The E-Myth Revisited: Why Most Small Businesses Don't Work and What to Do About It

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Summary: Good book for new business and late stage starts too
Review: The book gives some great ideas for how to think about architecting a business that will handle the bumps in the road that come up. Great thoughts on architecting the business so it is "Built To Last" and the idea of franchising to stay focused on the business - not the work. I found it rewarding!

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Summary: Dilbert Material
Review: The primary point of this book - that most small business people spend too much time on the technical details of their business and not enough on developing a scaleable, repeatable business model - is well presented and a point that is certainly worth making. I really liked this first half of this book. However the second half revealed Gerber to be some sort of a paperwork/control freak who proposes systems so burdensome and detailed that they would stifle most real small businesses and insult most employees beyond recovery. This isn't terribly surprising coming from a consultant. A lot of the material in this book would fit nicely in a Dilbert cartoon.

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Summary: A Business Must
Review: As a business consultant I can not sing the praises of the book enough. I have recommended this book to many clients all of who have said it was of great benefit. Read it BEFORE you go into business!

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Summary: Read this BEFORE you start a business!
Review: This book is one I recommend to all of our clients and for many entrepreneurs they say they wished they had read it a long time ago. Gerber has written a simple, plain English book that reads quickly and carries a big punch. As a business development consultant I consider it a primer for businesses and organizations of all sizes.

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Summary: Don't waste your time or money on this "Myth"
Review: This book is simply a plug for Gerber's "E-Myth Academy", and is a poor excuse for a business development guide. After suffering through over 250 pages of puffery I could hardly extract one or two basic business concepts (concepts, that were covered in greater lengths in an introductory business class during freshman year as an undergrad). On a positive note, I will say that "Dr" Gerber has devised a clever franchising scheme for his "methods" and is an excellent saleman. But, I do feel that his skills are best applied on a used car lot.

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Summary: An essential small business book
Review: This book, Jay Levinson's Guerrilla Marketing and Barry Maher's book on yellow pages advertising are the three essential books for many small businesses.

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Summary: A must read. The best business book for startups
Review: Michael Gerber has done an excellent job of explaining why most businesses fail. Just think of McDonalds, Wal-mart and other protypeable businesses. If you are thinking about going on your own, buying a franchise or are working in a broken company, read this book.

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Summary: EXCELLENT resource for small business owners!
Review: The E-Myth is invaluable for demonstrating 'the good, the bad and the ugly' about owning your own business. The scenario described really helps to clarify what an owner must to do if he/she wants to successfully grow a business. The systems-dependent perspective that Gerber introduces is the perfect 'management' solution for any product or service business. I also recently read How To Make Your Business Run Without You (also available on Amazon) which turned out to be a great companion book to the E-Myth. Instead of the "what to do" information described in the E-Myth, it provides easy-to-apply "how to do it" instructions. The two together pack a great business-building punch!

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Summary: Will shape the future of your business and your life.
Review: I have read The E-Myth many times over and have found the Franchise Prototype system absolutely amazing. I am now 26 years old and in the last 4 years have built 2 very successful companies. Being in business for yourself is not about making money. It is about fulfilling a part of yourself. Understanding the principals in this book will change the way your run your business and give you balance to your life. That is what it is all about you know. Balance. Understanding why God placed you on this Earth and making sure you spend time to stop and smell the roses. If you take what Michael says in this book to heart and apply it's principals to your life your business will never be the same. Trust me from the experience in what this book has done to my past business and the power that is pushing my Statewide Business Brokerage. I would easily pay 1 million dollars for the knowledge and understanding I have learned from this book. Thank you Michael for leaving a legacy with me that will reshape my family tree.

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Summary: Lisa Wilson-Eifler, President, Medical Distributors
Review: This audiocassette is the most concise, practical, and easy to understand resource I have found. It is a must-read for anyone starting their own business. It explains why businesses succeed, and also why businesses fail, in a step by step format. Buy it!