5 Books to Read that Will Empower You to Start a Home Business

I love reading, but I find that actually choosing books to read is an arduous task. After all, there are so many to choose from, and despite reading thirty rave reviews on a particular book, there are always those few one or two-star reviews that make you wonder if reading the book is really worth your time.

Because there’s nothing worse than committing two or three hours to a book before realizing it’s not what you wanted to read. 

I find this is even more true for books you hope to learn something from. (My favorite kind of book!)

Fortunately, I’ve done the reading and vetting for you! These are five, truly life-changing books to read if you’ve been thinking about starting your own home-based business. Each of these books will help you with a different but crucial aspect of getting your new freelance business off the ground:

1. For Laying the Foundation: Work from Home by Caitlin Pyle

If there’s only one book you’re going to read about working from home, your best bet is Work from Home, by seven-figure entrepreneur, Caitlin Pyle. After getting (somewhat dramatically) fired from her corporate job, Caitlin was determined to make her own success. She started side-gigging as a proofreader and eventually created a course teaching others to launch their own proofreading biz, which exploded into a seven-figure business.

My favorite thing about this book is that it’s loaded with actionable information and it’s 100% fluff-free. She even lays out a launch plan that’s designed to help you start making freelance income within a month! 

It’s especially perfect for those who have no clue where to start or are afraid of falling for “work at home” scams. 

2. For Eliminating Mental Roadblocks: Girl, Stop Apologizing by Rachel Hollis

Rachel Hollis is one of my favorite motivational speakers and podcasters. She is so genuine and not afraid to expose the less glamorous parts of her life to prove that you may not be perfect, but you are capable. Girl, Stop Apologizing is part two to Hollis’ previous book, Girl, Wash Your Face (which is also worth reading!) 

What’s special about GSA is the way she breaks down your excuses and wakes you up to reality; which is that you deserve to chase your dreams and live the life you want. 

It’s a simple concept, but one that so many of us struggle with, particularly women and mothers. 

If you suffer from “mom guilt”, aren’t feeling confident in your skills, or just have trouble letting go of who you think you should be, rather than who you want to be, then Girl, Stop Apologizing is mandatory reading! 

3. For Improving Your Money Mindset: You are a Badass at Making Money by Jen Sincero 

Let’s face it, many of us have a weird relationship with money. We want it, but then we feel like we don’t deserve it, or even feel ashamed if we do have it. 

This book also comes with action steps at the end of each chapter that challenges you to question your current beliefs about money and reevaluate how you approach making money and assessing your worth.

To be clear, You are a Badass at Making Money doesn’t teach you how to manifest money out of thin air. But it helps you shift your thinking to view money in the right light. Bonus: Jen Sincero is an entertaining writer and you are bound to laugh out loud in some parts!

4. For Designing a Successful Business Blueprint: Will it Fly by Pat Flynn

Pat Flynn refers to himself as the Crash Test Dummy of Business, and it's because of his trial and error approach to business that he has been able to write, Will it Fly. This book is designed to help your business take flight off the get-go while avoiding common pitfalls. 

For this one, I highly recommend getting the audiobook as Pat Flynn narrates it himself and often departs from the text to add side notes in true, podcaster fashion. The book also comes with a free companion course with exercises that guide you through each of the five steps of the book. 

From selecting an idea that aligns with your business goals to validating and testing ideas, this book will help you confidently move forward with that business idea you’ve been kicking around for months (or even years!) Even more importantly, Flynn will guide you to build the business that isn’t just successful, but one that you love. 

5. For Learning How It's Done: The Essential Habits of Six-Figure Bloggers by Sally Miller

Miller doesn’t delude you into thinking that blogging is easy, but takes a thorough approach to dissect the habits of successful bloggers. From identifying those habits, she outlines exactly what it takes to make it big in the blogging business.  

The book is in interview format, where six-figure bloggers answer questions that shed light on how they came to find success as a blogger. Because of this up-close look at the way successful people think, it becomes more than just a series of interviews, but an instructional guide that contains actionable tips for finding your own blogging success. 

In my opinion, The Essential Habits of Six-Figure Bloggers isn’t just for bloggers. There are a lot of habits of six-figure bloggers that apply to any entrepreneur. But, if you are particularly interested in blogging for income, this is a must-read!

Conclusion

If you can, I would recommend reading all five of these books as they each bring value to anyone who is looking to start a home-based business but is feeling held back for some reason. 

Whether your reasons are self-limiting beliefs, a lack of confidence, or you’re just feeling a bit overwhelmed, this list of books to read will give you the knowledge and understanding you need to finally take that first step and create the business (and lifestyle) of your dreams.

What are your favorite books to read about business? Share them with us in the comments!