The E-Myth Revisited: Why Most Small Businesses Don't Work and What to Do About It
- Downloads：1304
- Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
- Create Date：2021-04-08 14:56:14
- Update Date：2025-09-06
- Status：finish
- Author：Michael E. Gerber
- ISBN：0887307280
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
- Download
Summary
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。
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。
Reviews
Wander Wall
，
I highly recommend this piece。 If you have some great stories like this one， you can publish it on Novel Star， just submit your story to hardy@novelstar。top or joye@novelstar。top
Laura Aston
，
An enjoyable book that communicates useful models for small business。 Probably the source of much wisdom I have read in other books。 I found the break-down of small business functions into technicians， entrepreneurs and managers particularly useful。
Nabela
，
One of those great books that changed my perception。 Will definitely recommend who admire different perception。
Ernest Wolfe
，
This book has a simple concept at its core， but it still felt worth reading in its entirety because it's a powerful concept worth mulling over — building a successful business relies on building systems that are franchise-able。 This book has a simple concept at its core， but it still felt worth reading in its entirety because it's a powerful concept worth mulling over — building a successful business relies on building systems that are franchise-able。 。。。more
Kat Riethmuller
，
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 Takeaways:Many entrepreneurs mistakenly confuse the technical craft of a business with the strategic requirements of a company。Entrepreneurs typically face four stages: excitement， fear， fatigue and depression。Every new business owner wears three hats: "The Entrepreneur" （the visionary）， "The Technician" （the technical expert）， and "The Manager" （the pragmatic）。Start-up businesses suffer when technical concerns overshadow visionary and pragmatic plans。During a company's infancy， the entrepreneur Takeaways:Many entrepreneurs mistakenly confuse the technical craft of a business with the strategic requirements of a company。Entrepreneurs typically face four stages: excitement， fear， fatigue and depression。Every new business owner wears three hats: "The Entrepreneur" （the visionary）， "The Technician" （the technical expert）， and "The Manager" （the pragmatic）。Start-up businesses suffer when technical concerns overshadow visionary and pragmatic plans。During a company's infancy， the entrepreneur becomes synonymous with his or her emerging business。If your business runs your life， you do not have a company， but rather you have the worst type of job。In a mature company， the business owner has a strategic plan for growth。An excellent operating system is more important than the company's product。McDonald's is the world's "most successful small business。"Discipline， standards and procedures are the calling cards of a successful company。Summary:False Bill of GoodsA false system is cheating small business owners。 Quite frankly， the owners of small corporations spin their wheels performing the wrong type of work。 Basically， the returns they earn from their businesses fall dramatically short in relation to their investment of time and energy。 The numbers don't lie: Each year， more than a million people launch new businesses in the United States。 Unfortunately， within 12 months， 40% of those start-ups close。 And after five years， more than 80% （roughly 800，000） no longer exist。 Most entrepreneurs are victims of their own fictions， fantasies and lack of knowledge。 They govern themselves according to four concepts:The Myth of the Entrepreneur – This false idea， the "E-Myth，" states that people launch start-up companies because of the entrepreneurial spirit – the desire to create profits from investment capital。 In fact， people start businesses for many reasons， but entrepreneurship doesn't have that much impact。"Turn-Key Revolution" – The franchise movement generated this wave of change， enabling an entrepreneur who buys a license to become the local outlet for a nationwide product。 Franchising is dramatically altering the global approach to business。Development of Business Procedures – Innovative strategies， processes and systems are changing the way companies develop and manage business。 Entrepreneurs who fail to understand the importance of systems create businesses that don't work， because they are based mostly on "management by luck。" Those who properly use the "business development process" can thrive。Universal Application of Turn-Key Principals – When a franchisee buys a turn-key format， he or she gets "an entire system of doing business。" Most franchise entrepreneurs think they are selling a product; in fact， they are selling the well-known name on their marquees。 In other words， "the true product of the business is the business itself。"Entrepreneurs and FictionCorporate history is filled with fictional， heroic tales about entrepreneurs。 The legend says: In a difficult environment， a brave woman or man defies all odds and scores profits， fame and headlines。 Such tales are rarely true。 Here's the real story: The initial spark of entrepreneurial spirit dissolves into terror， exhaustion and misunderstanding。 