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Great advice for my own small business(Rating: 5)
This book has definitely given me the impetus to make a number of changes in my business. Before I read the book, I kinda already knew what needed to be done to grow the business, but had not done much in the way of actively implementing any of the ideas. However, given that the description of the technician at the start of the book sounds like it was taken directly from my own life at the moment, I now realise that to avoid staying stuck in the current crazy workload stage of being the sole technician, I actually need to employ several of the strategies outlined in this book to grow the business beyond just myself. A very easy read, with great, commonsense ideas that apply to every other small business owner that I know!

The best business book ever written(Rating: 5)
If you only ever read one book about running a successful small business then read this one.

I know that sounds gushing but I really do think this book is that good. If you put it all into practice it would be transformational for most business people I've ever met.

The book is all about the key difference between working IN your business and the importance of working ON your business - that the business itself and the systems that define it are your real products and should be the focus of your attention and activity.

If you want to own a successful business that you can replicate or sell instead of a self-employed job that is dependent on you then read this book.

Running a small business? read this!(Rating: 4)
Hi

I am yet to finish this book but so far it has been a very interesting and insightful read and I have started mentioning it to a few friends and family members who also run businesses.

In a nutshell this book makes you step back and look more objectively at your business so that you can then take more balanced decisions and make it grow as opposed to just hit the bag day after day and hope for the best.

A vital read for would-be entrepreneurs(Rating: 4)
I have just finsihed devouring Michael Gerber's book and, as a person who has set up and run two small businesses earlier in my life, I can only say that I wish I had known about the book in those days.

The author's style may not be to everybody's taste, expecially those who find it hard to consider a point of view other than their own or who feel that business books must be stiff, full of management-speak and the latest empty jargon. These people may find the book to be a little 'home-spun' and cosy, perhaps. Their loss, in my view.

However, if you are hungry to create something fabulous and feel that running a business is the most attractive channel for your creativity, then this book will serve you extraordinarily well.

And beneath the homely example of a Pie Shop, there are serious practical measures offered here, that can be taken by any small business, which will exponentially increase the likelihood of its success.

The heart of the book, as its title suggests, is moving beyond the myths that most small business people are entrepreneurs who can make a success of running a business purely out of their personal, technical expertise.

I fell headlong into this trap 20 years ago when I assumed that I could operate far more successfully on my own as an independent management recruitment consultant, rather than continue to work for my then boss. And despite the role of a recruiter demanding that one must be equally able to sell and deliver work, I had no idea whatsoever about the practicalities of creating a 'proper' business and ultimately, after four years of slugging away, fled the one-man-band world to take up a job with a client.

The E-myth provides a simple, yet thorough framework of ideas and systems which enable a novice business owner to emulate the best, most successful businesses without sacrificing the personal touch which drives many of us to open a business in the first place.

Mr Gerber has immense respect for the McDonald's model and while I am not a great fan of mass produced burgers, one still has to respect the outrageous success of such a well-crafted model or franchise prototype as McD's, which can then be used philosophically to ensure that the business you are building has been comprehensively thought through and set up, whether or not you plan to ever open another branch or office.

Lastly, for those who decry the final chapters in the book, the Epilogue and Afterword, I'm curious as to why they have got so worked up. The Epilogue is, for me, an extrapolation of the ideas in the book and how, if widely put into practice they could revolutionise how we behave with one another in society - what's so wrong with that? And, yes, the Afterword does contain the contact details for the E-Myth consulting service, but if you have been woken up by the text of the book itself, it is great to learn that you can obtain more direct, specific advice and support from the very source of the ideas that the book contains.

Some people like to say when they recommend a book/movie/album, 'If you read/see/listen to one 'x', make it this one.' I would prefer to say that if you read one book about business, you are probably not going to acquire the extent and depth of knowledge that would truly and fully benefit you.

BUT...

If you are considering opening a business, I urge you to do yourself a favour and include this in your reading as it will open your eyes to hard facts and provide you with real tools to help you succeed.

Could've been written in about 10 pages...(Rating: 2)
I bought this on a recommendation. I opened a fresh food takeaway & cake makers about 6 weeks before the recession was made official.
Obviously, it's been hard work, but I expected that and knew that I had it in me to succeed. Which I have done.
However, with the opinion that 'you should never pass up an opportuntiy to learn' and the need for a bit of a boost, I ordered the book.

What a pile of twaddle.

The general idea is, 1. You should wear navy blue. 2. Every time a customer walks through the door, you should give them a sales pitch. 3. You should pay unqualified people to do the work you can do better yourself, while you sit and dream up new ideas for the future of the business.

The example of the pie shop was at best slightly irritating, at worst downright offensive to such as myself who has a similar business. It didn't even give an example of what the pie lady should do next!?

Everything is said at least twice, in a condescending manner, and gives you no idea of how to apply the ideas to your own business, if you wanted to.

And it is very outdated.