E-Myth - 2013 Archive

Systems are a means to an end. And that end is your vision. As we've discussed, some argue that systems are robotic and kill creative environments.  And they can be....if you let them. The simple truth is that as a business owner, you control how systems are written and operated which influences that end result.   If you don't want to have a robotic and uncreative environment, let your Entrepreneur personality kick into gear.

The E-Myth Revisited has a way of staying with readers long after they first picked up the book. Perhaps it's because business owners read it and immediately relate to the stories of Sarah. If you haven't read the E-Myth Revisited let us give you a biased opinion-you should! If you have read the E-Myth Revisited it is a good time to pull it out and be re-inspired. Here's a list of great topics in the book to check out.

"When you first start off trying to solve a problem, the first solutions you come up with are very complex, and most people stop there. But if you keep going, and live with the problem and peel more layers of the onion off, you can often times arrive at some very elegant and simple solutions. Most people just don't put in the time or energy to get there." - Steve Jobs

This week we ask you to set some time aside and ask yourself: "What problem in your business tends to keep reoccurring, because the solution is complex?"

There are critics who say that the world and the world of business have changed to the point that the E-Myth Revisited, by Michael E. Gerber, is no longer relevant. Often times, anti E-Myth arguments center on the idea that systems make for a formal and rigid work environment, thus creating an almost robotic culture that crushes any sign of creativity and innovation.

It's easy to ignore the critics. The E-Myth Revisited is a New York Times Best Seller and has been used successfully in over 50,000 businesses worldwide. We know that it works. We see the successes every day, but it's worth asking, "Has the world and business changed since the writing of the E-Myth Revisited?

Absolutely!   Social Media wasn't a hot topic when Gerber penned the E-Myth. Employers were talking about how to manage the baby boomer generation and prepare for the generation X. In today's world, social media is a topic of interest with other "traditional" media and employers are talking about how to handle the retirement of the baby boomers and prepare for the millennium generation.

This month we have already looked at Search Engine Optimization(SEO) from the Entrepreneur and Technician point of view. You should already have a result statement and a basic knowledge of SEO. Today we encourage you to put on your Manager hat. It's time to take that basic knowledge and begin to develop the plan for how you will implement basic SEO techniques in your business.

As described in the E-Myth Revisited, the Manager is the "planner" of work. There are three basic elements that you need to consider as you plan your SEO work:

Don't worry if you do not know this information right now. Later in this article we provide you with links to resources that will help you gather and analyze the needed information.

Last week we discussed the importance of starting Search Engine Optimization (SEO) from an Entrepreneur’s point of view by creating a result statement.  This week we are skipping to the Technician's point of view.  At the end of the month we will cover the Manager's Point of View, but before you create your plan it's helpful to be familiar with some of the technical points.

As described in the E-Myth Revisited, the technician is the "doer" of work.  When dealing with SEO the technician's work is often making changes to websites or creating links back to your own website.  As a business owner, the goal is not to do this tactical work yourself or to be an expert in SEO, but it is important for you to have some technical knowledge.  By understanding at least a few basics of SEO, you have the ability to ask the right questions and to delegate the work.  The truth is many businesses are hurt by small SEO errors that are easy to fix.  The good news is that there are many options out there for learning the basics.  Here are two to get you started:

Can your business afford to ignore leads that are looking for a place to spend their money? Consumers are becoming web savvy and turning to their favorite search engine to help decide where they want to spend their money. And if your leads are turning to search engines, then you need to know how to influence those searches.

Search Engine Optimization, commonly referred to as SEO, is the way you can influence how easy it is for your leads and your customers to find your business via search engines. Put simply, SEO is a marketing strategy for the internet age, yet it is often overlooked by business owners. Why? Many business owners view SEO mainly from a tactical point of view. It is shrouded in a web of jargon that can be down right frustrating and thus easy to discount by saying, "It's not for me." Granted there is a technical side to SEO, but more importantly, SEO is a marketing strategy that when neglected or ignored can cause you to lose out on leads and revenues.