Most businesses are not started by visionary entrepreneurs， but by bookkeepers， barbers， plumbers， salespeople and secretaries， who are tired of working for someone else。 Due to a life-changing event， a milestone moment or a bad day at the office， these "technicians" suddenly get hit by an entrepreneurial spirit and begin to develop their own companies。The people who own small businesses。。。work far more than they should for the return they're getting。But a deadly assumption flaws their business development efforts: a misplaced faith in technical talent。 Here's how it works: A successful interior designer will attempt to open her own home design store or an excellent graphic artist may falsely believe that his creative talent will translate into the skills needed to manage an advertising business。 Both rookie business owners fail to understand that mastery of a business involves far more than mastering a craft。 When the number-crunching realities of business set in， the novice owner wakes up to a corporate nightmare。Three Hats – One HeadMost small business owners face a fierce inner tug-of-war。 That's because owners of start-up companies typically wear three hats: the techie's cap， the manager's fedora and the entrepreneur's visionary crown。 Those functions compete for the beleaguered small start-up owner's limited time and energy。 Imagine trying to follow the worst diet you ever tried with a personal trainer， a dietician and a binge-eater all residing in your head。Great businesses are not built by extraordinary people but by ordinary people doing extraordinary things。Here's a short rundown of each role:"The Entrepreneur" – This is your inner dreamer。 With grand visions of corporate development， the entrepreneur marries the future。 In this role， the business owner constantly pushes the envelope， but hates the nitty-gritty details involved in actually licking the envelope。 Your inner entrepreneur gives the firm its creative spark。"The Manager" – This is your practical side。 The office chief operates in the past， and knows how many envelopes were purchased and licked last year。 The manager buys supplies and organizes workstations， order forms and other nuts-and-bolts details。 Without your inner manager， your business will lack structure。"The Technician" – This is your inner office grunt。 The techie does the work， and produces the goods and services。 The techie licks the envelopes that the entrepreneur pushes and the manager purchases。 Your inner techie lives in the moment。 Without the techie you have no product; but when the techie takes over， your company lacks business development and strategic procedures。Baby Steps: The Technician's DomainFor the technician， the ideal workplace offers freedom from change， oversight and other managerial constraints。 Unfortunately， a change-free company is doomed because business survival depends on growth and the ability to navigate through the three stages of corporate life: toddler， teen or corporate "adolescent，" and adulthood。 A company's owner needs to understand each phase and develop a strategy for managing growth。Luck and speed and brilliant technology have never been enough because somebody is always luckier， faster and technologically brighter。The signs of corporate "infancy" are clear。 In the early years of a business， the owner works as many as 14 hours daily， including weekends。 This stage is the playground for the techie， who takes on the new business as an occupation and a preoccupation。 During this phase， the business owner resembles a juggler with several objects in the air。 What's more， without the owner， the infant company does not exist。 But a crisis develops when the exhausted owner confronts more work than he or she can personally handle。Corporate Teen Years: Reaching Out for HelpThis infant stage ends when the entrepreneur realizes that the company cannot survive as a solo performance。 Like a bad case of acne， the onset of a corporate crisis usually signals the beginning of adolescence in a company's life span。 To cope with the growth pains， the stressed owner reaches out for technical support。 At this critical juncture， the owner hires the company's first worker， and delegates jobs and functions。 Liberated， the owner abdicates authority and control。 The arrangement works fine until the new employee feels overworked and resigns， or underperforms and gets fired。 Faced with complaints and operational gaps， the technician must develop a managerial operational plan and a strategic vision。 To build management skills and entrepreneurial vision， the business owner is forced to stretch past his or her "comfort zone。"Maturation: Finding a BalanceFederal Express， Disney and McDonald's are excellent models of mature businesses， companies that have reached the third， adult stage of corporate development。 A mature company operates with a clear destination and a well-designed map。 Business owners who endure corporate infancy and adolescence acquire an "entrepreneurial perspective，" that is， a balanced business strategy。 Given this hard-won perspective， an entrepreneur can examine how the company should work， while the techie focuses only on the type of work the company should complete。 The entrepreneur creates an ideal corporate model for the future and labors to make the current environment match that vision。 The techie remains fixed in the present。 While the balanced entrepreneur understands the importance of well-constructed systems and business models， the techie focuses on product。