Gerber’s second success principle is simple—a small business is no more effective than the idea upon which the business is built.
So let’s apply this principle to our mechanic, Joseph, and his business.
So Joseph asked himself, “What exactly will the auto repair I do be?  What do I know about the business of auto repair, its trends, where people are having the most problems, what does the research say about the most significant opportunities in auto repair?  What would green auto repair look like�
And then the entrepreneur name Joseph thought about General Motors, Ford, and Chrysler, all of whom were closing down their dealerships and closing down their service centers.  There must be an opportunity there, thought Joseph the New Entrepreneur.  “And what about all the other automobile companies?†Joseph thought.  “There must be something going on there that has to be interesting?  And what about all the people losing their jobs?
And what about the cost of auto repair?â€
What about creating a business that teaches people how to fix their own cars?  What about teaching people to fix their cars at a mere fraction of the cost of having he, Joseph, fix their cars?  What if he were to do that?  And how would he do that Joseph wondered next?  How could he possibly teach people who didn’t know anything about cars to do it themselves?  Pages 10,15                                                         
Do you see what Joseph is doing? Â He is starting with an idea about his business. Â He is not starting with a way to make a living or get a paycheck. Â He is starting with an idea.
And that Gerber says is the foundation of any successful small business—the idea upon which it is founded.
To be continued, your comments are welcomed.
