The bookshelf

Business books worth your time

A short shelf, not a long list. Nicola’s own book first, then the classics, each with one line on why it’s here.

Start with: A Better Entrepreneur

A Better Entrepreneur by Nicola Cairncross: a true personal story of failure, success and 25 hard lessons from running businesses.

Starter list. Links go to Bookshop.org, which supports independent bookshops.

The E-Myth Revisited
Michael E. Gerber
Why most small businesses stall, and how to build one that runs on systems rather than on you doing everything.
Find it on Bookshop.org
Profit First
Mike Michalowicz
A simple cash-management habit: take your profit first and run the business on what’s left.
Find it on Bookshop.org
The Lean Startup
Eric Ries
Test ideas cheaply and learn from real customers before you spend serious money.
Find it on Bookshop.org
The Mom Test
Rob Fitzpatrick
How to ask customers questions that get honest answers instead of polite ones.
Find it on Bookshop.org
Built to Sell
John Warrillow
Turn a service business that depends on you into one that could run, or sell, without you.
Find it on Bookshop.org
Atomic Habits
James Clear
Small daily habits, compounded, and a practical way to build them.
Find it on Bookshop.org
Purple Cow
Seth Godin
Why being remarkable beats being merely good when it comes to getting noticed.
Find it on Bookshop.org
Good to Great
Jim Collins
Research into what separated companies that made the leap from good to great from those that didn’t.
Find it on Bookshop.org