So what’s wrong with the picture of Joseph the mechanic Gerber developed in the last post?  Why will Joseph’s business never grow?
Gerber suggests that without a bigger idea, Joseph will never be doing more than working for a living. Â He is a mechanic not a business owner. Â He needs something bigger than making a living. Â He suggests that most of us are living the life of Joseph!
Here is his suggested solution—his first principle of small business success—the rule of 10,000.
At the outset of your business venture the question must be asked, “What must I do so that my business can be scaled at 10,000 times?â€
What must I do so that every action in my company can be perfectly replicated again and again…10,000 times?
What must I do so that every result in my company can be produced by 10,000 others, none of whom possesses my experience, my dedication, my skill?
Do you see the significance of these questions, my friend? Â By asking these questions, you have gone beyond the province of the doer. Â By asking them you have entered the province of the inventor.
By perusing them, you have awakened the true entrepreneur within.  You are now the Henry Ford.  Or Sam Walton, Or Michael Dell, Or Ray Kroc.  Or Mary Kay.  Or Anita Roddick. page 9.
I invite you as does Gerber to ask yourself this question. Â If I were to take my current business and replicate it 10,000 times, how different would that business look? Â What would I do differently? Â How would I pull this off? Â By asking yourself these questions, you have started the process of thinking like a business owner rather than a technician.
In the next post, I will share Gerber’s second principle of successful small businesses.
To be continued, your comments are welcomed…
Al Hanzal
