The Exhausted Entrepreneur

So you recently started your own business?  You are probably filled with a mix of emotions including excitement, hope, freedom, fear....and exhaustion. 

Many people start their own business because they love the work that they do.  And not only that, they’re good at it!  If you’ve ever been stuck in an organization with a bad boss, a sub-par product, or inefficient processes, you’ve probably thought to yourself…”I could run this business so much better than this company does.”  You’ve got ideas, a vision, and a passion.

So you may have started your business with the assumption that since you know how to do the technical work, you must be good at running a business that does that technical work…right?

What you’ve probably come to discover is that doing the technical work is completely different than actually running the business.  Now, not only do you have to do the technical work (which you are a master at), but you also have to do things like bookkeeping, shipping, receiving, sales, customer service…the list goes on.  Many times, small business owners who don’t feel comfortable  with the aspects of "running" the business simply try to do as little of them as possible, or worse yet, ignore them and focus on what they are good at – the technical work.  And for the aspects of running the business that can't be ignored, they become great sources of stress and anxiety.

If this sounds familiar, you also probably have a nagging feeling that this isn't healthy for your business in the long run. If you want your business to grow, or even just be maintained with some reasonable level of sanity, then staying in the trenches of the technical work can be a great liability for your business and limit your ability to thrive. 

 

The Three Personalities

In Michael Gerber's book The E-Myth Revisited, he talks about three competing personalities that live inside of all small business owners.   If you haven't read this book, grab yourself a copy ... it's a classic any business owner should have in their library.

The three personalities are the technician, the manager and the entrepreneur.  Gerber's book walks through how these personalities manifest themselves in every small business owner, and gives sound advice on how you can take control of these personalities to go from building a "job" to building a "business." 

It is self-evident that business, like people, are supposed to grow; and with growth, comes change.   - Michael Gerber, E-Myth

 

The Technician

The technician is the "doer."  This is the personality that is a master of the craft and wants to be be free from working under the constraints of "The Boss." The technician doesn't shy away from work, and in fact, embraces it. When a technician starts his or her business they feel as though nothing is "too much" for the business and they are willing to put in the long hours to get the work done. At this infancy stage in the business's evolution, the owner and the business are one and the same.  

Its very common for small business owners to start a business with the technician mindset.  After all, this is what you know and are comfortable with.  You know you can rock being a technician. 

But as the business gains traction, you may be finding it harder and harder to keep up.  You may find yourself falling behind, missing deadlines, and taking short cuts on projects.  At some point (if you haven't already) you will come to the realization that you simply can't do all the work by yourself if you want your business to grow. 

Here are some signs you are operating your business as a technician: 

  • You talk about the business as "I."  There is no separation between you and your business. 
  • You are focused on the present - i.e. what needs to be done today? 
  • You are the "doer" and are responsible for executing all of the technical work. 
  • You live by the motto "If you want something done right, you should do it yourself." 
  • You feel other people get in your way, and you are annoyed when something prevents you from focusing on your work. 
  • You are suspicious of lofty ideas and abstractions. 

The Manager

If your business is growing beyond what you can individually can manage, you may have taken steps to put operations and processes into your business.  Maybe you've even hired some folks to help you with the technical work.   Your business is starting to grow and you need a support structure that can take some of the pressure off your shoulders. If the technician phase can be considered the infancy stage, then moving into the manager role has brought you into adolescence.  

Here are some signs that you have moved to the manager phase: 

  • You talk about the business as "us."
  • You are beginning to focus on the past, present, and future. 
  • You are focused on the problems of the business  - i.e. what needs to be fixed? 
  • You have begun to build systems and processes to instill planning, order and predictability. 
  •  You are devoting some time to the "business" side of the business. i.e. bookkeeping, paying bills, purchasing product, shipping product, etc. 

The Entrepreneur

As your business evolves, you will be forced to transition from working "in" the business, to working "on" the  business.  Embracing an entrepreneurial perspective brings you from adolescence to maturity.  The entrepreneur has a well-defined vision of what the future looks like, and then decides what needs to be done today to make that future a reality.  

Here are some traits of an entrepreneurial business owner: 

  • Talks about the business as "it" ( a product).
  •  Focuses on the future, the vision, the path forward. 
  • Sees "opportunities" instead of "problems." 
  • Acts as a catalyst for change. 
  • Comfortable  dealing with the unknown. 
  • Devotes time to developing strategies.
  • Creates things for the manager to put in a row. 

Most small business owners possess some mixture of these personalities.  Which one dominates you? 

There is no “right” way to think of your business, but if you are committed to growing your business to something beyond yourself, you will have to move out of the role of technician and into the role of entrepreneur.

So how do you navigate the evolution of the technician, the manager and the entrepreneur? First, as with most things, you have to step back and become aware of these competing personalities.  Being in the day to day its hard to step back and “see” the big picture.  Stop.  Step back. Look at your business.   What do you want your business to look like in the future? What are the critical factors in the business that you are currently ignoring?  What situations cause you stress on a daily basis? 

In our next blog, we will explore some ways to begin moving away from working “IN” the business to “ON” the business.