The E-Myth Contractor

150 Pages·2009·0.547 MB·English

by  Michael E. Gerber

T h e E-MYTH

C o n t r a c t o r

w h y most c ontractors’
businesses don’t work
and what to do about it
mic hael e. gerbe r
To my children, from the youngest to the oldest,
Alex, Sam, Hillary, Kim, and Shana—my wish is to be
the best father in the world, the reality, somewhat
different . . . but through it all know how deeply
I love you all. To your clarity, your loving natures,
and your liberation.
When we express our true nature, we are human beings.
Zen Mind, Beginner’s Mind
Shunryu Suzuki
The basic difference between an ordinary man
and a warrior is that a warrior takes everything
as a challenge while an ordinary man
takes everything either as a blessing or a curse.
Don Juan in Tales of Power
Carlos Castaneda

contents

Epigraph iii
Foreword ix
Preface xv
Acknowledgments xxi
Introduction xxiii
chapter 1
The Story of Richard and Anne 1
chapter 2
On the Subject of Money 11
chapter 3
The Ethical Home™: One Contractor’s Story 26
chapter 4
On the Subject of Planning 37
chapter 5
On the Subject of Management 47
chapter 6
On the Subject of People 52
chapter 7
On the Subject of Sub-Contractors 59
chapter 8
On the Subject of Estimating 64
chapter 9
On the Subject of Customers 69
chapter 10
On the Subject of Growth 79
chapter 11
On the Subject of Change 82
chapter 12
On the Subject of Time 93
chapter 13
On the Subject of Work 99
chapter 14
The Story of Three Day Kitchens 104
chapter 15
On the Subject of Taking Action 110
Afterword 117
vi contents
About the Author
Credits
Cover
Copyright
About the Publisher