‘I’m too busy working in my business’

Jayne McQuillan

Guest Columnist

April 21, 2025

Do you ever feel like you’re drowning in day-to-day tasks, leaving no time to focus on the big picture?

You’re not alone.

Many business owners get stuck working in their business instead of on it, hindering long-term success.

Every minute spent on tasks that could be delegated is a minute not spent planning, strategizing and building the best business possible.

As an entrepreneur, I’ve fallen into the trap of doing instead of delegating.

It’s easy to slip back into micromanaging because, at one point, I had to do it all.

But that mindset no longer serves a growing business.

Reflecting on my business journey, I realized that I wore every hat: technician, manager and leader.

I sold, produced and delivered.

As my team grew, I shifted into leadership – focusing on spotting problems, delegating solutions and thinking ahead.

However, staff changes pulled me back into day-to-day management, signaling the need to refocus on my strengths and hire for my weaknesses.

Building systems: The key to sustainable growth

In today’s labor market, finding the right employees is challenging.

A powerful insight from “The E-Myth Revisited” by Michael E. Gerber resonates with me: “If you understand the technical work of a business, you understand a business that does that technical work.”

The key takeaway?

Build a business that runs effectively without being dependent on you or any single “unicorn” hire.

Instead of searching for the perfect superstar who checks every box, focus on creating a system that allows talented people to succeed and deliver extraordinary results.

A local plumbing services company is a prime example of this approach.

The owner was facing several challenges common to business owners:

• The business value was not where the owner needed it to be to retire.
• He was overly involved due to few replicable processes, procedures and systems.
• There was no leadership team to help drive results and make decisions.
• No strategy was in place to scale the business and free the owner up to work on the business.

Through strategic planning, process development and team empowerment, the business achieved remarkable results: 45% revenue growth, 47.5% increase in gross profit, EBITDA Multiple grew 2.8X and a 178% increase in business value.

Four years after identifying his challenges, the owner is removed from daily operations and has the freedom to focus his energy where it brings the most value.

He is confident, knowing he’s built a value-based, transferable business that will ensure he has options when he’s ready to exit.

Empowering your team through effective systems

To produce consistent results, every business needs a system – one that bridges the gap between the skills your team has and the skills your business requires.

Systems become the tools that increase productivity, ensuring tasks get done the right way, every time.

As a business owner, it’s your responsibility to develop these tools and train your people to use them effectively.

Relying on a superstar hire to drive success is risky.

Instead, ask yourself: How can I build a system that produces extraordinary results without relying on extraordinary people?

By leveraging ordinary people within a well-designed framework, you can achieve repeatable success – without waiting for that elusive unicorn to show up.

Leading your business: The path to growth

If you’re too busy working in your business, you’re not leading it.

When poor systems keep you stuck in the details, you lose the ability to drive real growth.

Where can you start?

Identify just one task to delegate or one system to refine.

Small steps can lead to significant shifts and help you focus on what truly matters: leading and growing your business.