books that are a must-read for small business owners. Each item on this reading list provides an in-depth understanding of themes such as the importance of financial literacy, investments, cash flow, and a plethora of other topics.  

Profit First: Transform Your Business from a Cash-Eating Monster to a Money-Making Machine

Author: Mike Michalowicz | Purchase on Amazon

Michalowicz provides a new way of thinking on what it takes to run a small business. He shares four simple principles that can streamline your accounting processes and make it easier to grow a profitable business early on. 

In fact, the common theme throughout Profit First is that new businesses have a better chance at achieving long-term success if they attain sustained profitability from the very beginning. 

Readers will love Michalowicz’s conversational tone and storytelling analogies to help easily understand how businesses make money and control that process as well. 

The Intelligent Investor: The Definitive Book on Value Investing. A Book of Practical Counsel

Author: Benjamin Graham | Purchase on Amazon

For those unfamiliar with Graham’s work, he is remarked as one of the most influential investment advisors of the 20th century — often poised as the father of investing in value.

The Intelligent Investor explores the buy-and-hold strategy where investors should only buy stocks when the price is below its intrinsic value. The intrinsic value is how you see the company based on your own research, forecasted returns, and for the purpose of diversifying your portfolio.

New business owners who are interested in stock markets, investing, and determining the value of organizations on Wall Street are the ideal reader for this book. You will be able to hone your skills and make better financial investments.

Accounting for the Numberphobic: A Survival Guide for Small Business Owners

Author: Dawn Fotopulos | Purchase on Amazon

A basic understanding of accounting is crucial for all business owners. It is the heartbeat and language of your business. Yet, most entrepreneurs ignore accounting and bookkeeping altogether. 

Accounting for the Numberphobic helps to eliminate the intimidation associated with financial management. It teaches small business owners how each measurement reflects the overall health of their company and how it should impact future decision-making.

Fotopulos makes financial literacy easy to comprehend by providing context behind the numbers. Her goal is to teach business owners how to make good choices that will help them reach their destination without going broke.

Found Money: Simple Strategies for Uncovering the Hidden Profit and Cash Flow in Your Business

Author: Steve Wilkinghoff | Purchase on Amazon

Think back to your school days when classes had required reading. If starting your own business was a class, Found Money would be at the top of the required reading list. The book is complete with knowledgeable concepts and tools small business owners can immediately implement and find positive financial results.

For instance, a common challenge for entrepreneurs is that they spend a lot of time and money on customer acquisition only to see little in return. This hardship might be because many start-up organizations don’t understand the math behind their business. 

Wilkinghoff will open your eyes when it comes to the financial side of selling to customers. He helps readers create offers that guarantee revenues and ultimately peace of mind.

The Millionaire Next Door: The Surprising Secrets of America’s Wealthy

Authors: Thomas J. Stanley, William D. Danko | Purchase on Amazon

Every small business owner dreams of owning a million-dollar company. 

The Millionaire Next Door explains how to reach that goal based on research and interesting anecdotes from UAWs and PAWs. 

• Under Accumulators of Wealth (UAW). Professionals with a low net worth relative to income.
• Prodigious Accumulators of Wealth (PAW). Professionals who are wealthy but live well below their means.

The book contains hundreds of interviews and data that will change how you perceive millionaires and what they value. Readers will quickly see that their dream of making millions isn’t determined by the number of customers they have, but by what they do with the money they earn from them. 

In short, authors, Stanley and Danko share three main points in this interesting read: spend less money than what you earn, avoid living a lavish lifestyle, and invest your money in opportunities that offer good returns.

Check Out Our Blog For More Small Business Finance Tips

Whether you are just beginning your journey to entrepreneurship or you are a seasoned vet, you can always use the advice from others in your position. Fortunately, there are hundreds of great finance books written for small business owners to help put your goals on overdrive. 

If you are looking for more resources, check out our blog. The team at Crowdz posts new articles each month that focus on small business finance cheat sheets, expert advice, and product drops. Stay in the know by signing up for our free-to-subscribe newsletter, here.