You need inspiration from different places to help your brain to think outside of its normal patterns, so you can constantly generate new ideas for your business. One great source of inspiration is books. They are relatively cheap, cheaper if you get them second hand or from the library. One simple idea from each book can help generate an idea worth hundreds if not thousands of dollars.

One of the ways I have discovered which books to read is to ask successful business people what they have read and what difference it made to them. Three of my favourite books are:

1. The E-Myth Revisited by Michael E. Gerber.
An oldie but a goodie. The main message I got out of the book was to work ‘on the business’ not in it.

2.Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap and Others Don’t by Jim Collins published in 2001. Collins shares tips on how to create a great business not just a good one and discusses companies who have been able to remain great for long periods of time. What I learnt from the book was that only the companies that think great and operate as great survive in the long run.

3. The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: Powerful Lessons in Personal Change by Stephen R. Covey.
One of my all time favourites. The reason this book resonated with me was that it talks about personal leadership in business. My favourite question in the whole book ‘what do you want your funeral to look like?’ What I got the most out of the book was to understand that when you get your life purpose clear, business becomes easier.

Top 25 business books
Take some time out to read books as it is very easy to get caught up in the day to day running of your operations. I allow about 2 hours a week to read books and as I like variety in my reading, I can be reading 3 or 4 books at one time.

What books have inspired you and why?

Happy reading!

Shivani is the author of Passion@Work, a business coach and international speaker.