Originally published May 2016. Last updated on November 21, 2024.
Is one of your 2025 goals to learn more about running a successful and efficient service business?
Entrepreneurship is hard, but with the right guidance, you can use others’ experiences to motivate your team, scale effectively, and run a more efficient business.
One of the best ways to gain these insights is by reading books by seasoned business owners with knowledge and advice to share. Read on to find out which titles to add to your list.
Jump to the best books for business owners for:
Starting a business
1. The Art of the Start by Guy Kawasaki
The Art of the Start is like a guidebook for how to actually start a business.
Using practical tips and advice, Kawasaki teaches readers the steps they need to take to hone their vision, build a brand, and secure funding.
It’s an ideal read for home service providers thinking about starting their first business.
2. The $100 Startup by Chris Guillebeau
Just because you want to start a business doesn’t mean you need a ton of cash upfront.
The $100 Startup teaches aspiring entrepreneurs how to turn minimal investments into successful businesses by showcasing examples from real people who have done just that.
Service business owners who read this book will learn how to:
- Start a business with limited resources
- Market to customers on a lean budget
- Scale operations without breaking the bank
“Really good for someone who doesn’t have much knowledge on entrepreneurship! The templates and tips are also a great touch to help the entrepreneurs get started and be able to brainstorm. Love the examples and see how people overcame their struggles. Overall excellent book!” — Raul Bedolla
READ MORE: The best businesses to start on a budget
3. The Home Service Millionaire by Tommy Mello
Mello started a successful home service business from scratch, making The Home Service Millionaire an essential read for any home service provider looking to do the same.
In it, Mello shares tips and advice about everything from marketing and sales to managing service technicians and scaling a company.
4. Blue-Collar Cash by Ken Rusk
Blue-Collar Cash is written for entrepreneurs who are interested in growing a business without a college degree.
It focuses on building a business with a solid financial foundation, managing clients, and how to aim your goals to attain financial freedom.
READ MORE: Financial advice for home service business owners
Running a business
5. Rework by Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson
In Rework, Fried and Heinemeier Hansson challenge conventional business practices, suggesting small business owners take a simplified approach to running a company by:
- Using the most efficient processes
- Avoiding overcomplicated or unnecessary work
- Being adaptable
These strategies are especially useful when developing standard operating procedures because they help you to focus on what really matters.
6. Profit First by Mike Michalowicz
Profit First teaches small business owners to approach money management in a way that prioritizes profit and builds the foundation for a stronger financial structure.
It’s a good read for anyone looking to improve cash flow because it offers advice about how to avoid cash crunches, better allocate resources, and stay profitable.
LISTEN AND LEARN: Take charge of your finances by knowing your numbers
7. Traction by Gino Wickman
Traction was written for entrepreneurs who want to streamline their operations and learn how to address the roadblocks that prevent businesses from experiencing stability. It provides guidance on how to:
- Set a clear vision
- Establish attainable goals
- Improve team communication
- Eliminate distractions
Together, these steps are meant to help you structure a business that runs smoothly, not just today but also in the long term.
8. Measure What Matters by John Doerr
Measure What Matters helps small business owners to focus on measuring the right metrics so they can:
- Set clear and attainable business goals
- Track growth and performance effectively
- Align team efforts
- Have focused execution
Because if you aren’t tracking the right things, you won’t have a clear picture of how your business is actually performing.
READ MORE: The business metrics to start tracking now
9. The E-Myth by Michael E. Gerber
Having technical skills, like how to resod a lawn or install a dryer, isn’t enough to make you a successful service business owner. You need to know how to run a business, from daily tasks like tracking costs to long-term forecasts like your growth goals.
In The E-Myth, Gerber highlights the importance of working on your business, not just in it.
This means learning how to create repeatable workflows, manage staff, and oversee business operations.
10. How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie
How to Win Friends and Influence People is centered around effective communication techniques that can help small business owners to:
- Build rapport with customers, employees, and subcontractors
- Navigate difficult conversations, like disputes, complaints, and negative reviews
- Improve customer satisfaction
This enables you to foster better relationships, boost professionalism, and create positive experiences for everyone you work with.