The Franchise Model of Success and SystemsThe development of McDonald's represents an important milestone in corporate history。 Without exaggeration， McDonald's can be billed as "The Most Successful Small Business in the World。" The chain was launched in 1952 when salesman Ray Kroc convinced two brothers who owned a successful hamburger restaurant to let him operate a franchise using their surname， and their systematic process for selling burgers and fries。 The founding brothers used efficiency and speed to produce inexpensive food。 The company's success validated Kroc's recognition of their genius， as the McDonald's system became the world's largest restaurant chain， with $40 billion in annual sales。 It represents more than just a model of franchise success; it illustrates the beauty of well-executed systems and formats。Your Business and Your LifeMany small business owners merge their personal lives into their business careers。 Ultimately， that creates a very hostile takeover。 Use these discussion points to regain control of your life:How will I make myself replaceable in my business？What's the best way to delegate my duties and responsibilities？What procedures should I implement to make the business replicate itself？How should I design systems that will let me focus on the tasks I enjoy？If your business depends on you， you don't own a business – you have a job。 And it's the worst job in the world because you're working for a lunatic。Fortunately， you can follow a few clear rules to prevent your business from overrunning your life。 For example， adhering to a business model and a definitive set of procedures will restore and maintain order。Here are the rules:Create a business model based on the company's central values。Build a system that workers with the "lowest-possible skills" within their given positions or ranks can use。 This process creates a business that depends on systems rather than experts or talented individuals。Make your system a model of flawless order。Document procedures in employee manuals。Provide your customers with uniform services and products。Establish a dress code; implement a standard of design for stores and office sites。Procedures for Developing BusinessBuilding a business depends on three functions: "innovation，" "quantification" and "orchestration。" Innovation yields new ways to deliver service and products。 Successful business owners constantly seek different ways to provide clients with excellence。 Even a new， but intriguing way of greeting customers could be a significant innovation。 Quantification is the process of measuring results and processes with numbers and benchmarks。 Without quantification， an owner is clueless。 Finally， "orchestration" means executing your systems and procedures; it is the blueprint for your operation。How to Create Your Own PrototypeYour assignment: Review your business as if your operation is the model for 5，000 identical units。 Imagine that you are designing the operations manual for other franchise owners in your corporation。Begin living your life as if it were important。Build your program based on the following considerations:Name your primary goal – How would you like to be remembered？ What are your long- and short-term goals？ What are your material and spiritual goals？State your strategic aim – What are your standards？ How do you define your business？ Who are your customers？Outline your organizational strategy – What does your organizational chart look like？ What are the key functions of each job？ How can you replace yourself？Discuss your management plan – How do you train your managers？ Does your operating manual match your marketing and customer service objectives？Clarify your personnel strategy – How do you train your staff？ What is your system for rewarding and punishing your team members？ How do you keep employees motivated and sharp？Fine-tune your marketing program – What do customers expect？ What are the unspoken needs of the marketplace？ How does your customer make purchasing decisions？Your business is not your life。Discuss your systems plan – Examine your equipment， décor， sales plans and presentations。 How effective are those systems？ Quantify the number of sales calls， appointments and customer surveys that your staff members undertake。 How do your systems reflect your personality， goals and talents？ 。。。more
Josh
，
A great top level read for understanding how to put systems in place to run your business。It's an enjoyably read， and written in a way that balances stories with methods。 One of the key learnings is to know that each person has three types of personas inside them。 The Technician， the Manger and the Entrepreneur。 To run a business you'll need to understand the role of each， and how to best utilize them。 There's also many listed steps to create a model that will allow you to streamline the daily w A great top level read for understanding how to put systems in place to run your business。It's an enjoyably read， and written in a way that balances stories with methods。 One of the key learnings is to know that each person has three types of personas inside them。 The Technician， the Manger and the Entrepreneur。 To run a business you'll need to understand the role of each， and how to best utilize them。 There's also many listed steps to create a model that will allow you to streamline the daily workings of a business。 Definitely recommend to not just business owners or someone looking to start one， but also to those who want to better learn the systems that they work in on a daily basis。 。。。more
