So I’m in the midst of reading three books right now…all of which are blowing my mind. But the one that is doing the craziest things with regard to my approach to business is The E-Myth Revisited by Michael E. Gerber.
I’ve always approached my freelance business as an extension of me. People know me, trust me, know what I can do, and that’s what I’m selling. But how do I grow that? How do I allow my business to continue to run even if I need to take some time off? I’m hoping that this book points me in a direction to answer these questions (I’m about half-way through right now).
Oh, and the other books I’m reading are Designing with Web Standards by Jeffrey Zeldman (awesome so far) and Rework by Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson. Normally reading a bunch of books at once isn’t the best approach for me, but these three books in particular in relation to what I do is totally getting me to think about the direction of my business. Rework is an especially cool format.
E-Myth truly speaks directly to what you and I (and most freelancers) face. The key is to transition from being a “technician” to manager to entrepreneur. Definitely a lot harder than it may seem.
Rework is another good one, entertaining read. Seems to apply more to larger organizations, but I like 37signals philosophy.
Thanks again for the recommendation.
I must say that E-Myth is one of my favorite books. It’s one that truly changes the way you look at business and entrepreneurial endeavors. I definitely agree with Brian that it’s a lot harder than it seems. It’s a great focus and something to really strive toward.
It really is. The concept of working ON your business and not IN your business has stuck with me so far. Awesome book.