Can you ever really be prepared for business ownership? Taking the leap can be intimidating, to say the least, but we really believe that you can be prepared. And reading the right books can help immeasurably.

To help prepare you for the rigors (and excitement!) of business ownership, we asked Frank Milner, president of Tutor Doctor, for his top five recommendations. We think you'll find them both riveting and encouraging. 

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People

Stephen Covey, 1990

When 7 Habits first appeared in 1990, an earthquake shook the business world. And the rumblings haven't stopped yet--more than 10 million copies of the book have been sold.

What's so fascinating about his book is that its principles are timeless and can improve every aspect of your life, not just the part of your life concerning business ownership. Frank puts it well: "they're great principles on how to manage all of our relationships."

As you might expect, this isn't a quick-tips-starting-today type of book. But if you're willing to slowly work through its principles, you can transform your life and business practices.

The Oz Principle

Roger Connors, Tom Smith & Craig Hickman

1994

One of the most difficult aspects of business ownership is the relentless accountability, and that's what you can learn about when you study The Oz Principle. 

The three best-selling authors identify the values necessary to achieve your desired results. For Milner, the book helped him develop his own self-awareness whenever he dipped “below the line."

Atomic Habits

James Clear, 2019

Habits are core to overall success in both business and life, and this book provides insights into how to develop new, positive, strong habits. At the same time, we all need to shed counterproductive habits that hold us back from achieving our goals.

Atomic Habits is full of useful and actionable ideas that simply make us better. 

The E-Myth Revisited

Michael Gerber, 1995

The E-Myth Revisited is another timeless classic business book for the new entrepreneur.  Down the road, you might wonder where you'd be if you hadn't read it from the start.

Most people set up their businesses to depend on people when instead they need to depend on systems. And this book. teaches you how to establish systems and procedures that make it possible for people with minimal skills to work at a high level. 

It Takes What It Takes

Trevor Moawa, 2021

It Takes What It Takes was published just last year, but it has struck a chord in a major way, especially in the wake of Covid.

In short, the book teaches you how to change your thinking and gain control of your life. The author provides a game plan that shows us how to replace negativity with neutral thinking.

He talks about the “illusion of choice,” which is powerful in helping business owners embrace their reality regarding the hard work that needs to be done on the pathway to success.

With a background in these ideas and philosophies, you'll be well-prepared to withstand the rigors of business ownership. And you just might find, as Frank Milner did, that the positive impacts spread to other areas of your life.

If you're seeking an opportunity to provide personalized, one-to-one tutoring to the members of your community, a Tutor Doctor franchise might be the right fit for you. Reach out to us to learn more.