When it comes to running a small business, there is so much to learn. Fortunately, there are resources galore on the topic that help new business owners learn the ropes quickly. Among the most accepted and accessible are business books which are available in electronic and traditional forms to choose from. Now comes the hard task of deciding which books to read and why.
We’ve taken the liberty to do the research for you. When it comes to useful business books, these titles are a great place to start:

1. Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance by Angela Duckworth. Not every successful person is a genius at what they do. Instead, they’re driven and passionate. Duckworth calls the combination of passion and perseverance ‘grit’ and explains how to harness it to do whatever you set out to do in life.

2. Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear by Elizabeth Gilbert. The wildly successful author of Eat, Pray, Love offers her ideas for tapping into the creative process. By embracing what you love and letting go of what you fear, you invite creativity into your life. Gilbert speaks candidly about the attitudes, habits, and approaches that work best for her and suggests that they might do the same for you.

3. The Four-Hour Workweek: Escape 9-5, Live Anywhere, and Join the New Rich by Timothy Ferriss. Don’t wait to retire until you’re too old to enjoy yourself. Ferriss shows you how to master your own destiny by outsourcing your inbox, building a team you can trust, and taking mini vacations for the rest of your life without feeling unproductive or guilty. This book about hacking life has its fair share of critics but also a lot of fans, too.

4. Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead by Sheryl Sandberg. Learn why women’s progress to acquire leadership roles has halted in recent years. Also, put Sandberg’s suggestions to good use if you’re a female looking to rise to the occasion and be considered for professional positions within the companies you work for.

5. The First 90 Days: Proven Strategies for Getting Up to Speed Faster and Smarter by Michael D. Watkins. Conquer transitions in your professional career with ease using the strategies the author suggests in this bestselling book. The first 90 days of any leader’s career is crucial. A series of missteps almost always leads to demise. Avoid critical mistakes by making the first three months in a new position the best three months of your working career.

6. #GirlBoss by Sophia Amoruso. See how the Founder and Former CEO of NastyGal built her eBay store into a global phenomenon. This inspiring book highlights what it’s like to be a successful woman in the business world. It also speaks the truth about how fabulously messy things are when you’re first trying to find your place in the business world.

7. Building Your Business the Right-Brain Way: Sustainable Success for the Creative Entrepreneur by Jennifer Lee and Michael Port. If traditional business plans bore the tar out of you, and you need something visual to spark the curiosity in you as a business person, you’re in luck. Lee’s beautifully illustrated book offers tips galore on how to approach entrepreneurship from a creative place. In addition to providing real examples of creatively-charged success stories, the author offers tips, solutions, and worksheets for you to fill out and use to get real about how you want your business to run.

Now that you know which books to read this summer, it’s time to start compiling your digital or physical library. Purchase the books you know you’ll read over and over again. They’ll serve as inspiration for your own business pursuits and perhaps be what you refer to as the secret to your success.

If you can’t find a title in your local bookstore, shop online or see if your public library carries it. You don’t have to spend a lot of money to obtain the wisdom that you need to run your business successfully. After all, being creative helps you overcome obstacles, right? If finances are an issue, there are ways to read these business books for free.