Please, Stop Focusing Your Business around Books
It went something like this:
Joe: “Dave, remember I told you that I wanted to start a business?”
Dave: “Yeah dude, I remember.”
Joe: “Well I never got around to that, I’ve been slacking. But it doesn’t matter because I just ordered like 5 business books from Amazon and I’m going to catch up on everything in a few days.”
Dave: “Ahh… not too sure about that, dude.”
Joe: “Huh…what…ahh..?”
I can’t lie: it makes me angry when I hear other young entrepreneurs thinking that all it takes to build a successful business is to study a few dozen business books. They feel that it’s the key to making it big – just like that. 1, 2, 3. Piece of cake.
Ahhh… nope!
Don’t get me wrong, reading books (especially autobiographies of successful entrepreneurs) about entrepreneurship and business is great. No doubt. But it takes a lot more than reading to make it as a successful entrepreneur.
To think that books are going to be the fueling source of your business is to think that you’re going to become rich within hours of a great idea, just not going to happen. A lot of the confusion starts right in the classrooms believe it or not.
You have these “business” professors – many of which have never ran a business in their entire life – telling (preaching) students to read this or that book before jumping into a business. Blah…blah… So now you have a kid like Joe who feels the need to read a few accounting books, some finance books, and the three latest Donald Trump books before he starts developing his site.
This type of mentality is dangerous. The type of thinking that throws a wrench in the workings. You need to stop relying on books to get the ball rolling. The ball should already be rolling prior to your head being in books trying to teach yourself this or that. The fact of the matter is, you are going to learn more by doing, not solely read.
Sure, books are great tools to help advance your business acumen and improve aspects of your business. We should all be reading. But please, stop using them as a crutch to lean on. There comes a time when you have to take action and stop listening to the masses telling you to read another Rich Dad Poor Dad series.
So the next time someone tells you that you need to read a certain book before you can start a business, what are you going to say?
How about:
“Thanks dude, I may purchase that book if I have time… been so busy lately… first I need to make sure that I get my company’s latest website up and running, then take care of my clients, and attend some meetings… but thanks for the recommendation.”
Leave a Comment