The E-Myth Contractor: Why Most Contractors' Businesses Don't Work and What to Do About It (Paperback)

by Michael E. Gerber (Author) "Every business is a family business..." (more)
Key Phrases: business that works, most contractors, turnkey system, Tactical Work, Strategic Work, Business Plan (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review
Despite the single letter at the heart of its hyphenated title, The E-Myth Contractor isn't another book about e-commerce. Instead, like previous entries in Michael E. Gerber's popular series, it focuses on a different e-word--entrepreneur--and the fact that most of us who go into business for ourselves are doomed to fail because we really don't understand business. This time, Gerber lays out the basics for starry-eyed newly self-employed contractors who know everything about their trade but precious little about being a boss. "I don't try to tell you how to do the work you do," he writes at the outset. "Rather, I share with you some profound insights into how great businesspeople think." In his easy-to-understand manner, Gerber explains the concept of Strategic Thinking and how it "will enable you to create a business that works apart from you instead of because of you." He addresses key topics like money, people, management and growth with an eye toward making related functions run seamlessly and effectively as we build our independent enterprises into true companies that have inherent value whether we stay involved or ultimately hand them off to eager buyers. Taken to heart, it could save more than a few worthy ventures as well as the people behind them. --Howard Rothman --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Publishers Weekly
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.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 144 pages
• Publisher: Harper Paperbacks (June 17, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060938463
• ISBN-13: 978-0060938468
• Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 5.2 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (23 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #54,385 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

  Popular in this category: (What's this?)

  #17 in

  Books > Professional & Technical > Engineering > Civil > Construction > Contracting

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Weak summary of the E-Myth Revisited., November 8, 2004

By	Jake E. Baloian (LOS ANGELES, CA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This book is a watered down version of the E-myth Revisited, which is a good book. The E-Myth Contactor - is a summary of M. Gerber's program with "contractor stories." There is no true insight into the contactor industry. My guess is this is the 1st of many books focusing on specific industries. My advice is to skip this book, just purchase Gerber's E-Myth Revisited & make the connections yourself.

21 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars It puts a hook in your mouth., October 21, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: The E-Myth Contractor: Why Most Contractors' Businesses Don't Work and What to Do About It (Hardcover)

This book is filled with wonderful ideas and philosophies. They all make sense and seem to put you on the path to the realization of your goals. The problem is that not all the keys to making the ideas work that you could actually put into practice are provided in the book. The idea of the book seems to be to get the reader excited and then point them to a web site where one can sign up for classes (at a healthy fee) to learn the fundementals of the systems and how to put them to use. The limited scope of the book was no doubt designed to provide the author, Mr. Gerber, with more income than he receives just through book sales. I would be very cautious before getting hooked because the "rest of the story" is provided in a lengthy process that is quite expensive.

12 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A welcome extenstion to his other books, June 3, 2002

By	John C. Dunbar (Sugar Land, TX United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: The E-Myth Contractor: Why Most Contractors' Businesses Don't Work and What to Do About It (Hardcover)

Gerber's books on the EMyth should be required reading in MBA schools and should be provided free by all CPA's of the world.

He describes how you need to work ON your business (developing franchiseable systems) rather than IN your business (as a worker).

This book extends that theme for contractors. There is alot of new material here that updates previous versions. I was able to read it quickly in an afternoon... even after extensive underlinings. I went to his web site and researched other books here on Amazon.

Overall, this should be recommended reading for any entrepreneur, particularly those that have been in business for several years and are frustrated.