4 Books Every Small Business Owner Should Read

Let’s be honest: starting your own business is not for the faint of heart. Passion, hard work, and practical knowledge are all key ingredients that can make or break your venture. If you pursue your dream business, we are here to help with four must-read books by small business owners who share the things they wish they knew when they got started.

1. Quilting for Hire 

Have you ever wanted to start your own quilting business but haven’t known where to begin? Or perhaps you already have a small side business that you’d love to grow—maybe even into a full-time job! In Quilting for Hire, Shelly Pagliai walks you through the ins and outs of starting and maintaining a business—whether you want to provide longarm quilting, custom quiltmaking, or both services (and more)!

Practical, yes—but this is no boring business book! Designed for creatives, this attractive and interactive workbook-style guide is full of prompts, sample forms, and questions to keep you actively thinking and engaged about your vision for your business. Advice from several different quilting entrepreneurs, anecdotes from Shelly’s ranch and studio, and adorable retro-style illustrations make this business book informative and fun to read.

2. Sewing to Sell: The Beginner's Guide to Starting a Craft Business 

What I REALLY like about Sewing to Sell is that the author, Virginia Lindsay, gets into the nitty-gritty details of what you need to do to sell your sewing work—from finding your sewing style and identifying your customers, talking about essential equipment, all the way through to selling, pricing, and packaging. There’s also a section on business basics. Even if you’ve never sold your work before, you’ll learn where to start and what to do to sell your work online or in person at craft shows and fairs. The book has a massive list of resources to help you on your way and includes interviews with seasoned professionals who provide practical advice.

On top of all the helpful information, Virginia provides 16 projects that you can make to sell to get started—including how to make multiples. Most patterns in books are just for the reader’s personal use and can’t be made to sell—always read the copyright notice on books and patterns to see what’s allowed.

3. More Sewing to Sell—Take Your Handmade Business to the Next Level 

If you like Sewing to Sell, you’ll love the follow-up. This hands-on guide to the sewing business includes sixteen new sewing patterns, all copyright- and royalty-free, ready to customize for craft fairs or online shops, with suggested price points included. Make the most of your fabric, time, and resources when sewing totes, quilts, and gifts to sell! Take your handmade business to a truly professional level with practical advice from industry experts.

4. A Field Guide to Fabric Design 

Fabric designers, this one is for you. This book is a comprehensive resource for fabric design and printing, including helpful tips and advice from today's premier fabric designers. Fabric enthusiast Kim Kight explains design and color basics with step-by-step tutorials for creating repeat patterns with your computer or by hand. You learn how to add personal, distinctive style to everything you sew with the fabric you designed yourself. 

Each tutorial is refreshingly straightforward, and you'll love looking through the book's abundance of tantalizing fabric images! With a complete resources section, this indispensable guide is a must-have for hobbyists and professionals alike.