The Most Successful Small Business in The World: The Ten Principles

by Michael E. Gerber

A unique guide for the crucial start-up phase of a business So much attention goes to business practice and operation, yet the majority of ventures still fail. One area often overlooked is preparation. Too few entrepreneurs ask themselves, what are you supposed to do before you start your start-up? The Most Successful Small Business in The World gives you Michael E. Gerber's unique approach to thinking about the meaning of your company by applying his ten critical steps; a process you must go through long before you ever open your door. With these simple principles, based on expert Michael Gerber's years spent helping countless entrepreneurs, you'll take the essential first steps to lay the groundwork for building what Michael E. Gerber calls The Most Successful Small Business In the World! If you're ready to make your business dream more than just a reality, and resolve to do something bigger than you ever imagined, The Most Successful Small Business In The World will provide you with a stunningly original process for thinking yourself through it. Yes, you too can create The Most Successful Small Business In The World... Michael E. Gerber will show you exactly how to do it.

Genres: Business, Entrepreneurship, Nonfiction, Leadership, Self Help, Audiobook

192 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2009

About the author

Michael E. Gerber is an American author and founder of Michael E. Gerber Companies, a business skills training company based in Carlsbad, California.

Reviews

[Mona · Rating 1 out of 5]

Unbearable. I got about half way through the audiobook and couldn't stand to finish it.

He has ideas and he has passion, but much of what he says is hopelessly conservative and
outmoded. He preaches at the readers, in a condescending way, I might add.
And repeats the same the same points over and over again. The whole book might have been a quarter of its length and more effectively communicated the same ideas that he goes on and on about.

His ideas about business perfection are practically unattainable by mere humans.

He speaks of business as if it's a religion.

Maybe he's a tad narcissistic. One gets a sense with this guy that it's "my way or the highway".

Still, in a way this book is like a crash course version of an MBA. I did learn something from it. Perhaps mostly to avoid any other Michael Gerber books.

[Treamo · Rating 1 out of 5]

I’m lucky I read this book from the library, because if I had parted with hard earned cash for this I would be sorely disappointed.

While the Author Michael Gerber starts out with some good ideas for building up a small business in the first half. Sadly it falls apart towards the end when he starts to mix metaphysical philosophy, and neo Platonism with business strategy (seriously I’m not joking). I have a great interest in philosophy and I’m a small business owner, and the two don’t mix. For instance he talks about how great business ideas come from a higher divine source. If unethical companies like McDonalds, and Wallmart were inspired by God, then that’s a God I want nothing to do with.

I recommend you read Gerber’s E-Myth revisited, as it’s a far superior book

[Devin Partlow · Rating 2 out of 5]

2 stars because 2 different people wrote this book. There's Sgt. Michael E. Gerber and Rev. Michael E. Gerber. I think both of them secretly believe if instead of merely delivering a message, they put on a performance, more "technicians" would "wake up" and become entrepreneurs.

[Tai Odunsi · Rating 2 out of 5]

a too much preachy and not enough teachy

[Chen · Rating 2 out of 5]

The book is a big long, I didn’t like the fact that religion got involved in the last chapter, it should be a book about business and not some philosophy and religious thoughts

[Mark Manderson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ask what do you want to be when you're done? 

What must I do so it can be scaled? 

What must I do so every action can be perfectly replicated again and again.

What must I do so every result can be produced by every store whom don't possess my experience, dedication, and skill? 

It is your job to create the dream! How it is to be organized, and why! 

Who do you serve! Why? How? 

How does it transform them? 

To must CONSTANTLY IMPROVE! 

FOCUS ON RESULTS, NOT WORK! 

Listen to your customer! UNDERSTAND HOW THEY FEEL! 

RESPOND TO WHAT YOU SEE, HEAR, AND FEEL! 

MUST SET HIGH STANDARDS! What can you do extra at no additional cost to them? What else can you do that would blow their mind? 

