Building a Job or a Business?

Let me start by asking you a question. When you think about your business, what’s your goal for you? As small business owners, we are often more focused on goals for the business and we kind of treat ourselves like a second thought. After all, as a business owner, what “I want” isn’t usually very high on the list of priorities. Right?

So, let me rephrase this a bit. What’s your goal? … Are you building a business OR are you building a job? I can tell you, with a couple of my past businesses I was simply building a job. I really didn’t have much of a vision or experience to build anything else.

Somehow a few years into my internet hosting company I got connected with a business coach who helped me see past myself and how I could actually create a business that ran without me. Up to that point, the business was running me. I ended up making good on the concept of creating a business. In fact, the business ran without me while I pursued another business venture.

In an earlier business I started, there was little to no room for it to run without me. I could bring added efficiency and make highest and best use of my time, but at the end of the day, if revenue was to be generated, I had to put in the time. That was a self-induced “job” for me. There wasn’t much value in the company per se.

So, this business coach from so long ago had me read The E-Myth by Michael Gerber. In a nutshell, he makes the point that you can’t be the doer and the thinker (my words). There’s just not enough of you. He uses a pie maker as his example. She’s so busy “in” the business making pies she can’t work “on” the business. This is a similar concept to the Stephen Covey habit (#7) of sharpening your saw.

The other day, a client of mine and I were talking through his goals. He enjoys both working “in” the business and “on” the business. My push back (because I like to challenge business owners) was to have him pursue business to run without him—allowing him the option to work in the business or on the business, and options create value … both for the business and for us personally as business owners.

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Kyle Dreier is a recovery serial entrepreneur. He enjoys helping small business owners work “on” their business with the goal of creating options for them professionally and personally.