From Technician to Entrepreneur

Michael Gerber’s international business best seller “The E-Myth Revisited” speaks about three different types of business operators:

The technician – people who turn their passion/hobby or interest into a money making venture
The manager – those who have bought themselves a ‘job’ rather than a business. They seek to impose systems and procedures, often brought with them from their previous jobs in big business.
The entrepreneur – people who develop systems and surround themselves with other people so that they can work ‘on’ rather than ‘in’ the business

You may have started your business as a ‘technician’, such as an accomplished horsewoman establishing a trail riding business, or a good cook starting a new café. Many people choose to stay at this level and are simply content to draw a wage from the business. Many of the industry’s ‘lifestyle’ businesses fall into this category. However, technical skills are only a small component of running a business.

Most owners tend to be technician and manager during the early days of a business. However, to thrive in business and to grow it into a tradeable commodity, it is important to move to entrepreneur as soon as possible, especially in order to devise strategies for growth and diversification, as well as to determine exit planning. You may still need to be technician and manager, but it is vision that sets the entrepreneur apart. With the right staff around you, you should be able to replace the technician and manager categories with others, to free you up to work on the more entrepreneurial side. To achieve business growth you need to be able to work ‘on’ rather than ‘in the business.

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