If you're anything like me, (and I'm guessing you are since you landed here 👋) you're constantly learning. From courses, reels, podcasts, and those late-night scrolls through your favorite creators’ tips, there is certainly no shortage of information overload.

But my forever go-to is 📚 books.

Especially the ones that help small business owners (like you and me) build brands that actually connect and grow.

When I started my small business, I started reading all sorts of books to learn what building a business and strong brand looks like and since then, I keep coming back to a list of favorites that I truly believe EVERY business owner needs.

Now before you eye roll at yet another business book list from someone on the internet... hear me out.

This isn’t a list you’ll find in a generic roundup. It’s tailored for real-deal small biz owners trying to build something meaningful.

While I stand by what I said and believe that every business owner could benefit from these reads, I do think it’s important to qualify a few of these to help you make a strategic reading decision.

Because let’s face it: your time is valuable and it would be impossible for you to read every single business book out there. 



My hope with this list is to help you use your time wisely and pick the books that make the most sense for YOU!

As I present this list, you won’t just find the name, author, and brief description. Instead, you’ll find who it is and who it is NOT for so you can build your book bucket list with ease!

6 Book Recommendations For Small Business Brands

Building a Story Brand   |   Donald Miller

WHO THIS IS FOR: if you’re new to the whole branding thing and haven’t ever spent much time building your brand's story strategically with your customer in mind, this book is a MUST!

WHO THIS IS NOT FOR: already have a strongly identified brand that your audience connects to? You can probably skip this one! It’s still a great read, but you may find that your time is best spent elsewhere.

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I’ll be honest… it’s hard to be in the business or branding world without hearing someone talk about this book at least once. 

And as a brand strategist myself that’s all for making sure your story is inundated throughout your brand messaging, I have to agree!

In case you’re unfamiliar, in Building a Story Brand, Donald Miller introduces a framework based on the concept of the hero's journey, where the customer is the hero and your brand plays the role of the guide.

He emphasizes the importance of clearly communicating how your product or service can help customers solve their problems or achieve their goals.

The book outlines seven key elements for creating a compelling brand story, including identifying the customer's problem, presenting a clear solution, and inviting customers into a journey where your brand serves as a guide.

Miller's approach aims to simplify marketing messages, making them more engaging and effective by speaking directly to the customer's needs and desires.

MARKETING MADE SIMPLE   |   Donald Miller

WHO THIS IS FOR: if you’ve built your brand based on the Story Brand principles and want to take your marketing funnel a step further with all of those things in mind, I’d highly suggest this one!

WHO THIS IS NOT FOR: if you’re confident in your marketing funnels and already have something in place that’s WORKING, you may not need this one.

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Following the iconic Story Brand book, Donald Miller has another great read – Marketing Made Simple.

This book serves as a practical guide that builds upon the concepts introduced in the book above.

So essentially, don’t read this one UNTIL you’ve read that one!

Marketing Made Simple focuses on implementing a clear and effective marketing strategy using a straightforward framework that Miller simply calls the Marketing Funnel which consists of five stages: awareness, engagement, subscription, conversion, ascension.

In the book, he emphasizes the importance of clear communication, identifying your customer's needs, and positioning your brand as the guide that can help your audience achieve their goals. 

It’s filled with practical advice, templates, and strategies so you can effectively implement each stage of the marketing funnel, making it easier for you to create and execute successful marketing campaigns.

STORIES THAT STICK   |   KINDRA HALL

WHO THIS IS FOR: if you know that you need to implement more storytelling into your marketing strategy and messaging, but don’t know HOW, this book is a great starting point.

WHO THIS IS NOT FOR: already a master at storytelling? I love that for you! You could skip this one.

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Storytelling has been the name of the marketing game for years and I don’t see that trend dying anytime soon. 

People are over the faceless brands that post aesthetic carousels and tweet graphics non-stop.

Instead, they want REAL human connection. They want to know the person behind the screen on a deeper level.

This is why building your brand with storytelling in mind is so important!

This book explores the power of storytelling as a tool for communication, connection, and influence. She presents a framework to help individuals and businesses harness the compelling nature of stories to enhance their messaging.

Throughout the book, you'll learn the real impact of stories, how to identify your stories, storytelling techniques, applications of storytelling, and the power of connection.

Overall, this book serves as a guide for you to harness the persuasive and engaging nature of storytelling, helping you craft narratives that leave a lasting impact on your audience.

