Given no restraints, I would read. All. The. Time. Just read. I love books, I love learning. But with only so many hours in the day, if I am reading for business, I need to focus that time. Each quarter, as part of my personal #learningproject, I choose a subject to centre my reading around. This quarter I chose "business finances". These are the best five books I (re) read and why you might want to read them too.

Profit First

by Mike Michalowicz

Hands down, this is the book that changed my business finances and took me from fearful to in control. It's the first book I recommend to clients who are also struggling to get a grip on their accounting and the one that has made the most profound shifts for me, and for them. I use the Profit First system every month to control my current and future spending. It has allowed me to pay myself a salary since the first month I started using it and make confident decisions about what my business can afford to spend.

Worth Every Penny

by Sarah Petty

This was the first book I read which started to shift how I viewed pricing in my business. It's not strictly a book about finances, it is more focused on marketing but its sections on money were the beginning of a mindset shift about how to charge what my skills are worth to others.

Money - A Love Story

by Kate Northrup

My clients know, I am not very "woo woo". I am more about the practical advice and action taking than waiting for the universe to provide for me. This book has moments where it veers slightly further into manifesting money than I usually would. That doesn't mean that it isn't worth reading. It absolutely is. The advice is solid, practical and actionable and if you are just at the beginning of getting your finances under control, this may be the gentle entry that you need.

PACE - A Small Business Owner’s Guide to Cashflow Clarity

by Jesse Mecham

I'm a big fan of the You Need a Budget system so it wasn't a surprise that I enjoyed the book by its owner which is specifically focused on Small Business owners. In my opinion, this is the book you should read and implement after Profit First. Use the Profit First system to get things under control and then use PACE to level up and keep yourself ahead of the profitability curve in your business.

Worth It!

by Amanda Steinberg

The newest book on my list and one I am still digesting the lessons from. There is a US focus to it, as the author runs Daily Worth, one of the largest finance websites for women in America. When I started reading this book and absorbing the research on how and why women struggle with financial planning I honestly wanted to chuck my kindle at the wall in frustration. Ladies, we have to get better at the money stuff. And if you are one of the lucky few for whom finances are easy-breezy, please, reach a hand back and help out those of us who struggle. This is going to be a team effort.

BONUS: The Ultimate Guide to Personal Finance

by Ramit Sethi

Not a book, a website (and, if you want to give them your email address, a pdf download) but it's free and the content is excellent. Some parts are only relevant to a US based audience - everyone outside the US can skip past those bits. This ultimate guide from the creator of the I Will Teach You to be Rich website is definitely worth skimming through when you have half an hour to spare. If you are right at the beginning of getting your personal and business finances under control, this is a good place to start.

Now, it's over to you. What are the best books about finance that you have read for your small business? Are there any others that I should have on my to-read list? If there are, let's talk.