When I talk to people about how they ended up starting their own business, I often have the same conversation. They were great at their job. They were disillusioned with their place of work. So, they took the leap – they started their own business, confident that their skills would get them to where they wanted to go.

And at first, they did.

But then the realities of business ownership kicked in: late nights doing admin, juggling sales, trying to create stable cash flow, managing clients, and eventually, managing a team.

They were never trained for this part.

And now, instead of growing a business, they’re stuck inside it—doing the technical work all over again, just with more stress and less time.

If this sounds familiar, you’re not alone.

Here’s what you need to do to break that cycle and step fully into the role of a business owner and not just a technician in disguise.

1. Learn the Business of Business

You might know your trade inside out—but running a business is a whole new skill set.

Sales, marketing, finances, recruitment, systems… none of this is taught in your old job, but it’s what drives success now.

Make time each week to work on your business, not just in it and be disciplined about this time.

  • Read business books
  • Join a peer network
  • Hire a coach
  • Invest in learning sales, leadership, and finances

To grow your business, you will need to learn new things, to take on new skills in order to become the person you need to be to make your business the success you want it to be.

2. Systemise Before You Scale

Growth feels good until it overwhelms you.

When you start bringing on employees, but don’t have clear systems or processes in place, it’s only a matter of time before things fall through the cracks and you get dragged back into the doing.

Create documented systems for how things should be done—sales, delivery, onboarding, invoicing, etc.

This doesn’t need to be complication. It could come in the form of simple checklists, a flow chart of even a video. The important thing is to get started, get something written down and you build on it from there.

3. Hire People to Replace You, Not Assist You

Many business owners make the mistake of hiring helpers instead of replacers. If you’re still the one doing the technical work, then you’re the bottleneck.

Ask yourself: What’s the first task or role I need to completely delegate to grow?

Hire with the goal of replacing yourself in the day-to-day, not just adding extra hands.

Then trust them. Delegate to them and support them in taking ownership and responsibility for their roles.

4. Learn to Lead, Not Just Manage

Hiring people is one thing. Leading them is another.

If you’ve never managed a team before, it’s easy to either micromanage or check out. The right approach sits in the middle: clear expectations, regular communication, accountability, and support.

Set weekly 1:1s with your team and stick to them! Don’t let things get in the way.

Use KPIs to measure performance and give feedback regularly—not just at crisis points.

Your role is now to build the vision, coach your team, and create the environment where they thrive. Leadership is a learnable skill and one you must develop if you want your business to grow sustainably.

5. Build a Commercial, Profitable Enterprise That Works Without You

This is the ultimate ActionCOACH definition of a business.

If you can’t step away without it falling apart, you haven’t built a business, you’ve built a job with overheads.

Start with the end in mind.

What would your business look like if it could run without you?

What needs to change now to make that a reality in 1–3 years?

Set goals and a clear plan to remove yourself gradually from operations while improving performance through systems, people, and strategy.

 

You started your business because you were good at what you do, but building a great business requires learning how to let go of the doing and step into the role of owner and leader.

You can’t grow if you stay stuck in the technician mindset.

The good news? You’re not alone, and these skills can be learned. Work on the business. Systemise everything. Lead your team. And build something that works without you.

That’s how you reclaim your time, scale your business, and reignite the passion that made you start it in the first place.