Freedom and flexibility are often the reasons we start our businesses—whether it’s to gain financial independence, spend more time with family, or travel the world. Yet, for many business owners, the dream doesn’t align with reality.
Research shows small business owners work 50% more hours than the average employee and pay themselves less than a fair market salary. That doesn’t sound like freedom to me!
The trap is common – I call it the ‘growth trap’.
So how do you escape this trap where you find yourself hustling endlessly for clients, stuck at a revenue plateau, or struggling to see significant results?
Here’s the truth: entrepreneurs who earn 10x more don’t work 10x harder. Instead, they focus on solving bottlenecks in their businesses. By identifying and resolving these saboteurs, you can begin working less and profiting more; you can build a ‘life-first’ business.
Ask yourself:
- Are you stuck hustling to keep clients and cash flow steady?
- Are you spending too much time on day-to-day operational activities instead of true growth activities?
- Is your calendar overflowing, leaving no time to implement systems that streamline your business?
- Are you constantly being interrupted with questions from team members?
- Do you dread the thought of taking a vacation from your business because it means so much work to prepare for the vacation or you’re worried what would happen when you’re away?
If the answer is YES to any of the above, then it’s time to shift from being the Chief Everything Officer to becoming a visionary CEO. You deserve a business that supports your freedom and flexibility—not one that demands all your time and energy.
In the next series of blogs, let’s explore how you can start uncorking those bottlenecks to live a life where you work less, and profit more!
You can do this,
Diana
P.S. Uncorking these bottlenecks is exactly what I help clients accomplish — #worklessPROFITmore