The 18 Best Business Articles Every Entrepreneur Should Read

As an entrepreneur, you face regular roadblocks from worries about the future to difficulties managing personnel. To learn to face these roadblocks head-on, you can turn to books, trusted advisors, or perhaps best of all for your busy schedule: business articles.

Business articles serve as an accessible source of small business advice, whether you find them in a journal, magazine, or business blog. For your convenience, we’ve compiled a list of the 18 best business articles for entrepreneurs covering topics from business management to finding the motivation to push forward.

These 18 Business Articles Are Must-Reads for Any Entrepreneur

1. “50 Signs You Might Be an Entrepreneur”

Do you have a feeling you might be an entrepreneur at heart? In “50 Signs You Might Be an Entrepreneur,” John Rampton could point out the one—or many—things that makes you the perfect small business owner deep down inside.

Entrepreneurs and business owners have a certain kind of spirit and drive that keeps pushing them forward. Use this business article to find out if you possess the qualities of an entrepreneur yourself.

2. “The iEconomy”

If you’re a small business owner on the forefront of the tech industry, then the New York Times’ “The iEconomy” is one of the best compilations of business articles to read.

The articles in this Pulitzer Prize-winning series look closely at the constantly changing high-tech industry. As an entrepreneur in a tech-facing business, you might find that the iEconomy series has a unique outlook on how challenging it can be to keep up in the tech industry.

3. “‘Don’t Take It Personally’ Is Terrible Work Advice”

In this Harvard Business Review article, Duncan Coombe explains why small business owners and employees should take work personally.

This Harvard Business Review piece is one of the best business articles for entrepreneurs looking for advice on how to engage their employees, build a successful business, and take pride in their work.

4. “Why You Hate Work”

In the New York Times’ “Why You Hate Work,” Tony Schwartz and Christine Porath look into what the modern employee needs to be fulfilled while in the workplace.

If you’re wondering how you can make your employees happier at work, this is one of the best business articles to read. Schwartz and Porath dive deep into what motivates people—and what pushes them away.

Or if you’re one of those 9-to-5 employees who hates your job, this might be one of the best business articles to inspire you to take your career into your own hands.

5. “Think You’re Too Old to Be an Entrepreneur? Think Again.”

Despite what you might have learned from “Silicon Valley” or “The Social Network,” not every entrepreneur is a 20something male wearing a hoodie.

If you’re looking for business articles that will reassure you that you’re not too young to start your own business, then you’ve found one in this infographic. Entrepreneurs are of all ages and come from all walks of life, and Anna Vital’s infographic will convince you of that.

6. “Meeting the Challenge of Disruptive Change”

“Meeting the Challenge of Disruptive Change,” by legendary economics scholar Clayton Christensen and business consultant Michael Overdorf, is one of the best business articles for entrepreneurs who need help getting a handle on change in their business.

Growing pains are an inevitable part of any successful small business. This article helps business owners identify when their companies desperately need a change or how to handle change when it’s thrown their way.

The Harvard Business Review has a handful of small business articles that have withstood the test of time, but “Meeting the Challenge of Disruptive Change” is one of the best business articles to keep coming back to as you manage more and more employees.

7. “What Makes a Leader?”

Another one of the best business articles in the Harvard Business Review is “What Makes a Leader?” by Daniel Goleman.

Starting and growing your own business is one thing. Managing and leading your employees once you’ve gotten a few years of business experience under your belt can be a whole different skill set. If you need some advice on how to be a more effective leader of your small business, this is a great read.

8. “The Top 5 Reasons Why ‘The Customer Is Always Right’ Is Wrong”

You’ve heard it before—or maybe you’ve said it yourself: “The customer is always right.”

In his Huffington Post article, Alexander Kjerulf explains why “the customer is always right” shouldn’t be your motto as a small business owner. If you deal with customers in your day-to-day operations, this business article deserves your attention. You’ll not only realize why you might be treating your customers wrong, but you also might find that you’re making your employees worse-off along the way.

9. “Reclaim Your Creative Confidence”

While most of the Harvard Business Review’s business articles are tailored to the management-side of things, “Reclaim Your Creative Confidence” is all about empowering the creative side in everyone.

Creativity is an important trait in a business leader—a recent IBM survey of chief executives around the world shows that it’s the most sought-after trait in a leader. But as a business owner trying to run a successful company, you might put your creative, “big picture” ideas on the backburner while you work through the operations of your business.