Amé Morency
，
Great book！ I wish I read it when I was 17。 This would have saved me some many years of having to figure stuff out on my own。 The main takeaway here is build your business by building systems that make you useless。 （Something I've been telling my staff for a long time。） If you can figure out how to make your business work without you。 You've built a system。 That book does a great job of breaking down the steps to accomplish that。 This is 100% one of those books that makes you a better entreprene Great book！ I wish I read it when I was 17。 This would have saved me some many years of having to figure stuff out on my own。 The main takeaway here is build your business by building systems that make you useless。 （Something I've been telling my staff for a long time。） If you can figure out how to make your business work without you。 You've built a system。 That book does a great job of breaking down the steps to accomplish that。 This is 100% one of those books that makes you a better entrepreneur。 。。。more
Gordon
，
Great sounding advice for small business operators （not start-ups）。 His ideas addresses typical challenges of a small business operator: drowning in work， a drop in quality， inconsistent service， relationship problems with your employees。 Some themes were mentioning:-The internal conflict of the owner's inner Technician vs Manager vs Visionary- Run your business as if you are creating a franchise。 A business that can be hypothetically sold to others- Gerber then outlines some steps to make your Great sounding advice for small business operators （not start-ups）。 His ideas addresses typical challenges of a small business operator: drowning in work， a drop in quality， inconsistent service， relationship problems with your employees。 Some themes were mentioning:-The internal conflict of the owner's inner Technician vs Manager vs Visionary- Run your business as if you are creating a franchise。 A business that can be hypothetically sold to others- Gerber then outlines some steps to make your business towards the level of a franchise 。。。more
Christina
，
Thought there were some interesting points in this book， but overall it felt light on details and true implementation。 Many of the recommendations are general best practices。 I suppose if your new to business or haven't gone to business school this provides an interesting perspective of how you should approach starting a business （i。e。 that you should make your business work， not strive to be an employee）。 Like many other reviewers， I also agree that the true content of this book could be reduce Thought there were some interesting points in this book， but overall it felt light on details and true implementation。 Many of the recommendations are general best practices。 I suppose if your new to business or haven't gone to business school this provides an interesting perspective of how you should approach starting a business （i。e。 that you should make your business work， not strive to be an employee）。 Like many other reviewers， I also agree that the true content of this book could be reduced to a single chapter or bullet points。 。。。more
Haidong
，
The best book about starting a business that i have read so far。
Andrecrabtree
，
I've had this on the to read list for a long time。 I finally got around to it。 There is a problem with reading pivotal books long after they've been published and it's this: you've probably read all the derivative works from other people so the ground breaking ideas seem common place to you。 That's definitely what happened here。 You don't have to convince this engineer that building a business on systems makes a lot of sense。 But I've read my Oh No， and Deming。 Funny thing is， as an engineer， I' I've had this on the to read list for a long time。 I finally got around to it。 There is a problem with reading pivotal books long after they've been published and it's this: you've probably read all the derivative works from other people so the ground breaking ideas seem common place to you。 That's definitely what happened here。 You don't have to convince this engineer that building a business on systems makes a lot of sense。 But I've read my Oh No， and Deming。 Funny thing is， as an engineer， I'm often told I'm "the technical guy" and I "don't speak the language of business。" According to Gerber I have it more right than not。 Sadly every business I've worked for does not do what Gerber suggests， and every business I've ever worked for has struggled to grow beyond the small stage， beyond the original founders。 。。。more
SpicySenor
，
