Running a startup or small company, you probably don't have time to read the vast number of books that have been written about marketing (Amazon lists 207,194 on the topic). Here are 5 books that will get you started and give you the tools you need to move beyond the first customers to conquering the mass market.

A great place to start if you don’t have much marketing experience. It's long but stick with it because it covers all you need to know about the fundamentals of marketing.

The Lean Startup puts customer needs at the centre of what you do. A flexible approach that applies equally to startups, larger organisations developing new products and marketing programmes that want to have greater impact.

A classic, but often overlooked, book that explains one of the key reason why startups fail – the inability to change mindset and marketing strategy to be able to scale up and win over the mass market.

For innovation to succeed it needs to balance the creative magic with the business rationale.  The book explores how to get the balance right to create a sustainable business.

A great introduction to PR and how to handle the media especially if you haven’t had any formal media training. Also useful when presenting to investors and other stakeholders.