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The E-Myth Revisited: Why Most Small Businesses Don't Work and What to Do About It Paperback – October 14, 2004
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E-Myth \ 'e-,'mith\ n 1: the entrepreneurial myth: the myth that most people who start small businesses are entrepreneurs 2: the fatal assumption that an individual who understands the technical work of a business can successfully run a business that does that technical work
Voted #1 business book by Inc. 500 CEOs.
An instant classic, this revised and updated edition of the phenomenal bestseller dispels the myths about starting your own business. Small business consultant and author Michael E. Gerber, with sharp insight gained from years of experience, points out how common assumptions, expectations, and even technical expertise can get in the way of running a successful business.
Gerber walks you through the steps in the life of a business—from entrepreneurial infancy through adolescent growing pains to the mature entrepreneurial perspective: the guiding light of all businesses that succeed—and shows how to apply the lessons of franchising to any business, whether or not it is a franchise. Most importantly, Gerber draws the vital, often overlooked distinction between working on your business and working in your business.
The E-Myth Revisited will help you grow your business in a productive, assured way.
- Print length288 pages
- LanguageEnglish
- PublisherHarper Business
- Publication dateOctober 14, 2004
- Dimensions5.31 x 0.65 x 8 inches
- ISBN-109780887307287
- ISBN-13978-0887307287
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Editorial Reviews
Review
"Gerber loves to exhort people to develop powerful visions for theircompanies." -- Fortune
"Thanks to Gerber l have freed up over three hours a day, significantly increased my sales, more than doubled my bottom line, and been able to take my first vacation in four years." -- Trish Lind, T. Lind Graphics, St. Paul, Minnesota
"Without a doubt, the most important message for our company over thenext decade." -- The John Hancock Insurance Group
About the Author
Michael E. Gerber is a true legend of entrepreneurship. The editors of INC magazine called him "The World's #1 Small Business Guru." He is Co-founder and Chairman of the Michael E. Gerber Companies—a group of highly unique enterprises dedicated to creating world-class start-ups and entrepreneurs in every industry and economy. The Gerber Companies transforms the way small business owners grow their enterprises and has evolved into an empire over its history of nearly three decades.
Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
The Entrepreneurial Myth
They intoxicate themselves with work so they won't see how they really are.
--Aldous Huxley
The E-Myth is the myth of the entrepreneur. It runs deep in this country and rings of the heroic.
Picture the typical entrepreneur and Herculean pictures come to mind: a man or woman standing alone, wind-blown against the elements, bravely defying insurmountable odds, climbing sheer faces of treacherous rock--all to realize the dream of creating a business of one's own.
The legend reeks of nobility, of lofty, extra-human efforts, of a prodigious commitment to larger-than-life ideals.
Well, while there are such people, my experience tells me they are rare.
Of the thousands of businesspeople I have had the opportunity to know and work with over the past two decades, few were real entrepreneurs when I met them.
The vision was all but gone in most.
The zest for the climb had turned into a terror of heights.
The face of the rock had become something to cling to rather than to scale.
Exhaustion was common, exhilaration rare.
But hadn't all of them once been entrepreneurs? After all, they had started their own business. There must have been some dream that drove them to take such a risk.
But, if so, where was the dream now? Why had it faded?
Where was the entrepreneur who had started the business?
The answer is simple: the entrepreneur had only existed for a moment.
A fleeting second in time.
And then it was gone. In most cases, forever.
If the entrepreneur survived at all, it was only as a myth that grew out of a misunderstanding about who goes into business and why.
A misunderstanding that has cost us dearly in this country--more than we can possibly imagine--in lost resources, lost opportunities, and wasted lives.
That myth, that misunderstanding, I call the E-Myth, the myth of the entrepreneur.
And it finds its roots in this country in a romantic belief that small businesses are started by entrepreneurs, when, in fact, most are not.
Then who does start small businesses in America?
And why?
The Entrepreneurial Seizure
To understand the E-Myth and the misunderstanding at its core, let's take a closer look at the person who goes into business. Not after he goes into business, but before.
For that matter, where were you before you started your business? And, if you're thinking about going into business, where are you now?
Well, if you're like most of the people I've known, you were working for somebody else.