Don't have just another good idea， another creative thought。 The E-Myth outlines a way for that idea to become a successful business。 A business you can lead。 A business where you are in control and not just working a job within your business。 The book follows an entertaining business development story of a small business operator， Sarah。 She meets Gerber himself and incorporates his concepts throughout the book。 Gerber motivates Sarah to step "out there，" beyond her comfort zone into the intimi Don't have just another good idea， another creative thought。 The E-Myth outlines a way for that idea to become a successful business。 A business you can lead。 A business where you are in control and not just working a job within your business。 The book follows an entertaining business development story of a small business operator， Sarah。 She meets Gerber himself and incorporates his concepts throughout the book。 Gerber motivates Sarah to step "out there，" beyond her comfort zone into the intimidating world of the business game， calling all readers to do the same。 But after reading his organization techniques， these first steps into "out there" don't seem so uncomfortable anymore。 I am a novice business-person but entrepreneurship has become much less daunting， especially if armed with The E-Myth as a guide。 Even in today's age of accelerated information， these concepts are still applicable and I know many businesses that should equip them。 。。。more
Andrew McLeod
，
An interesting read on creating more structure in your business and how to create a reliable system for success。 I enjoyed the book， however it didn't quite live up to the "wow" hype I had heard about it。 Especially if you have an online business， like myself， I reckon there are a lot of more modern/appropriate books out there。 I think it is more aimed at brick and mortar businesses （shops/salons/hotels etc）。 4 stars from me。 An interesting read on creating more structure in your business and how to create a reliable system for success。 I enjoyed the book， however it didn't quite live up to the "wow" hype I had heard about it。 Especially if you have an online business， like myself， I reckon there are a lot of more modern/appropriate books out there。 I think it is more aimed at brick and mortar businesses （shops/salons/hotels etc）。 4 stars from me。 。。。more
Kylie Holliman-Rivera
，
🤩 This。 Book。 🤩The E-Myth has changed the game for me and my business （@firehydrantpetsittingco） Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️I wish I could give it 5 stars， but the writing was a bit repetitive in spots that didn’t need a million examples that were saying the SAME message。 （Writing， 4 stars。 Impact， 5 stars）The E-Myth = Entrepreneurial MythThis book 📖 is all about changing the PERSPECTIVE of the small business owner on how to run your business！So many of us have a hobby or passion， so we decide to make it a 🤩 This。 Book。 🤩The E-Myth has changed the game for me and my business （@firehydrantpetsittingco） Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️I wish I could give it 5 stars， but the writing was a bit repetitive in spots that didn’t need a million examples that were saying the SAME message。 （Writing， 4 stars。 Impact， 5 stars）The E-Myth = Entrepreneurial MythThis book 📖 is all about changing the PERSPECTIVE of the small business owner on how to run your business！So many of us have a hobby or passion， so we decide to make it a business and work for ourselves， WITHOUT realizing the extent of challenges that come with owning a business！➡️ if you or someone you know runs a small business， this book would be a great gift to them！ It is an absolute MUST READ for businesses owners！ ⬅️You’ll learn all about。。。💎 Being the technician， manager， and entrepreneur of your business💎 Abdication / Delegation💎 Infant Business vs。 Adolescent biz vs。 Mature biz💎 Franchise Prototype （not what you think but is VERY important💬 What is your favorite small business to support？？？ 💬 Thank you @el。chelso for sending this book to me！ 📬 。。。more
João Pedro Sartório Lovatti
，
Este livro possui como foco pequenos empreendimentos e desenvolve uma estrutura para que eles cresçam de forma estruturada e entregando resultados de qualidade de forma consistente。Acredito que a sua leitura seja interessante para ter uma noção dos domínios de conhecimento necessários para desenvolver corporações com maiores níveis de complexidade。 Além disso， ele oferece um esqueleto que serve de guia para o desenvolvimento da empresa。O fato de ser simplório é uma virtude dele， mas o fato de nã Este livro possui como foco pequenos empreendimentos e desenvolve uma estrutura para que eles cresçam de forma estruturada e entregando resultados de qualidade de forma consistente。Acredito que a sua leitura seja interessante para ter uma noção dos domínios de conhecimento necessários para desenvolver corporações com maiores níveis de complexidade。 Além disso， ele oferece um esqueleto que serve de guia para o desenvolvimento da empresa。O fato de ser simplório é uma virtude dele， mas o fato de não desenvolver bastante as questões， forçando apenas uma visão no geral não torna esse livro completo。 。。。more
Youssef Omar
，
The E-Myth Revisited was a good book。 I thoroughly enjoyed how the author unpacks various assumptions people have about running a business。 For instance， understanding the technical work doesn't signify you can run a business that does that technical work。 You can be a great plumber， but that doesn't mean you'll be great at running a plumbing company （from the get-go）。 That requires more than just "the technician" role。 The author explains that a business should have three identities to succeed， The E-Myth Revisited was a good book。 I thoroughly enjoyed how the author unpacks various assumptions people have about running a business。 For instance， understanding the technical work doesn't signify you can run a business that does that technical work。 You can be a great plumber， but that doesn't mean you'll be great at running a plumbing company （from the get-go）。 That requires more than just "the technician" role。 The author explains that a business should have three identities to succeed， namely the entrepreneur， the manager， and the technician。 All in all， it provides a straightforward and beneficial explanation of how to make a small business work。 。。。more