READ MORE: The best customer service tips from home service experts
11. The Hard Thing About Hard Things by Ben Horowitz
In The Hard Thing About Hard Things, Horowitz doesn’t shy away from the tough realities of starting and running a business.
The book teaches small business owners how to plan for and navigate the relatable and inevitable challenges of entrepreneurship like making difficult decisions, managing crises, and leading through hard times.
“An amazing book with good explanations of difficult situations that the author had overcome over his experience. Gives good examples of how to act while being a CEO, directing a company from its foundation, the battles to face and challenges that an entrepreneur could find on its paths like seeking investors, raising capital, building a team, changing the vision and many other interesting business topics.” — Luis Adino
12. Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill
Think and Grow Rich is a classic, and for good reason. It drives home the importance of goal-setting, mindset, and persistence in a business to achieve success.
Home service providers can read this book to learn about:
- Building better decision-making skills
- Developing a stronger sense of direction for their business
- Fostering consistent and scalable growth
13. The One Thing by Gary W. Keller and Jay Papasan
In The One Thing, Keller and Papasan teach entrepreneurs to streamline their processes and procedures by eliminating unnecessary steps and focusing on the one thing that matters most to their business.
Keller and Papasan believe that by concentrating your efforts on a single, specific task, you can make all your other tasks easier.
For example, focusing on customer satisfaction may reduce your need to generate new leads since happy and loyal customers will refer you to others.
Managing a team
14. The Five Dysfunctions of a Team by Patrick Lencioni
If you manage a team, you need to read The Five Dysfunctions of a Team. Using a fictional business as an example, it highlights five fatal flaws that cause the company to fail.
It shows small business owners what leads to ineffective and inefficient teams, like lack of trust, low accountability, and fear of conflict.
And it teaches them how to address these issues through communication, collaboration, and workplace culture.
15. The Dream Manager by Matthew Kelly
In The Dream Manager, Kelly stresses the importance of helping employees reach their personal and professional goals as a way to build a strong workplace culture.
The goal of the book is to help small business owners foster better employee engagement, loyalty, and satisfaction, ultimately leading to a happier, healthier business.
Because when employees feel motivated, they’re more likely to provide excellent customer service, work toward your company’s goals, and stick around.
READ MORE: How to build a business where employees want to work
16. Drive by Daniel H. Pink
Drive explores what truly motivates people, focusing on things like autonomy, mastery, and purpose over financial incentives like bonuses.
These insights can be directly applied to the way you manage and motivate your team, leading to more engaged and satisfied employees.
By reading Drive, you’ll learn how to:
- Boost morale
- Encourage autonomy
- Reduce turnover
- Improve performance
17. Extreme Ownership by Jocko Willink and Leif Babin
In Extreme Ownership, Willink and Babin stress the importance of taking responsibility for your business’s success and failures.
Its goal is to help small business owners use accountability to:
- Develop a positive company culture
- Create high-performing teams
- Lead by example
This will help you to have a more effective and efficient team that’s fueled by the right motivators.
18. The Energy Bus by Jon Gordon
The Energy Bus is all about creating a productive workplace culture through teamwork, effective leadership, and a positive mindset.
Service business owners can use it to:
- Boost employee morale and loyalty
- Build strong relationships with clients
- Enhance customer satisfaction
It encourages readers to learn how to harness the power of managing energy to create an environment where people feel optimistic, empowered, and capable.
Marketing and growth
19. The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell
If you’re looking to learn more about marketing, The Tipping Point is a good place to start.
Gladwell’s book teaches readers how to leverage “the tipping point” and “the power of the few” to gain momentum through:
- Customer referrals
- Word-of-mouth
- Viral marketing
It explains how trends spread, so you can learn how to position your business’s unique value propositions to attract key clients and influencers who can help you grow. And if you like Gladwell’s style, you can check out Revenge of the Tipping Point, where he returns to the subject 25 years later.
