Comments on: Why Do So Many Small Businesses Eventually Fail

By: Geri Seiberling

Geri Seiberling — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 23:22:59 +0000

You can’t see it, but I’m giving a standing ovation. E-Myth is a business classic, a must read for all small business owners, as not all are entrepreneurs. A true entrepreneur can take a month vacation from their business- maybe longer- and actually relax while they are gone, and come back to business as usual. I confess to not having reached this level- but continual improvement of systems will get you there. I wish every one of my start up clients would read E-Myth before opening their doors. Perhaps your ‘book review’ above would be a great teaser to encourage them to buy it for themselves. Thanks for sharing!

By: Joshua Stevens

Joshua Stevens — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 15:01:33 +0000

Michael Gerber has great perspective. I have his audio cassette book E-Myth and it gave me a really clear and fresh perspective about business before my WOA affiliation (& btw, now that tape decks are approaching extinction alot of good it’s doing me). Systems make business redundant so that anyone can do it, and that’s good for the owner b/c the work gets done, and gets done right. But having worked in and out of small business job shop I don’t think systems account for whether an individual employee has commitment to the work, which may explain turnover rates at cos. w/ systems in place. Commitment is probably best shown by the employee if he’s willing to take on Special Project work (per Gerber) either assigned to him, or better still if he creates that work for himself (outside of his job description) for the benefit of the co. So philosophically speaking the best employees are those who’re willing to fit into Gerber’s system, but who also willingly exhibit a commitment to the co. by asserting himself outside of the system. Don’t you think that’s the rare employee, of a systematical commitment (if you will), who has his co. logo emblazened upon his heart?

By: Sally Elwin

Sally Elwin — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 04:32:28 +0000

Very interesting article. It has made me aware that I need to run my business more on systems not on people.

By: Michael Krumme

Michael Krumme — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 21:51:35 +0000

I agree, almost same in Guatemala.
Operative stress replaces intelectual planning.
To put it in another words, it is difficult to see your own label when You are inside the bottle. Or another way round, you are too close to the trees to see the forest.
Some people and organizations realize that the small business is the biggest employer in the country, so there is some help. Some organizations start helping out new ideas by accompanying the BASIC homework: what, when, how, what if, financial scenarios. The best plans get some financial help or at least they are ripe to show to a bank. Interestingly, I heard Taiwan does it ALL THE TIME (but I can not assure)having some sort of breeding institute for new businesses.
You stop learning, you stop earning. But nevertheless, if You want to be really good, You must learn from the master. Steve Clark is surely one of them.

By: John Butler

John Butler — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 15:43:24 +0000

Steve

Interestingly the business failure figures are virtually the same in Ireland and all across European.