I finished reading Timothy Ferriss’s New York Times Best Seller The 4-Hour Work Week this weekend. I didn’t take notes, and I’m not looking at all the pages I dog-eared, but I do want to share my general thoughts off the top of my head.

First, any entrepreneurial spirited person should read this book. One of the biggest challenges I never overcame as a small business owner was putting systems in place that allow the business to grow. Relying on yourself is a trap that will kill every business, and Ferris shows you very practical solutions that can dramatically improve your business and your overall quality of life.

I’m hesitant to list some of those because without the excellent context provided by Ferris you might dismiss them just like I did when I read the index. You’ll have to read the book to find out why these impressed me the most and are now part of my own ideas I’m kicking around:

• hire a virtual assistant
• create an autopilot revenue stream
• map your business plan’s work flow before executing it to see where potential bottlenecks will occur when you scale up the business
• consider drop-shippers and/or mail distribution points for product sales
• deal directly with manufacturers
• outsource work

Second, if you have kids or a job, this will be tough reading, especially if you yearn to be your own boss. You have obligations the author doesn’t fully address because he doesn’t have kids. But there are practical things you too can do to make work life way better.

• Pareto’s 80-20 rule
• negotiating telecommute
• how to train your colleagues to only approach you with emergencies
• how to be the kind of bother that makes people deal with their own problems

Third, if you have always had a 9-5 job and can’t imagine the thought of running your own business, be prepared to have a change of perspective. It can be both refreshing and scary, but as long as you remember that no one will kill you (expect maybe your family), you’ll be just fine.

• If you want to follow me as I put a few of these principles and tools into practice, tune into the Morning Browser weekdays from 6-7am CT.
• You can follow Tim Ferriss on Facebook and subscribe to his YouTube channel.