Smart Web Apps SAS
，
TransformerIt makes you understand what a business really means。 It made me realize that many of us just have a job instead of a small business。
Yevgeniy Brikman
，
There is some really good content buried in this book。。。 But to find it， you'll have to wade through some sappy， cheesy， self-congratulatory dialogs with an imaginary owner of a new bakery business， plus a number of pseudo-philosophical nonsense rants on the beauty of life and business。 Also， as you get deeper into the book， each chapter contains less and less valuable content， but more and more sloppy pitches for the author's consulting company; by the time you get to the marketing chapter， it' There is some really good content buried in this book。。。 But to find it， you'll have to wade through some sappy， cheesy， self-congratulatory dialogs with an imaginary owner of a new bakery business， plus a number of pseudo-philosophical nonsense rants on the beauty of life and business。 Also， as you get deeper into the book， each chapter contains less and less valuable content， but more and more sloppy pitches for the author's consulting company; by the time you get to the marketing chapter， it's basically a few pages of filler， followed by "At Michael E Gerber Companies， we can help you with marketing。。。" Bleh。That said， there really is some good stuff here， so as long as you're good at skimming past the BS， it's a worthwhile read for any entrepreneur。 Here are some of my favorite insights:（1） "Everybody who goes into business is actually three-people-in-one: The Entrepreneur， The Manager， and the Technician。" Many people who start businesses are Technicians: they are experts at doing the technical work of a business and they figure they can create a company around those skills。 But， as it turns out， the "technical work of a business and a business that does technical work are two totally different things！" To succeed as a business owner， you'll need not only the skills of a Technician， but also the skills of an Entrepreneur and a Manager。（2） One of the key differences between the Technician and the Entrepreneur is what they build as a product。 To the Technician， the product is whatever the company delivers and sells to a customer （i。e。， the widgets）。 But to the Entrepreneur， the business itself is the product。 Whereas the Technician works in the business， the Entrepreneur works on the business。 And if you don't have the latter， you can't succeed， no matter how good you are at the former。（3） "The true product of a business is the business itself。" I think this is the most important insight in this entire book: to think of the business itself as a product， as a machine that can consistently and repeatedly produce a certain result。 And that machine should work without you， or any specific individual involved。 The book pitches this as a "franchise" concept—where you create a reusable blueprint for your business， so you can stamp out franchises all over the place—but even if you don't plan on actually franchising anything， to be successful， you still need to build your business in exactly this way。 "What Ray Kroc understood at McDonald's was that the hamburger wasn't his product。 McDonald's was。" （4） The key insight of this book is more or less the same insight as in the book Built to Sell: you should build your business as if you were going to sell it to someone， even if you have no plans to sell it whatsoever。 And a business that's optimized for selling is just like a business that's optimized for franchising: it's a machine， a repeatable process， one that can be executed by anyone， and not just you （since you won't be involved after selling！）。 "Forced to create a business that worked in order to sell it， he also created a business that would work once it's sold， no matter who bought it。 Armed with that realization， he set about the task of creating a foolproof， predictable business。 A systems-dependent business， not a people-dependent business。 A business that could work without him。 Unlike most small business owners before him—and since—Ray Kroc went to work on his business， not in it。 He began to think about his business like an engineer working on a pre-production prototype of a mass-produceable product。"（5） One of the keys to building a "franchise" （even if you don't plan on franchising） is to find a way to build a business that is systems-dependent rather than people-dependent。 That is， your business should be able to deliver results to the customer， not based on hiring employees who are world's greatest experts and can therefore do extraordinary things to get those results—experts are rare and expensive， and their performance fluctuates （e。g。， depending on mood or motivation）， so it's hard to scale a business around them—but based on having the right system in place that allows regular employees to consistently get those same results。"It is literally impossible to produce a consistent result in a business that depends on extraordinary people。 No business can do it for long。 And no extraordinary business tries to！ Because every extraordinary business knows that when you intentionally build your business around the skills of ordinary people， you will be forced to ask the difficult questions about how to produce a result without the extraordinary ones。 