In full disclosure, I was asked to review the SYSTEMology book because David Jenyns is acquainted with Allan Dib. I wrote a review of Allan’s book, The 1-Page Marketing Plan. This is one of the most valuable benefits of the internet. I now have resources I trust for small business owners as far away as Australia, and most of these tools can easily be used in any country. Someday, I’ll share the story of how I almost moved Down Under. For now, let’s talk about David’s book.
If you have a business you hope will continue after you retire, or one you can sell to fund your retirement, you need this book. Even Michael E. Gerber, of The E-Myth fame, thinks so. He wrote the foreword.
The foreword alone establishes David’s credibility.
I’ve read The E-Myth Revisited and The E-Myth Attorney, so the foreword did exactly what it needed to do. It established David as the expert on business systems. If Michael E. Gerber–the original business systems expert–says someone is worthy of taking his message to new levels, you can trust David is the real deal.
David Jenyns knows systems. He also knows how to sell. I’ve already learned just from watching him. I’ll be purchasing Authority Content from my May education budget, and I didn’t feel like I was being sold. I simply accepted the subtle invitation to purchase it. I’ll post that review in a few months.
I got a reality check I needed.
In the introduction, David reveals the four stages small businesses go through before they reach maximum value:
- Survival
- Stationary
- Scalable
- Saleable
Third Ear Conflict Resolution is somewhere between the survival and stationary stages. That was a little hard to accept when I first read it. At one time, my business had five employees and was scalable, if not saleable. I see this differently after reading this book. I realize I achieved the upper levels long before I was ready to sell. So, I changed the game a little and decided to build the business I want to be my legacy.
I might be back in stage one or two, but with SYSTEMology, I am confident I will get back to level four when the time is right.
There is an effective system for small businesses.
Finally, someone (David) has acknowledged that Six Sigma and lean methods are best implemented by the huge businesses they were designed for. There’s nothing wrong with them, they’re just not designed for truly small businesses–the majority of businesses and the ones with 12 or fewer employees. And you can’t just scale them back and make them work for the little guys. That’s like putting a belt on a Size 20 dress and calling it a Size 4. David understands this.
David’s Critical Client Flow helped me easily see where to begin documenting my business in its current form. Admittedly, I hadn’t been bothering too much with documenting new systems because I still have well-documented ones I use. Merging them with the new ones can cause more frustration than I am willing to add while we’re still recovering from a global pandemic. But SYSTEMology gave me a place to start and an easy process to follow. That’s exactly what I need right now. Ease.
I can’t tell you yet what a difference SYSTEMology has made in my business. I hope you will just notice it in the near future.
Review of 48 DAYS TO THE WORK AND LIFE YOU LOVE by Dan Miller
Who runs your business if you can’t?
Nance L. Schick, Esq. is an attorney, mediator, conflict resolution coach, and diversity trainer based in New York City. Her goal is to keep employers out of court and build their conflict resolution skills so everyone has a better work experience. For more than 15 years, she has been negotiating penalty settlements for employers who unintentionally misclassify their workers. She is creator of the Third Ear Conflict Resolution process, author of DIY Conflict Resolution, and an award-winning entrepreneur acknowledged by Super Lawyers (ADR, 2018, 2019 & 2020), the New York Economic Development Corporation/B-Labs (Finalist, Best for NYC 2015 & 2016), U.S. Chamber of Commerce (2015 Blue Ribbon Small Business), Enterprising Women Magazine (Honorable Mention, 2014 Woman of the Year awards), and more.