“You need to work on your business, not just in your business.”
Made popular by The E-Myth Revisited author Michael Gerber, it’s advice I’m sure you’ve heard dozens of times over the years (I certainly have). But despite being told over and over again, many small business owners still don’t seem to truly understand what it means.
Let’s look at a common scenario.
Bill is into making things out of wood. He loved woodwork at high school, and was pretty good at it too. And while Bill has a ‘regular’ job during the week, he also does quite well selling his wares at the weekend markets.
If fact, he’s been thinking about making a career of it for a while. And after a particularly bad day at work (which ends with him giving his boss some directions about “where he should go”), Bill decides to give it a go. He finds a place to set up shop, hires someone to deal with all the paperwork and other business stuff, and soon after Good with Wood is open for business.
This entrepreneurial perspective doesn’t mean Bill won’t get to enjoy the sweet smell of sawdust. On the contrary, by learning how to build a business—and a team—to create his products, he’ll enjoy success and satisfaction on a scale far more rewarding than (to quote Gerber again) simply “doing it, doing it, doing it” as the business’ main technician.
So, what about you? Are you still ‘on the tools’? Or are you designing and building a business that can eventually work without you so you don’t have to keep “doing it, doing it, doing it”?
If you want to build something great with your business, let’s talk. Make a time to sit down with us to map out your plan for working on your business so you don’t get trapped in it.