The Brand Flip   |   Marty Neumeier

WHO THIS IS FOR: if you’ve ever felt like your audience just isn’t connecting with your content or your brand as a whole, it may be time to reconsider your approach and this book can help you get started with just that!

WHO THIS IS NOT FOR:  if you’ve already worked to make sure that your customers and audience are front and center of your brand, great job! You may not need this read – although, it’s still incredibly valuable and could serve as a great reminder to keep doing what you’re doing.

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The Brand Flip by Marty Neumeier explores the evolving nature of branding in the digital age and the shift from traditional branding strategies to a more customer-centric approach.

I LOVE this book because he demonstrates such a huge and important shift for how business works in this day and age.

It’s less about what YOU love as the business, but more about how your AUDIENCE perceives it.

(The technical term for this is “brand perception” and that’s another blog post for another day!)

Overall, the book emphasizes the importance of understanding and engaging with your customers, creating exceptional customer experiences, and building relationships based on trust and authenticity.

All things that might sound pretty obvious, but are actually commonly overlooked when people are building their brands. 

Essentially, he encourages you to shift your focus from a company-centered approach to a customer-centered mindset and let that guide all that you do!

The ONE-PAGE MARKETING PLAN    |   ALLAN DIB

WHO THIS IS FOR:  if you’re just starting out in business and are overwhelmed with all of the ways to market OR feel like you’ve been trying different things, but nothing is working, this book can help you start from scratch, evaluate your goals, and create a one-page, simple to understand plan that you can easily implement.

WHO THIS IS NOT FOR:  if you’ve been in business for awhile and feel like you have a pretty good grip on your marketing and your efforts are already working, you can probably keep doing what you’re doing without this book!

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As a business owner, there’s a LOT that you have to figure out on your own. Most of us didn’t go to business school or major in entrepreneurship, which means that half the time, we’re just guessing and hoping that something sticks. 

While this approach can be perfectly fine when you’re just starting out – after all, we all have to start somewhere – as you continue to grow, you want to make sure that you’re making intentional, informed, and strategic decisions especially when it comes to your marketing. 

If you’re stuck on what a marketing plan should look like for you, The One-Page Marketing Plan by Allan Dib simplifies the process of creating a comprehensive marketing strategy into a single, easy-to-understand document.

It starts by helping you define your ideal customer (commonly referred to as your ICA) and then focuses on identifying what makes your product or service stand out from competitors.

The book covers various marketing channels and strategies, providing guidance on choosing the most suitable ones for YOUR target audience and budget.

It also dives into converting leads into customers, retaining them, budgeting for marketing efforts, and tracking key metrics for assessing campaign effectiveness.

Throughout the book, you’ll get practical exercises and actionable steps to assist in developing your one-page marketing plan.

COMPANY OF ONE   |   PAUL JARVIS

WHO THIS IS FOR: if you have the desire to stay a “one man show” and receive affirmation that you can still grow with this approach, this book is a MUST read!

WHO THIS IS NOT FOR: if you know that you desire to have a large company with team members, this book may not be the best fit. 

And last but not least because I think this one might be my absolute favorite from this list, Company of One by Paul Jarvis.

When you find yourself in the business world, you may be caught in between the dilemma of, “do I keep doing this solo or do I build a team?”

And there’s no right or wrong answer. Depending on your goals and vision, a team might be something you need to grow. 

But if you really love being a solopreneur who utilizes contractors instead of hiring employees, this book is a GREAT resource!

In his book, Jarvis challenges the belief that bigger is always better in business and instead suggests that intentionally staying small can lead to success – despite what the world sometimes makes us believe. 

He explores how small businesses and solopreneurs can achieve sustainable growth, emphasizing efficiency, adaptability, and profitability without the pressure to constantly expand. 

The book encourages aligning your business goals with personal values, maintaining a healthy work-life balance, and finding fulfillment in running a business that prioritizes quality over sheer size.

Overall, it's a guide advocating for a more deliberate, purpose-driven approach to business, focusing on sustainable growth and happiness in work.

My hope is that this book list guides you into choosing the next read that will serve you best. 

The reality is that we’re all at different stages in our business, which means we all need different things. 

No one book list fits all, so take what you need and leave the rest. 

And if you’re in search of consistent reading concerning branding, websites, and small business, you’re in the right place – click here to binge my blog and subscribe to the A-List to be the first to know when a new post is published. 

Happy reading! 📚

Your designer friend always,