The E-Myth Revisited

Outline

The E-Myth Revisited (1995) explains why most small businesses fail and how to build one that works. Michael E. Gerber argues that many owners are skilled technicians who start a business doing the work they love, but get trapped doing everything themselves. He shows how to work on the business rather than in it, by creating clear systems that allow it to run smoothly and grow.

• Many small businesses fail because their owners are skilled technicians who never learned how to run a business.
• Owners often start a business to do work they love, then get trapped doing everything themselves.
• Working on your business instead of in it is the shift that lets a company grow.
• Clear systems let a business run smoothly without depending on the owner for every task.
• Building systems helps a business scale sustainably and gives the owner their freedom back.

Michael E. Gerber is an American author and small business consultant who founded a company dedicated to helping owners build better businesses. He is known for his ideas about the entrepreneurial myth and systems thinking in small business. His books include The E-Myth, The E-Myth Revisited, and The E-Myth Manager.