A small business is a school in which its employees are students with the intention, will, and determination to grow.

The majority of people stop learning once they go to work.

YOU DON'T FIND THE RIGHT PEOPLE! YOU CREATE THEM! This means you put them through your school! It never ends! YOU TRAIN THEM TO BECOME LEADERS! Understand what they need to learn, the right work! 

IDEAS FOR CLASS: 

Presence - what it means to be present! 

Taking Action - What it means to be action oriented and results driven. 

Time - It's what makes you so teach to control it instead of being controlled by it. 

5 COMPONENTS OF HIGHER PURPOSE:

INSPIRATION FOR VISION. 

EDUCATION FOR UNDERSTANDING! 

TRAINING FOR APPLICATION. 

COACHING FOR IMPLEMENTATION. 

MENTORING FOR CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT. 

5 ESSENTIAL SKILLS:

CONCENTRATION TO FOCUS. 

DISCRIMINATION ON WHERE TO FOCUS. 

ORGANIZATION TO CREATE ORDER. 

INNOVATION TO CONTINUALLY DO IT BETTER. 

COMMUNICATION TO EXPAND YOUR REACH. 

[David Rosage · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book and deep thoughts but light on specific actionable ideas.

[Pinar · Rating 2 out of 5]

Aslında beğendim bu kitabı. Yeni bir girişimci olarak bulduğum kitapları iyi kötü demeden dinliyorum. Gerçi sesli kitap olmasa katlanamazdım, çok tekrar var.

Kitabı seslendiren ve yazar Michael Gerber aslında bir rabbi imiş. Hani Musevilerin iş ve iş kültürlerine dair birşeyler de bulabilirsiniz. Kitap içinde faydalanabileceğiniz "cümleler" yakalayabilseniz de, daha çok motivasyon ve gaz şeklinde. O da bir din adamının verdiği gaz. Ve Amerikalıların çalıştığı gaz ile Türklerin veya Avrupalıların çalıştığı gazlar bir miktar farklı.

Girişimci olarak fokusu kaybetmemek, moral ve motivasyonu sürdürebilmek çok önemli. İşte hem gaz hem esinlenme olsun, biraz bildiklerini tekrarlamak önemli falan diye dinledim. Fazla kötü bulmadım ki yazarın daha çok beğenilen diğer kitabını da dinlemeye başladım.

Girişimciyseniz, vaktiniz varsa, esinlenme istiyorsanız dinleyin.

İlaveten kitapta tarif edilen küçük işletme ve benim küçük işletmem arasındaki baya bi fark var, ben daha küçük değil mikro veya atomik işletmeymişim henüz.

[Heather SilverOxide · Rating 2 out of 5]

Gerber's earlier book, "The E-Myth Revisited" is a truly indispensable, practical, helpful book for any small business owner or self-employed person.

But THIS book is a terrible disappointment. A stern editor might have saved it, but sadly, there's no sign of an editor's hand in the prose. There are countless rambling rants and run-on sentences. I don't doubt Gerber's conviction - in many instances, it's the only thing that backs up his statements. And I don't doubt the breadth of Gerber's experience - he's coached entrepreneurs for decades. But this book presents the most compelling principles of the E-Myth so rigidly, that they are off-putting. It pains me to say this, because I respect Gerber's work so much. It's been years since I read The E-Myth Revisited, and that book's principles are still vital to how I run my business. Do yourself a favour and read The E-Myth instead of this one.

[Hyacinthe Fallu · Rating 1 out of 5]

I didn’t end up finishing the book. While I can see the positive intention behind the message, I personally struggled with the narrative approach. The character of Joseph often felt guided by an omniscient, authoritative voice, which for me came across as more directive than exploratory. Rather than inviting reflection, it felt at times like a “lesson being delivered,” which made it difficult for me to connect with the story on an authentic level. Because the scenario is entirely hypothetical, I found it challenging to extract practical insight or personal introspection from it. I can understand how others may find value in this style, but it ultimately wasn’t a fit for me.