What were you doing?
Probably technical work, like almost everybody who goes into business.
You were a carpenter, a mechanic, or a machinist.
You were a bookkeeper or a poodle clipper; a drafts-person or a hairdresser; a barber or a computer programmer; a doctor or a technical writer; a graphic artist or an accountant; an interior designer or a plumber or a salesperson.
But whatever you were, you were doing technical work.
And you were probably damn good at it.
But you were doing it for somebody else.
Then, one day, for no apparent reason, something happened. It might have been the weather, a birthday, or your child's graduation from high school. It might have been the paycheck you received on a Friday afternoon, or a sideways glance from the boss that just didn't sit right. It might have been a feeling that your boss didn't really appreciate your contribution to the success of his business.
It could have been anything; it doesn't matter what. But one day, for apparently no reason, you were suddenly stricken with an Entrepreneurial Seizure. And from that day on your life was never to be the same.
Inside your mind it sounded something like this: "What am I doing this for? Why am I working for this guy? Hell, I know as much about this business as he does. If it weren't for me, he wouldn't have a business. Any dummy can run a business. I'm working for one."
And the moment you paid attention to what you were saying and really took it to heart, your fate was sealed.
The excitement of cutting the cord became your constant companion.
The thought of independence followed you everywhere.
The idea of being your own boss, doing your own thing, singing your own song, became obsessively irresistible.
Once you were stricken with an Entrepreneurial Seizure, there was no relief.
You couldn't get rid of it.
You had to start your own business.
Product details
- ASIN : 0887307280
- Publisher : Harper Business; Updated,Subsequent edition (October 14, 2004)
- Language : English
- Paperback : 288 pages
- ISBN-10 : 9780887307287
- ISBN-13 : 978-0887307287
- Item Weight : 7.4 ounces
- Dimensions : 5.31 x 0.65 x 8 inches
- Best Sellers Rank: #1,002 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #16 in Entrepreneurship (Books)
- #23 in Business Management (Books)
- #37 in Leadership & Motivation
- Customer Reviews:
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About the author
Michael E. Gerber is a true legend of entrepreneurship. Inc. Magazine called him "the World's #1 Small Business Guru." He started over 40-plus years ago addressing a significant need in the small business market: businesses owned primarily by people with technical skills but few business skills, and no place to go to get meaningful help.
Over the years, Michael E. Gerber's companies have helped hundreds of thousands of small business owner-clients to successfully transform their businesses into world-class operations.
Mr. Gerber's E-Myth books include: The Most Successful Small Business in the World, Awakening the Entrepreneur Within, The E-Myth Enterprise, The E-Myth Mastery, The E-Myth Manager, along with co-authored E-Myth Vertical books: The E-Myth Attorney, The E-Myth Accountant, The E-Myth Optometrist, The E-Myth Chiropractor, The E-Myth Financial Advisor, The E-Myth Landscape Contractor, The E-Myth Architect, The E-Myth Real Estate Brokerage, The E-Myth Insurance Store, The E-Myth Dentist, The E-Myth Nutritionist, The E-Myth Bookkeeper, The E-Myth Veterinarian, and the first of Gerber's newest C-Level series: The E-Myth Chief Financial Officer. Soon to be released, The E-Myth Real Estate Agent.
To find out more visit:http://michaelegerbercompanies.com/ & http://www.beyondemyth.com
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Top reviews from the United States
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Reviewed in the United States on March 13, 2024
As I read through the book, Gerber pointed out things about how most small business owners are "technicians" turned business owners; the problem, we may be skilled in what we do, but now we take on multiple jobs that we do NOT know how to do. The problem continues as we immerse ourselves in the "technician" work, but never actually work ON the business, so many aspects of the business suffer (sales, marketing, finances, operations) or just plain don't exist.
In the first part of the E-Myth, Gerber discusses finding the balance of our inner selves: the Entrepreneur, the Manager, and the Technician, and the responsibilities that each of these roles must take on to drive the business toward success, as well as some pitfalls that each face unless there is a cooperative effort by each within you to work ON, not IN, the business.
