TED Talks are renowned for their exceptional value in terms of inspiration and insights. If you are an entrepreneur or have plans to become one, you can get many ideas and inspiration from these business TED talks.

The most courageous people in the world share their thoughts, ideas, knowledge, and experiences with the world through these TED Talks. 

Currently, there are 3100+ incredible speeches in the TED library regarding technology, entertainment, design, business, science, sociology, and a wide range of other affairs.

Confused about which one to start with? Well, we’ve come up with a shortlist crafted for you.

The following TED talks will walk you through ideas and strategies, starting from how to start your business, to what makes businesses work, what doesn’t, and how to grow your venture significantly.

So, let’s jump directly into the list!

5 Must-Watch TED Talks for Small Business Owners

As a business owner, sometimes you may need to get some inspiration to take on a new challenge and continue your hard work. Or you may just want to forget the stresses of your daily life.

If this is the case, then you shouldn’t miss any of the following TED talks:

1. How Great Leaders Inspire Action – Simon Sinek
2. 8 Secrets of Success – Richard St. John
3. 5 Ways to Kill Your Dreams – Bel Pesce
4. The Happy Secret to Better Work – Shawn Achor
5. Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance, Angela Lee Duckworth

Now, let’s check each business TED talk in detail!

(i) How Great Leaders Inspire Action – Simon Sinek

British-American author Simon Sinek is hugely popular for the concept of the Golden Circle. In this TED talk, he talks about this concept along with some great examples.

Every business owner may know what to do for the business and how to do it. But very few care about the exact reason why they are doing it.

According to Simon, great leaders are different from typical leaders because they focus on the ‘Why’ question first. So, knowing the answer to ‘Why’ is necessary.

(ii) 8 Secrets of Success – Richard St. John

Who doesn’t want to be successful, right? In this fascinating TED talk, Richard St. John revealed the secrets of success within just 3 minutes.

He spent seven years interviewing over 500 successful individuals in many different fields and wrote the book ‘8 Traits Successful People Have in Common: 8 to Be Great’. This presentation is about the big eight things that lead to success.

You can also find some helpful tips here: 6 Productivity Hacks for Your Startup

(iii) 5 Ways to Kill Your Dreams – Bel Pesce

Next on our list will be “5 Ways to Kill Your Dream” by Bel Pesce. In this TED talk, Brazilian entrepreneur Bel Pesce describes the ways of prosperity in a totally different way.

In this speech, she busts all the myths that are keeping you from achieving your dreams. Undoubtedly, this is a must-watch for every business owner.

Check out this post, Surprising Small Business Statistics That Can Help You Grow Exponentially, to learn some important statistics, including why small or medium businesses fail.

(iv) The Happy Secret to Better Work – Shawn Achor

American author Shawn Achor is well-known for his positive psychology. In this great speech of his, he demonstrated how happiness plays a vital role in improving productivity.

Since an increase in productivity is the ultimate goal for every business, this funny and inspiring TED talk turns out to be very powerful for business owners.

Related: Benefits and Strategies of Relationship Marketing for Small Business

(v) Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance, Angela Lee Duckworth

According to popular American psychologist and author Angela Lee Duckworth, grit is more important than IQ on the path to success. In this informative speech, she explained the power of grit very precisely.

In every aspect of life, the importance of persistence is undeniable. So don’t stop if something goes wrong; start over again with the lessons learned from failures.

According to popular American psychologist and author Angela Lee Duckworth, grit is more important than IQ on the path to success. In this informative speech, she explained the power of grit very precisely. In every aspect of life, the importance of persistence is undeniable.

So don’t stop if something goes wrong, start over again with the learned lessons from failures.

Special Mention of Another Top Business TED Talk

In our top 5 list, we included the ones that may have great value for small business owners. But there is another one that is worth mentioning.

The one from Derek Sivers. His book “How to Start a Movement” delivers a powerful message to all of us.

Don’t miss out on this entertaining 3-minute TED talk.

Fuel Your Small Business With the Best TED Talks of All Time

Running a small business is exciting, but it’s also full of challenges. That’s why inspiration matters.

The talks we shared aren’t just motivational speeches, they’re packed with real lessons you can bring into your daily grind. From leading with vision to building grit, each speaker gives you a fresh perspective on how to grow and keep pushing forward.

Now it’s over to you. Which talk gave you the biggest “aha” moment? Share it in the comments, and let’s build a list of must-watch talks that every small business owner can learn from.