What Rich Dad Poor Dad Still Gets Right – Especially for Business Owners
There are some books that stay with you long after you’ve turned the last page — not because they give you a step-by-step guide, but because they completely shift how you think.
Rich Dad Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki is one of those books.
It’s not new. It’s not full of the latest trends or buzzwords. But it is packed with principles that challenge traditional thinking — especially around money, risk, work, and what it really means to build freedom.
And that’s why it’s still so relevant to business owners today.
1. Working Hard Isn’t the Same as Getting Ahead
One of the core messages is that simply working hard — for someone else or even for yourself — doesn’t guarantee financial success or freedom.
That’s not always an easy message to hear, especially when you’ve poured everything into building your business. But it’s an important one.
It forces us to ask:
- Am I building a business that runs because of me or without me?
- Am I exchanging time for money, or building assets that create long-term value?
2. Assets Over Income
Kiyosaki talks about building assets that generate income — not just earning and spending. It’s a shift from the traditional “get a job, earn money, buy stuff” model.
For SME owners, this is gold.
Your business should be an asset. But too often it becomes a job you can’t leave.
The real challenge is creating a business that:
- Delivers income without your constant involvement
- Has value without you at the centre
- Can be sold, scaled, or passed on when the time is right
That’s the path to freedom — and it starts with thinking differently.
3. Mindset Matters More Than Money
The most powerful contrast in the book isn’t between rich and poor. It’s between scarcity and possibility. Between fear of loss and willingness to learn.
That applies whether you’re just starting out, turning the corner into growth, or planning your exit.
If you want to grow your business — and enjoy the life that comes with it — you’ll need to grow your mindset too.
Final Thought
At Freedom BC, we see this all the time: talented business owners stuck in their own success. The business is doing well, but they’re still on the hamster wheel.
Rich Dad Poor Dad isn’t a how-to guide — it’s a mirror. And if it gets you to stop, question, and shift your thinking even slightly, it’s done its job.
The big question is: Are you building income… or building freedom?