You will be forced to find a system that leverages your ordinary people to the point where they can produce extraordinary results over and over again。"（6） The book defines a Business Development Program， which is a step by step guide for how to systematize every aspect of your business。 It consists of 7 steps:1。 Your Primary Aim2。 Your Strategic Objective3。 Your Organizational Strategy4。 Your Management Strategy5。 Your People Strategy6。 Your Marketing Strategy7。 Your Systems StrategyAs the book gets further along， the content gets thinner and thinner， so I'll only touch on a few of these below。（7） Primary Aim: imagine you're dead。 Now， imagine people are attending your funeral， and someone is saying a eulogy for you。 What would you want them to say about your life？ What's the story they would tell？ That's the Primary Aim。 I found this a very powerful way to think of what I want to do with my life （and not just business）！（8） Strategic Objective: What product you create and what you sell might are not the same thing！ That is， what your customer walks out of the store with， and what the customer feels they've bought are typically very different:"Charles Revson， the founder of Revlon and an extraordinarily successful entrepreneur， once said about his company: 'In the factory Revlon manufactures cosmetics， but in the store Revlon sells hope。'"The reality is that most companies aren't selling products， but emotions and other intangibles: they are selling hope， time， peace of mind， power， love， etc。 Knowing what you're really selling is critical to building a successful business。（9） Organizational Strategy: "Most companies organize around personalities rather than around functions。 That is， around people rather than accountabilities and responsibilities。 The result is almost always chaos。" One of the really powerful ideas in this book is that， right when you start your company， before there are any employees， you create an org chart for what the company will look like in the future。 Within this org chart， you define every role， every title， and every responsibility。 In the early days， the co-founders fulfill all these roles。 Your goal is to try these roles out， figure out how to make each one work， record and systematize the process， and then hire other people to fill these roles， following your system， while you move up to managing them。 Rinse and repeat until the whole org chart is filled out by others， and they are following the system you've created for them。（10） People strategy。 Once you have a system in place， the idea is to present it to new hires， on day one， a bit like introducing them to the rules of a game。 "There is nothing more exciting than a well-conceived game。 That is what the very best businesses represent to the people who create them: a game to be played in which the rules symbolize the idea you， the owner， have about the world。 If your idea is a positive one， your business will reflect that optimism。 If your idea is a negative one， your business will reflect that as well。 In this context， the degree to which your people 'do what you want' is the degree to which they buy into your game。" 。。。more
Ian Khan
，
While I found the crux of the book valuable， I found this read to be too conversational and a little all scrambled in its messaging。 The author takes the approach of using anecdotes and story telling （both real and hypothetical） to convey his approach to business。 Which， I would consider and effective way to disseminate the content， except I felt that the story telling was a bit too simplistic， somewhat dictatorial and disappointingly shallow in its depth。Despite my harshness -- I do think this While I found the crux of the book valuable， I found this read to be too conversational and a little all scrambled in its messaging。 The author takes the approach of using anecdotes and story telling （both real and hypothetical） to convey his approach to business。 Which， I would consider and effective way to disseminate the content， except I felt that the story telling was a bit too simplistic， somewhat dictatorial and disappointingly shallow in its depth。Despite my harshness -- I do think this is worth a read for many current and aspiring entrepreneurs。 You will gain valuable insight understanding the role of the "technician"， "entrepreneur" and "manager" and how they work together in a defined system （that you must design） in order for your business to be a success。 Not disputing any of the content or insight -- the book just left me wanting more concrete approaches。 。。。more
Maxz
，
Excellent book。 Clear explanations of how to manage a business。 Systems thinking is amazing。
Kai
，
