Amanda Magill, Founder of Amara Collective, argues that a business thrives through founders not by working longer hours or becoming better at wearing every hat, but by creating the space and time to do the work that only they can do. According to the report, this mindset shift is essential for small-business owners who often find themselves taking on multiple responsibilities.
Magill recalls that when she started her business, she believed hard work meant trying to do everything herself. However, she has since realized that hard work doesn’t necessarily mean doing everything alone.
A while ago, Magill bought a Swiss Army knife, which she thought was clever because it could do almost anything. But the more she used it, the more she realized that it was rarely the best tool for the job. She notes that many small-business owners become like the Swiss Army knife, trying to do everything themselves.
They learn enough bookkeeping to send invoices, enough marketing to promote themselves, and enough technology to solve the next problem. One responsibility becomes two, two become five, and before long, they’re spending more time maintaining the business than doing the work that inspired them to start it.
Read Also: Businesses struggle with hiring delays hurting profits
The Cost of Wearing Every Hat
At first, taking on multiple responsibilities may feel resourceful, but in reality, it can quietly pull business owners away from the very thing that made their business valuable in the first place. Magill has worked alongside business owners across different industries and noticed that they often face the same challenge.
A plastic surgeon, a practitioner preserving traditional herbal medicine, and a retreat owner may all become marketers, website editors, bookkeepers, photographers, and their own IT support. While these jobs are important, Magill notes that running a small business means wearing many hats, particularly in the early years.
Most business owners don’t have the budget to outsource everything, and that’s okay. However, Magill realized that every hour she spent wrestling with something outside her expertise was an hour she wasn’t spending thinking deeply about clients, mentoring her team, or improving the business.
Protecting Time and Energy
The greatest cost of doing everything yourself isn’t the time it takes, but the opportunity to become exceptional at the work only you can do. Magill advises business owners to consider whether they are the best person for a task, rather than simply asking if they can do it themselves.
Read Also: MBA fuels rise in social impact leadership
Sometimes the answer will still be yes, but other times, it may reveal where the business might grow next. By gradually creating space to spend more time doing the work that only they can do, business owners can protect their time, energy, and attention.
Magill notes that growth isn’t about becoming an expert at everything, but about protecting the time, energy, and attention that make you exceptional at the thing your business was created to do. Hard work built her business, and she suspects it built many others as well.
Creating Space for Exceptional Work
By moving away from the mindset of doing everything themselves, business owners can create space to focus on the work that only they can do. This mindset shift can help business owners prioritize their time and energy, leading to greater exceptionalism in their work.
As Magill has come to understand, growth is not about wearing every hat, but about creating the space and time to do the work that makes a business truly valuable. By recognizing the hidden cost of wearing every hat, business owners can take steps to protect their time, energy, and attention, leading to greater success and exceptionalism in their business.
Read Also: Top 10 stocks in focus after Sitharaman announcements
Magill’s approach emphasizes the importance of focusing on high-leverage activities that drive business growth. She encourages business owners to re-evaluate their tasks and responsibilities to determine which ones are essential to their business’s success.
By doing so, business owners can create a clearer distinction between tasks that require their expertise and those that can be delegated or outsourced. This, in turn, allows them to allocate their time and energy more effectively, leading to increased productivity and better outcomes.
Magill’s insights offer a valuable perspective for small-business owners who often struggle to balance multiple responsibilities. By adopting a more strategic approach to task management, business owners can free up time and energy to focus on the work that truly matters.
Ultimately, Magill’s message is one of empowerment, encouraging business owners to take control of their time and energy to achieve greater success and exceptionalism in their business. By recognizing the importance of prioritizing their work and focusing on high-leverage activities, business owners can create a more sustainable and profitable business model.