The second part of the E-Myth talks about the Franchise Prototype. While this sounds like Gerber is going to talk about how to build a franchise, it's not! What he discusses here is the importance of setting up your initial (and perhaps for many, the only) company the right way ... YOUR way. This will inevitably lead to the "prototype" company, so that, in theory, you can take that business system and replicate once, twice, 5000 times ... always running the "system" the same way in each business.
The third, and final, part of the book guides you through the system that you will think through, the business processes that make up your business system, so that the business can run ... even without you in it! It talks about this becoming your own turn-key solution so that you have a business model in place that your system can effectively reproduce, as you need to.
I took about a week to read through the book and soak in much of what Gerber has to say in it. Gerber includes interesting examples, and the book is very easy to read and understand ... and most importantly, incredibly enjoyable. While some of the text in describing his interaction with a particular business owner is a bit over the top, it doesn't detract from the primary message of the book. I will read it again, and have already begun to get my (new) business system in place. I now have plans to grow my company, and have the vision of what my company will look like. The fog has already started to lift, and the steps are being put into place to reach the success that I have been longing to reach.
If you have, or are planning to start, a small business, this really is a fantastic book, and should be manditory reading. If you have a successful business in place, and don't agree with this book, please remember one thing before you post a negative review ... you are in the absolute minority of small business owners due to the fact that most small businesses fail within the first 3-5 years; due in large part to NOT having a system in place that helps drive the business. Most small business owners would most definitely benefit from reading this book, if for no other reason than the awareness of where they are and where they could be.
Thanks to Michael Gerber for such an eye-opening experience, and a viable blueprint. I'm looking forward to the journey!
It is presented in three parts. Part I serves to convince the reader that just because they are a great technician, it does not mean they will be a great owner of a business that does technical work. In essence, every small business must either grow or die, and for the owner, "your job is to prepare yourself and your business for growth" not necessarily work in the business.
Part II seeks to convince the reader that the business Business Format Franchise is the optimal model for a small business. With this concept, the product of the business is the business itself, and the owner should build his business as if he will franchise it.
Part III gets down to some blocking and tackling of founding and constructing the business. This is an excellent little section that communicates a lot in a short space about operational, management, and marketing strategies. The questions raised in sections "Your Primary Aim" and "Your Strategic Objectives" are worth posing when considering any vocation, not just running a small businesses. The concept of "The Game" is very insightful, and it is applicable to both small business and corporate managers.
This isn't your typical business advice book. A consulting session with Sarah, owner of All About Pies, runs through the text, providing a forum for Gerber to give his advice in a personal fashion (and to exhibit an apparent flare for drama). The pages are sprinkled with references to classical literature, and there is a mid-book confession Gerber's exotic lifestyle, career choices and the road he took to become who he is now. And then there is Gerber's philosophical approach:
- He says "Your business is nothing more than a distinct reflection of who you are".
- He states small business has a higher calling than just business, and provides a Game to address the "Something is missing in most of our lives.... Part of what's missing is purpose. Values. Worthwhile standards against which our lives can be measured. Part of what's missing is a Game Worth Playing." Elsewhere, he says "A small business is a place that responds instantly to any action we take. A place where we can practice implementing ideas in a way that changes lives."
- He compares a small business to a dojo, or our practice hall, to wrestle with ourselves outside our comfort zone.
- He advises us to be wary of the comfort zone, saying "Your Comfort Zone has seized you before... and it can seize you again, when you're least prepared for it, because it knows what it means to you. Because it knows how much you want to be comfortable. Because it knows what price you are willing to pay for the comfort of being in control. The ultimate price, your life.... Comfort makes cowards of us all."
As far as the intended audience, in the first line of his Introduction, Gerber states "If you own a small business, or if you want to own a small business, this book was written for you". This is very true, with two caveats: it offers little insight on how to determine what type of business to start, and secondly, there are nuggets of wisdom in here for corporate mid-level or line managers too.
Although I was slightly put-off by long-winded digressions and melodrama, I still have to strongly recommend "The E-Myth" to its target audience.
Top reviews from other countries
The book seemed to be talling right at me as a business owner of over 8 years. I've seen myself in the different stages described here, but now I have a concrete idea of where I was, and were I'm going.
Very valuable, do yourself a favor and read this book. Odds are that it will help and inspire you to move forward