The E-Myth Contractor

December 10, 2001
In a work that is slight in both size and content, consultant Gerber (The E-Myth; The E-Myth Revisited) makes one compelling point: entrepreneurs (the "E" in his title) need to draw a clear distinction between the work they do and the business they have created and are in charge of. If they don't, all they will have is a job and not a company. As Gerber correctly puts it, "The value of your equity is directly proportional to how well your business works. And how well your business works is directly proportional to the effectiveness of the systems you have put into place." Had he then talked specifically about how readers can create and implement those systems—how to hire, price, subcontract and the like—his book could have been an extremely valuable tool. Instead, he gives contractors of all sizes general advice concerning the need to create turnkey systems and manage their time with few real suggestions about how to do it. The overall tone is supportive of entrepreneur contractors, and the book may be of some help to contractors just starting out.