Most small businesses start with something like this:
“What am I doing this for? Why am I working for this guy? Hell, I know as much about this business as he does. If it weren’t for me, he wouldn’t have a business. Any dummy can run a business. I’m working for one.”
And once you started paying attention to this and really took it to heart, your fate was sealed.
The idea of being your own boss becomes too hard to resist, and the only cure?...
You had to start your own business.
The Internet Guru Dilemma
When I started my first business, I was super excited. I watched videos online, read books, and started doing the whole morning routine and rituals: sleeping early, waking up early, cold showers—the whole thing.
You know where I’m going with this.
This is ALL what the internet gurus talk about—motivation, good thoughts, and all those nonsensical things.
But here is the reality: these things don’t work, at least not when you are starting a business.
These things distract and take you away from the first business goal, which is…
Money In
Yes, this is Rule #1 of any business.
If there is no client, no sale, you don’t have a business. At best you have a concept of business.
Now, most small businesses get to this point, but what about beyond this point?
Let me explain by taking a hypothetical example:
There is our friend, Daniel the plumber.
Daniel worked as a plumber for years, and one day his boss said something to him. Now, Daniel is like, "F-you. I’m starting my own business."
Daniel’s a great plumber, he starts getting some clients in, but eventually, the pool starts to dry up, and now he’s wondering, how do I grow my business?
The Fatal Assumption
This is the assumption that most business owners make: if you understand the technical side of a business, you understand the business that does that technical work.
But
It isn’t true.
The plumber starts a plumbing business.
The barber opens a beauty salon.
The landscaper starts a landscaping business.
All of them are pretty good at technical work but never learned how to operate a business.
This technical side of the owner always fights with the new business side of him. And this contradiction is not very good for the business.
And all of a sudden this dream of becoming your own boss becomes a technician’s nightmare.
How many times have you seen this:
The young man becomes a plumber.
The young man starts a plumbing business.
The young man becomes an old man.
Breaking the Cycle: How to Build a Business That Runs Itself
Now, the great thing is that it doesn’t always have to be this way.
You can get yourself out of this cycle without being an old man running the same business until you can’t anymore.
You have to focus on…
<drumroll>
SYSTEMS
Build systems around your business. Every single thing in your business should have a set manual, a procedure. So, if you were to quit tomorrow, your business could still function and give you that sweet income every month.
From the first day, since you have the idea of starting your business, build it in a way that you are going to SELL it someday.
This thinking forces you to think like a business owner instead of a technician in your business.
So, from now on, let’s focus on the systems instead of doing everything yourself.
Read my other article on how McDonald’s built the biggest restaurant chain doing the same. Here.
Talk soon,
Vikas
P.S. Curious about how you can turn your small business into a machine that works without you. Do this:
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Get in touch with our agency today. If we’re a good fit I will personally take a look at your company and your marketing, come up with a strategy of what I’d do differently, and discuss it with you in depth on a call.
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No cost, no obligation.
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P.P.S. We have put together a Free Meta Guide that will help you get your ideal clients. Download it for FREE.
P.P.P.S. If you are determined to start your own business or are a business owner already, I strongly suggest you buy a copy of The E-Myth by Michael E. Gerber. It's a great read and will shift your mindset from technician to business owner.
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