An oft-cited fact is that most small businesses don’t succeed. They fall prey to a common set of challenges – namely, that entrepreneurs never transition their work from a job into building a business. In this book, Michael Gerber shines light on this common error and shows ways to overcome it. He uses a parable of Sarah starting her own business as a way to interject life into these principles and illustrate how entrepreneurs can and should implement them.
Starting a small business, in Gerber’s description, is a personal journey filled with self-exploration, but not necessarily in the most fun way. Leaders have to learn to expand beyond being mere technicians to being managers and strategic thinkers. They must master each phase of the business so that they can hire well. Indeed, they must sometimes do parts of the business when they cannot afford extra help!
Leadership becomes a mirror to learn from mistakes and to try out new things. Most small business owners never learn to master themselves, which is why their business fails. The chaos within becomes chaos outside that dooms the venture. Gerber seeks to guide new entrepreneurs to figure out how to structure their lives so that they can succeed professionally and personally.
Not perfect, the book can seem at times a bit hokey, dated, and preachy. However, many of the principles still endure thirty years after first publication. Starting a new venture remains essentially about people – yourself and your customers’ needs. This book shows how to get those relationships going in a way that rolls success. He’s particularly interested in building a “turnkey business” that is reproducible and does not depend on one key but overstressed person. He doesn’t believe personalities rule the day but instead intentional practices. If you’re struggling with how to lead a new venture, whether on your own or supported within a larger organization, this book can teach you what leadership is necessary to succeed.
The E-Myth Revisited: Why Most Small Businesses Don’t Work and What to Do About It
By Michael E. Gerber
Narrated by Michael E. Gerber
Text copyright (c) 1995
Harper Business
Audio copyright (c) 2004
Harper Business
ASIN B00094F0ES
Length: 8:05
Genre: Business, Leadership
www.amazon.com