[mary · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was deeply disappointed by this book. After reading the E-myth I had high hopes but I found this book to be filled with repetitive tropes on mindset and ideals and very little practical concrete advice. The ten principles Gerber explains are extremely repetitive and unhelpful - he talks about a higher calling and a business idea probably every chapter and he fills pages with sentences on how important something is instead of just letting the importance speak for itself. HUGE downgrade form EMyth.

[Cris Beilstein · Rating 3 out of 5]

This Michael, Gerber book ties, a nice bow around the mindset, needed for entrepreneurs to continue to grow and strive with their businesses. The ten principles serve as a recharge and refocus for those pursuing e-myth type growth for their businesses

Some of the mechanisms can be especially useful to help retrain people who are stuck in how to dream bigger, and to begin to see the broad array of possibilities available to them.

[Stephen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Michael Gerber is my role model for business. I agree with his philosophies and his teachings and try to implement as much of his theory into my own businesses as possible. I loved this short book and the lenses it provides for looking at my small businesses. I truly want my businesses to be some of the greatest in the world and the way Gerber makes me think helps guide me toward that goal.

[Rick · Rating 1 out of 5]

Yeah just can't endorse this book the good news if you choose to read it is that it's short. And I agree with others of being kind of preachy. I think there are other books out there that cover what it takes to be a successful entrepreneur in a much more practical fashion.

[Gabriel Giambastiani · Rating 1 out of 5]

The E-Myth Revisited is a good business book with a lot of interesting insights, but don't let the fame of its author fool you: this one is s*it!

[P Mahler · Rating 3 out of 5]

The ideas and concepts are there, but the focus of the book is not up to speed with other similar minded readings. I do enjoy certain aspects of it and always gain a nugget of thought from Gerber in any of his books, but this one was not one of his finest. Worth an audible...

[Jason · Rating 1 out of 5]

Very disappointing. Yet another author that puts a sermon in a book, pretending to be a business book but is a religious book.

Bill Gates - Atheist
Steve Jobs - Atheist
Elon Musk - Agnostic

yeah don't need your mythology / superstition to run a successful business

[Fountain Of Chris · Rating 3 out of 5]

More of a manifesto and an end-of-career reflection than a business book, I listened to this as it is one of the many titles included at no extra charge with my Audible membership. There were some insights, but the long, rambling final 20% of the book knocked a star off my rating.

[Bojan Avramovic · Rating 3 out of 5]

Očekivao sam više od Michael Gerber.

[Anna Mullings · Rating 1 out of 5]

I just didn't like this book.i don't feel like I gain much from it.

[Allan Laal · Rating 2 out of 5]

intro to systems mindset, heavily poured over by religious bs propaganda


Read Systems Thinking instead, of whose author has more real life experience

[Nikola Petrov · Rating 1 out of 5]

I found nothing interesting inside this book. Filler, straw man anecdotes, and statements that the author's way is the only way, all concluding in pages of advertisements. At least it's short.

[Gabriela Bazan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Passionate read by the author in the audiobook version. Some great advice

[Kevin Demel · Rating 1 out of 5]

I found the book pretty shallow. The principles he stated were good but there wasn't much info about how to enact them.

[cansupeker2 · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love his holistic and philosophical approach to starting a business.

[AttackGirl · Rating 1 out of 5]

Ugh nothing like being lectured to about god on a business book, along with every other subject. Bad editor

[Billy · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first third of this book was amazing! After that there were great "nuggets" and brilliant observations surrounded by serious rambling and occasional preaching.

[Katherine Friend · Rating 1 out of 5]

Dnf. Nothing new, nothing to be learned. I quit halfway through.

[Paul Curley · Rating 2 out of 5]

Very so-so. Okay for background learning, but would not recommend.

[Logan Streondj · Rating 2 out of 5]

The wishy washy ramblings of a reform Jew lacking any understanding of religion, family or business. Total crap