Comments on: The E-Myth Revisited: Why Most Small Businesses Don’t Work and What to Do About It - Michael E. Gerber

By: Mary

Mary — Fri, 28 Dec 2007 04:51:10 +0000

Hi John,

I’ve loved this book for many years, probably since I started my business in 1996. I’ve had the book so long and read it so many times I’ve lost track of when I originally bought it. I go back and read chapters that will bring the reason why I started my business in the first place. It’s a wealth of information for the small (and growing) business owner.

FYI: I just finished a great little book along the same line as the classic “Who Moved My Cheese”. It’s called The Go-Giver. The authors are Bob Burg and John David Mann. Michael Gerber gave it a very nice endorsement. Check it out. I think it will be a great addition to your best book list.

Happy New Year!

By: Why blogging is work and not entrepreneurship

Why blogging is work and not entrepreneurship — Mon, 12 Nov 2007 23:59:01 +0000

[...] I subscribe to problogger, like I imagine most bloggers do, and I came across this article this morning about full time blogging being a process. In the article it referenced (I am academic what can I say) the article from Get Rich Slowly about finding the guts to follow your dreams. Now, I am reading the E-Myth Revisted by Michael Gerber at the moment and I think he would have something to say about becoming a ‘full time blogger’. Gerber identifies three roles of the business person: The Entrepreneur (visionary), The Manager and The technician. The manager runs the business whilst the Entrepreneur focuses on it’s creative growth when the technician is performing the duties required to get the work done. A friend of mine says it this way. There is the pioneer who blazes the trail and then there’s other people who support that work by being ‘administrators’ and keeping the work going. [...]

By: John

John — Sat, 10 Nov 2007 08:18:33 +0000

Glad you’ve seen the light.

By: Paul Simister

Paul Simister — Sat, 10 Nov 2007 04:34:47 +0000

I agree that it really is an excellent book and one that I recommend that all my clients read.

The funny thing is that when I first bought it, I didn’t rate it at all.

I didn’t like the writing style and the critical messages whizzed straight past my nose.

That was some years ago now and I’m delighted to say that I saw the light.

Anyone serious about starting or managing a small business has to seek out this book.

By: How to recognise underlying emotions part 1

How to recognise underlying emotions part 1 — Thu, 11 Oct 2007 05:16:13 +0000

[...] Say for a moment you have working class values. If you don’t think about what your values are and imagine that you thought about work and it’s value in your life. I am plagued with working class values. I cannot see a way around it. Almost everything I do has to be work. One day I sat back and questioned this after reading an earlier version of Richard Branson’s autobiography. That person worked hard… but he worked smart. He, with the help of thousands of other people, built the Virgin empire which despite it’s critics is very large and very successful. He now spends his time flashing that toothy smile for the cameras and evaluating business plans (reminds me of the e-myth … not not e-commerce). The reality is this simple: the rich don’t make money from hard work… they make money from having a good idea, making it work through collective mobilisation and so on. [...]

By: Why 83% of all businesses fail… and what you can do to avoid it happening to you » stuff4business.com

Sun, 30 Sep 2007 01:33:28 +0000

[...] I was recently reminded of this book when reading John Cricket’s excellent blog “Business Opportunities and Ideas ” where he explains how: he recently read the book after having put off its reading over the years, and how important he too, thinks it is… [...]

By: Why most businesses fail, and what you can do about it… » stuff4restaurants

Sun, 30 Sep 2007 01:31:32 +0000

By: John

John — Sat, 29 Sep 2007 06:58:53 +0000

Luke,

Thanks. I agree it’s hard when you’re just trying to make a business work to stop, step back and begin to think about the future. But it’s definitely worthwhile and more often than not begins to relieve the pressure immediately.

By: Luke

Luke — Fri, 28 Sep 2007 23:08:16 +0000

John,

As usual you are right on the money. I am coming back after having bombed out of my second business and what Gerber points out is quite true. It may be a little hard to actually to implement. As for the e thing… I have been lecturing in e-commerce for a while and yes I thought it was a technology book as well.

Thanks!

Luke.

By: John

John — Fri, 28 Sep 2007 20:24:33 +0000

Cristina,

I actually read it a few years ago but I’ve reviewing it ready for a forthcoming feature on the top ten books for entrepreneurs.