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

Rating:
Summary: Eye-opening
Review: He chooses an extremely corny device as a hook to get readers through his premise, but what a premise it is: Entrepreneurs spend too much working IN their business, rather than working ON their business. It's a great concept. I've recommended this book to at least 10 people, who've actually gone out and bought copies for their friends, and so on and so on. If it weren't for the hokey concept, this book would definitely qualify as a 10.

Rating:
Summary: I have seen the light!
Review: I could not put this book down! I have a small service business and this book has made me see the light. I am in the process of putting all the Ideas from Michael Gerber to work. I thought I had the grasp on building a business, but this book has showed me the right way to go. The information is worth thousands of dollars.

Rating:
Summary: A book in a million
Review: I have never been a full-fledged business owner although I worked for one as his business fell apart. Had he had this book I might still have that job.

Gerber takes his cue from the fact that most small businesses close after less than five years. You'd think that facing these odds the world would be full of books on the reasons why and how to avoid them, but this is the first one I've seen.

As you read you'll be struck by his understanding of the people who set up business, and also by the clarity of his solution. Yes, to some degree it's an advertisment for his consulting services, but there's plenty of advice.

I feel that a local business I frequent is beginning to enter a period of decline, and I wish I knew the owner well enough to give him a copy.

Incidentally, I didn't notice any of the problems other reviewers have mentioned, and in one case the book went right over the head of of one.

I expect to re-read this book several times, and I'm looking at some of the other Gerber titles.

Rating:
Summary: Mandatory reading for Kwantlen College's E Training
Review: I read Michael Gerber's book and heard him at a seminar in Vancouver year's ago. When I became the new program coordinator for Kwantlen University College's Entrepreneurial program I made Mr. Gerber's book mandatory reading for all my students. The comments form our students have been postitive, but I don't think they will appreciate Michael's words until they get into their own business. Jim Zalusky

Rating:
Summary: Mostly Common Knowledge And Fluff
Review: If you picked up this book to help you build your existing business or build a new one, you might be disappointed. Since your thinking of starting your own business, then you should know that most small businesses fail within the first five years. The author hits on some reasons why they fail but most of these you already know. Do you know that if you are not organized, if you don't change or create new ideas or plans and become stagnat or if you force yourself to do every task yourself, your business will be limited in growth and may eventually fail? Right there is the first 25% of the book fit into one sentence. Then he goes onto his love affiar with turn key businesses. But when he starts talking about his favorite business it should make a reader nervous. He starts talking about the great sucess of McDonalds fast food restuarant franchise. McDonalds is a great success and one to be looked at carefully but not for the reasons he points out. It's apparent he has not been in a McDonalds all that often. He mentions that at McDonalds they depend on consistancy at all their chains. For example the fries stay in the fryer for ten minutes "a soggy french fry is not a McDonald's french fry". At any McDonalds a customer knows what to expect. Then he goes into mention that this is why McDonalds chain resturant is more successfull than those businesses that depend on trade name recognition. I'm sorry this throws a red flag. People eat there beacuse it is fast and it is [not expensive}, not becuase of consistant service. They make a large profit because they keep costs down. I do believe that McDonalds spends a large budget on trade name recognition, I have seen many commercials for McDonalds within the last year; particularly with the Olympics. This whole section undermines the rest of the author's book. If you know that a large section is misleading or biased it makes it difficult to listen to the rest the ideas without already being judgemental. I admit that I am not the smartest business person but its clear Michael Gerber isn't either.