20. Word of Mouth Marketing by Andy Sernovitz
Referrals and reviews are some of the best and most efficient ways to generate leads. Word of Mouth Marketing teaches small business owners how to leverage the power of word-of-mouth referrals and reviews by:
- Creating noteworthy customer experiences
- Making it easy for clients to give you referrals
- Getting happy customers to spread the word
READ MORE: How to build a customer referral program
21. Start With Why by Simon Sinek
Start With Why encourages small business owners to dig deep to identify and understand the “why” behind their business—as in the core motivator that drives their work.
This goes beyond money or simply providing services. Instead, it speaks to why your business exists in relation to your values to attract loyal customers, engage employees, and set yourself apart from the competition.
22. Crush It! by Gary Vaynerchuk
Crush It! is a how-to for people looking to grow their side hustle into a thriving full-time business using the power of personal branding and social media.
It teaches readers how to:
- Use social media platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube to showcase expertise
- Make stronger connections with leads and clients
- Grow your business from a hobby to a career
23. The Automatic Customer by John Warrillow
The Automatic Customer teaches small business owners how to turn one-time clients into recurring customers.
This book will show you how to use repeat business to:
- Reduce marketing costs
- Stabalize cash flow
- Create stronger client relationships
READ MORE: How to get repeat customers
Improving customer service
24. The Service Culture Handbook by Jeff Toister
The Service Culture Handbook tells entrepreneurs how to get their teams excited about and invested in providing amazing customer service experiences to clients.
As a service business owner, you can use the tips and tactics in this book to:
- Retain more customers
- Generate referrals
- Build a positive reputation
25. 42 Rules for Superior Field Service by Jim Reily and Rosemary Coates
Written specifically for service businesses, 42 Rules of Superior Field Service covers just about everything you need to know about starting, running, and managing one.
In it, you can learn about:
- Building lasting client relationships
- Improving customer satisfaction
- Becoming more efficient
- Boosting service quality
- Streamlining operations
- Maintaining high standards
- Navigating competitive markets
26. Never Split the Difference by Chris Voss
As a home service provider, you’ve probably been in situations where a supplier, customer, or subcontractor wanted to negotiate with you.
Never Split the Difference teaches you how to handle negotiations so you can discuss rates with clients, come to agreements with vendors, and get better deals. This helps you to avoid conflict, have more productive conversations, and make more profit.
27. The Go-Giver by Bob Burg and John David Mann
In The Go-Giver, Burg and Mann explore how giving can be a key to success by encouraging business owners to prioritize providing value to customers over profit.
It teaches entrepreneurs how to use giving to build better client relationships, leading to:
- Word-of-mouth referrals
- Better customer loyalty
- Long-term business growth
This book kicks off a series that includes Go-Givers Sell More, The Go-Giver Leader, and The Go-Giver Influencer.
Personal development
28. The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey
The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People teaches readers how to be efficient by:
- Setting clear goals from the get-go
- Prioritizing tasks
- Focusing on activities that drive long-term growth
It also outlines the importance of being proactive and adaptable—skills that every service business owner can benefit from.
29. Grit by Angela Duckworth
In the home service industry, perseverance is essential. After all, you’ll likely face challenges like seasonality, demanding physical labor, and industry changes. Which is what makes Grit such an important read.
It emphasizes the importance of perseverance and passion in light of setbacks, encouraging small business owners to push through the tough times by staying committed and striving to meet their goals.
READ MORE: Find out what makes a business successful
30. Atomic Habits by James Clear
Atomic Habits teaches entrepreneurs how to use small, consistent routines to improve performance.
It offers strategies small business owners can use to:
- Improve productivity
- Build better time management skills
- Develop a growth mindset
- Boost customer experience
Resources for non-readers
If you don’t have time to read entire books, or you like shorter, more digestible content, there are still tons of resources out there for you to choose from.
There are all kinds of blogs, podcasts, and YouTube channels dedicated to specific industries and services, like Jobber’s Masters of Home Service podcast and the Jobber YouTube channel. Start by searching for your industry and getting a feel for what kind of information you prefer and which format works best for you.
For example, do you prefer listening to a podcast on your drive home? Or do you like to read an article while you have your morning coffee? Are there specific entrepreneurs you want to learn from? Or do you just want to hear general advice from a variety of small business owners?
If you aren’t sure, explore Jobber Blueprint to find tips and advice for new and established home service businesses in any industry.
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