After basically inhaling the book “Rework” by the guys at 37Signals I simply had to share my favorite revelations with you all.

Yesterday I posted Part I, read that here now or continue on to get stuck into Part II!

Lesson #5 – Channel Gordon Ramsay

One of my major takeaways from the “Rework” book was the importance of doing less.

From beginning to end, the guys convey the message that it is important to…

- Keep it simple
- Focus on only the most essential aspects of your product/service
- Trim the excess – immediately!

    Jason and David talk about how our natural instinct when something isn’t working is often to throw more at the problem. More time, more people and of course more money.

    Unfortunately, all that does is makes the problem even bigger – and far more costly because of the increased resources that are now invested.

    The boys talk about Gordon Ramsay and how one of the common issues he finds in failing restaurants is that they’re simply trying to incorporate too many dishes into their menu. By attempting to cater to everyone, they’ve produced a mish-mash of mediocre meals that leave customers unfulfilled and their business flailing.

    “Ramsay’s first step is nearly always to trim the menu, usually from thirty-plus dishes to around ten. Improving the current menu doesn’t come first. Trimming it down comes first. Then he polishes what’s left.”

    You need to learn to shed the layers that aren’t important. The stuff that isn’t adding anything of real value to your product/service but is costing you and your team time, stress and money.

    Lesson #6 – Go Evergreen

    Too many companies focus all their time and energy on finding the latest “hot” thing and then wonder why their business fizzles out within a year or so and they’re back to square one.

    If you build your business around a fad, it will have the lifetime of one.

    The trick is to build your business around things that don’t change. You and your team need to provide a product/service that fulfils the evergreen needs of your target market.

    Things like quality, usability and great customer service never go out of style.

    Like Jason and David say in the book (regarding chasing fads), ‘That’s a fools path. You start focusing on fashion instead of substance. You start paying attention to things that are constantly changing instead of things that last.’

    Build your business around things that don’t change. Things that people will always want and need. Go evergreen!

    Lesson #7 – Just Do It Already

    In the book, Jason and David challenge their readers to just get out there and do it already.

    Too many people delay launching their product/service because of minute, unimportant details that tie up your resources and prevent you from getting out where the action is.

    Holding off on your product/service launch because of finicky details doesn’t help your efforts. Of course you shouldn’t skimp on quality, but don’t find yourself getting so hung up on the small stuff that you miss the boat altogether.

    From the book, ‘Don’t hold everything else up because of a few leftovers. You can do them later. And doing them later may mean doing them better.’

    Seize your inspiration and drive, get the product done and get the product out. No decision is final. Edit and tweak as you go along, at least you’ll be doing it.

    And that my friends was just a few of my favorite lessons from the Rework book.

    I seriously recommend grabbing yourself a copy asap.

    I’m sure it will help you get some clarity and perspective in your business and perhaps even be the kick up the butt you need to get you out there and taking names – sooner rather than later.

    Thanks again to the guys from www.37Signals.com for creating such a fantastic manual for business owners!

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