Most small business owners are working in a job, inside their business.

And that is why they remain ‘small’ business owners because they never make cloning themselves a priority.

Working in your business is ok in the beginning but after a point you need.

But you don’t have to.

Ray Dalio talks beautifully about it in “The Principles” that you can look at your business as a machine where different parts make it run well and create the outcome.

You can create your own machine, by setting the right foundation from day 1. It takes some thought. Even if you don’t have resources you can start with a plan to systemize and delegate as soon as you can.

Whether you act as a business owner who works ‘on’ the business or an owner-employee who works ‘in’ the business – you’ll spend the same time early on. But later on, the time both spend will change and more importantly how they spend that time will change. The latter will still work on what’s urgent and needs to be done, and former, the business owner will work on what will bring growth and on the strategic pursuits.

If you plan well, you don’t have to work too hard. And if you choose to work hard that will show a growth rate which will be exponential.

But it is not fun building and running a business where you can’t separate yourself from work. And that is how people who run from a job because they have to answer to the boss, and work 8-6 for 5 days, end up working longer and on weekends too as an ‘entrepreneur’.

You can get off this treadmill. 

And take a leap. 

Do you want to?

If yes, then plan it from day 1, use automation, get people to help you, and either build software or something that you can build once and sell again and again, or at least have a system and processes that others can use to build what you sell, without you even looking.

I hope you’ll give it a go.