I hope you all are doing great today, and the year is getting off to a fantastic start.
(If not, what are you doing to change tomorrow?)

In Michael Gerber’s classic book “The E-Myth Revisited” (if you haven’t read it, you are in for a treat), he asks the simple question… Do you have a Business or do you have a JOB?

The E-Myth, or entrepreneurial myth is given two definitions by Gerber:

1. the myth that most people who start small businesses are entrepreneurs, and
2. the fatal assumption that the person who understands the technical work of a business can successfully run a business that does the technical work.

Many technician types decide to start a business because they love doing the work of the business, but they have no idea what they are doing otherwise.  Gerber explains that you need to step back from the technical delivery of the product and look at your business as separate from you.  In order for it to be a real “business” it should be able to operate without you personally doing the technical work.  These people are the ones doing the “jobs” in the business.   

Now, of course in many cases a small business owner is going to be one of the ones working at a Job in the business as well as running the business.  In my case, I have two businesses and I have “jobs” in both of them in addition to my responsibilities as the owner of the business… 

But the fact that I choose to take on some of these jobs in my business doesn’t mean that I shouldn’t step back from those jobs and look at the business from a more strategic point of view—the 40,000 foot view—and devise systems and tactics to make the business more profitable, and better able to serve the markets.  In this higher level role is where you also look at trends and market realities to decide when change is needed and in which direction to move.  And, in some cases when you are up in the cockpit at 40,000 feet looking at the business, you might even decide to fire yourself from some of the “JOBS” you are doing in the business and either bring on someone else to do the work, or outsource it.

The book E-Myth is highly recommended and it will give you a much brighter picture than I could ever do in a short blog post of how to grow a small entrepreneurial business.  I try to re-read it at least every couple of years and I am overdue.  Get a copy today…

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

Thanks for reading, and see you tomorrow!

Rob