"Your business is nothing more than a distinct reflection of who you are。 If your thinking is sloppy， your business will be sloppy。 If you are disorganized， your business will be disorganized。 If you are greedy， your employees will be greedy， giving you less and less of themselves and always asking for more。"I consider this book as timeless。 For me， existing or aspiring business owners would get more than what they paid for when they read it。 This book is easy to understand， and can be easily ap "Your business is nothing more than a distinct reflection of who you are。 If your thinking is sloppy， your business will be sloppy。 If you are disorganized， your business will be disorganized。 If you are greedy， your employees will be greedy， giving you less and less of themselves and always asking for more。"I consider this book as timeless。 For me， existing or aspiring business owners would get more than what they paid for when they read it。 This book is easy to understand， and can be easily applied to how one approach their business， build on systems， and replicate their business。 Three （3） key notes:1。 Learn how to replicate the system of how you do your business （Franchising）。 "Business Format Franchise is built on the belief that the true product of a business is not what it sells but how it sells it。"Ask yourself: "How can I create a business whose results are systems-dependent rather than people-or expert-dependent？"Build a business that works not because of you but without you。2。 You should have consistency with the service you provide， from the moment you interact with a customer until the customer pays for the product/service you provided。 Be consistent with each action you do in each stage。 Don't arbitarily change anything because the customer would feel like he is not in control。 "What you do in your model is not nearly as important as doing what you do the same way， each and every time。"3。 Identify the key roles in your business and make an organization chart to have clarity with accountability and avoid redundancy。"Individuals need life structure。 A life lacking in comprehensive structure is an aimless wreck。 The absence of structure breeds breakdown。 Structure provides the relatively fixed points of reference we need。" 。。。more
Constantinos Chr
，
If you own a small business， or if you want to own a small business， this book was written for you。
Abduvaqqos Tojiddinov
，
I put 5 star and one main reason is the book is based on 24 years of experience。 Highly recommend for not only business starters but also business whales。
Daniel Lovo
，
recommended
Reid Teichroeb
，
60% is good and 40% is fluff。 But the 60% that is good， is very helpful for small businesses。
Ben
，
I imagine that there was a first draft of this book that was pretty decent。 That first draft， however， was likely only 30 or so pages。 That is because there is 30 or so pages of useful， actionable information from which someone can learn a great deal。 The problem is that the book is 269 pages long， meaning about 239 pages is unnecessary filler meant to make the book seem more legitimate; I guess a concise and well written guide would not sell as well as a grossly verbose "story" which includes t I imagine that there was a first draft of this book that was pretty decent。 That first draft， however， was likely only 30 or so pages。 That is because there is 30 or so pages of useful， actionable information from which someone can learn a great deal。 The problem is that the book is 269 pages long， meaning about 239 pages is unnecessary filler meant to make the book seem more legitimate; I guess a concise and well written guide would not sell as well as a grossly verbose "story" which includes the good ideas basically as a footnote。 The ideas are decent though。 He puts forth a decent argument for how successful businesses layout processes and people to accomplish the overall goal。 He also highlights common flaws that we've all seen at failing businesses and a path which avoids those pitfalls。 And you can get these good ideas basically by just reading the headings and skipping everything else。 There is SO much filler ranging from overly verbose explanations with 3 full page examples for every idea， no matter how simple—to the egregious fake conversations that are written to illustrate some sort of imaginary reader and how they should be reacting to the book。 I'm talking about you， Sarah。 I don't believe you exist。 And that's probably for the best because about 60% of the book feels like its a fiction with the author as the protagonist and your only purpose to validate every word he says like some sort of Bible。 "You're saying that with these simple 3 steps I can have my own business development plan， and in a way that coincides with the way my aunt taught me how to cook？ I'm really starting to get it！" These conversations clearly are fake and only serve to turn off any reader who has ever interacted actual people。 I'm confident you can skip the "Sarah" section of every chapter get the same amount of value from the book， in 1/3rd of the time。 And therein lies the problem。 This books is 239 pages or so of filler， all of which i think could contain useful， actionable information instead of fake anecdotes and over-explanation of the simplest ideas， and under-explanation of the complicated ones。 This imbalance of value can be summed up with one quote from the book "For the purpose of this book is not to answer those questions， but to raise them！" （p227）。 Well sorry， author， but maybe instead of wasting our time with page after page talking about how fake-sarah dealt with her fake-problems at her fake-business， you could use those pages to actually explain and flesh out the ideas， with actionable details， not write fan-fiction about them。 。。。more
Ziad El-Sayd
，
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 i think no
Stephan Krijger
，
Some interesting idea's but didn't found it that groundbreaking Some interesting idea's but didn't found it that groundbreaking 。。。more
Jan
，
Amazing book about how to build a successful business！
Chet Morgan
，