But it’s creativity and innovation that drive businesses and industries forward. So if you feel like you need to re-spark your creative spirit as an entrepreneur, “Reclaim your Creative Confidence” is one of the best business articles to read through.

10. “Richard Branson to Young Entrepreneurs: ‘Just Do It’”

In Oscar Raymundo’s Inc. article, famous entrepreneur Richard Branson explains why young wannabe entrepreneurs need to get over the inherent risk factor of starting a business.

You can sit on a great business idea for years, weighing the pros and cons of starting it. But according to Branson, a point in time comes when you have to just do it. If you fail, you fail—and hopefully you learned something valuable for your next business venture along the way.

So if you’re an entrepreneur who’s been poised to launch a small business for quite some time now, this is one of the best business articles to help you make the plunge.

11. “Why Should Anyone Be Led by You?”

“Why Should Anyone Be Led by You?” will make you look closely into your skills as a business leader.

This Harvard Business Review article gives four traits of the best kinds of business owners—and they’re qualities that you’ve probably never thought of before. So if you’re looking for business articles that not only help you take a step back and look at how you are as a leader but also give you tangible steps to become a better one, this piece is for you.

12. “6 Toxic Behaviors That Push People Away: How to Recognize Them in Yourself and Change Them”

Have you noticed a lot of your employees don’t last long at your business? Or maybe you have a hard time finding customers who keep coming back?

You might be exhibiting one of the intolerable behaviors that Kathy Caprino identifies in “6 Toxic Behaviors That Push People Away: How to Recognize Them in Yourself and Change Them.” In this article, you’ll learn why your employees are always quitting, what habits drive your partners crazy, and why customers just don’t want to work with your business.

But it’s not all bad. This is one of the best business articles if you need very defined steps for how you can be better.

13. “Managing Oneself”

Peter Drucker’s “Managing Oneself” is a Harvard Business Review classic.

First published in 1999, this article teaches us what it means to develop ourselves and place ourselves in the best possible positions—not just for you, but for everyone. How can you make the greatest possible contribution to your business, to your organization, or to your community? This article will get you closer to figuring out what your fundamental strengths are, and how you can use them to perform better at anything you do.

14. “Mentally Strong People: The 13 Things They Avoid”

“Mentally Strong People: The 13 Things They Avoid” is one of the most popular business articles around.

Why?

Because this article features an overwhelmingly accurate list by clinical social worker Amy Morin on what to avoid if you want to be a better leader . You might find that, without knowing it, you spend so much time and energy on thoughts and actions that will hold you back in the long run—like wasting time trying to prevent change, or worrying about pleasing others.

This is one of the best business articles to figure out the things you do that are setting both you and your business back.

15. “How to Demotivate Your Best Employees”

Another one of the best business articles from Harvard Business Review? “How to Demotivate Your Best Employees.”

This article highlights the things that you think are motivating your best employees to be even better, but are actually discouraging them. The article looks at a study done on employee incentives at five commercial businesses—and you might be surprised by the results.

An “Employee of the Month” award program? Don’t do one. Read the article to learn why.

16. “Why Google Doesn’t Care About College Degrees”

This VentureBeat article gives you an inside look into how one of the most successful businesses in the world goes about hiring their employees. (Hint: It’s not about expertise—it’s about skill, talent, and grit.)

So the next time you’re hiring for your small business, pull this piece up—it’s one of the best business articles to get you thinking about how you can get the best talent for your business.

17. “Managing the Family Business”

If you own or are a part of a family-owned business, then you know how downright complicated it can get. The best business owners can keep their personal and business life separate, but it gets tricky when the two are inherently connected.

If you’re looking for the best business articles specifically for family-owned businesses, then go straight to Harvard Business Review’s two-part series called “Managing the Family Business.”

18. “How Things Change”

While you might be surprised to find this one on a list of the best business articles, “How Things Change” is a worthy 30-second read for any entrepreneur who feels discouraged.

TechCrunch’s Greg Kumparak summarizes the crazy journey of entrepreneurship in just three tweets from Brian Acton, co-founder of WhatsApp.

Learn From the Best Business Articles

There you have it—the 18 business articles that every small business owner and entrepreneur should keep bookmarked. Sometimes good advice can be forgotten so make a point of writing down essential tips from your favorite articles and keeping them at your desk or in a running document. Entrepreneurship can be a difficult journey but with the right resources, including these articles, you can overcome roadblocks, level up your abilities, and plan for the future.

Are we missing any of the best business articles of all time? Let us know in the comments!

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