Inspiring books India’s education entrepreneurs swear by

India holds an important place in the global education industry. The Indian education industry is one of the largest education systems in the world having more than 1.4 million schools with over 227 million students enrolled and more than 36,000 higher education institutes. The education sector in India is poised to witness major growth in the years to come as India will have the world’s largest tertiary-age population and second largest graduate talent pipeline globally by the end of 2020. In FY 2015-16, the education market was worth about $ 100 billion and is expected to reach $ 116.4 billion in FY 2016-17. The total spending on education in India is around $ 150 billion.

Many entrepreneurs starting their educational venture are unable to cope with the fast changing technology and competition which leads to closure of their start-ups within a few years. Starting an educational venture and making it profitable in the long run needs systematic planning and dedicated efforts and simultaneously upgrading with the changes in technology.Business education doesn’t always start in a classroom or end with an MBA. These days, more and more of people with the entrepreneurial itch are turning to a more grassroots approach, gleaning wisdom from the words of those who have been down the path before.

These books are the entrepreneurial know-how for educators. Best of all, they’re not stand-alone entities, but the launching pad for the successful business owners sharing insights on what’s worked for them. According to Beas Dev Ralhan - Co-Founder & CEO, Next Education Pvt. Ltd., an eight year old startup now reaping crores in profit, The Hard Thing About Hard Things and Good Strategy, Bad Strategy are two books which every educational entrepreneur must read to run a successful business.

The Hard Thing About Hard Things by Ben Horowitz

In The Hard Thing About Hard Things, Ben Horowitz, co-founder of Andreessen Horowitz and one of Silicon Valley's most respected and experienced entrepreneurs, draws on his own story of founding, running, selling, buying, managing, and investing in technology companies to offer essential advice and practical wisdom for navigating the toughest problems business schools don't cover. His blog has garnered a devoted following of millions of readers who have come to rely on him to help them run their businesses. A lifelong rap fan, Horowitz amplifies business lessons with lyrics from his favourite songs and tells it straight about everything from firing friends to poaching competitors, from cultivating and sustaining a CEO mentality to knowing the right time to cash in.

Filled with Horowitz's trademark humour and straight talk, and drawing from his personal and often humbling experiences, The Hard Thing About Hard Things is invaluable for veteran entrepreneurs as well as those aspiring to their own new ventures.

Good Strategy, Bad Strategy by Richard P. Rumelt

Developing and implementing a strategy is the central task of a leader, whether it is the CEO at a Fortune 100 company, an entrepreneur, the head of a school, or a government official. Richard Rumelt shows that there has been a growing and unfortunate tendency to equate Mom-and-apple-pie values, fluffy packages of buzzwords, motivational slogans, and financial goals with “strategy.” He debunks these elements of “bad strategy” and awakens an understanding of the power of a “good strategy.”

Good Strategy/Bad Strategy uses fascinating examples from business, non-profit, and military affairs to bring its original and pragmatic ideas to life. Reflecting an astonishing grasp and integration of economics, finance, technology, history, and the brilliance and weakness of the human character, Good Strategy/Bad Strategy stems from Rumelt’s decades of digging beyond the superficial to address hard questions with honesty and integrity.

According to Amol Arora, Director, Shemrock and Shemford Group of Schools, books like The Leader in Me, Schools That Learn, The Teacher’s Toolkit and The Survival Kit are a must read for every entrepreneur starting an educational business to learn the disciplines of business, raising achievement and devising strategies.

The Leader in Me by Stephen R Covey

Perfect for individuals and corporations alike, The Leader in Me shows how easy it is to incorporate these skills into daily life. It is a timely answer to many of the challenges facing today’s young people, businesses, parents, and educators—one that is perfectly matched to the growing demands of our certain future.

Schools that Learn by Peter Senge

Bestselling author Peter Senge and his Fifth Discipline team have written Schools That Learn because educators—who have made up a sizable percentage of the audience for the popular Fifth Discipline books—asked for a book that focuses specifically on schools and education, to help reclaim schools even in economically depressed or turbulent districts. One of the great strengths of Schools That Learn is its description of practices that are meeting success across the country and around the world, as schools attempt to learn, grow, and reinvent themselves using the principles of organisational learning. Featuring articles, case studies, and anecdotes from prominent educators such as Howard Gardner, Jay Forrester, and 1999 U.S. Superintendent of the Year Gerry House, as well as from impassioned teachers, administrators, parents, and students, the book offers a wealth of practical tools, anecdotes, and advice that people can use to help schools (and the classrooms in them and communities around them) learn to learn.

The Survival Kit by Abby Barry Bergman

For the new and veteran elementary school principal, this book is a unique ‘survival kit’ packed with tested advice, practical guidelines, and ready-to-use materials for all aspects of your job. From the perspective of an author with twenty-five years of experience, this book offers techniques such as creating a school vision, building and sustaining morale, utilising technology, and long-term, strategic school planning.The included companion CD-ROM serves as the perfect enhancement to this book. This time saving device contains all of the book's forms, checklists and letters for easy print out and use.

The Teacher’s ToolKit by Paul Ginnis

Based on current research, this work presents motivating physical and mental activities, and innovative approaches to group work, research, peer teaching and discussion, packed with practical classroom strategies and enjoyable learning exercises.

Successful entrepreneurs do their homework before taking the giant step of starting an educational venture, which includes reading books mentioned above, to plan out their investment, strategise their actions to reap the benefits of becoming a good brand.