Working ON Your Business, Not IN It — The Mindset That Changes Everything

 “If your business depends on you, you don’t own a business — you have a job. And it’s the worst job in the world.” — Michael E. Gerber

If you’re a business owner who feels like you’re always working harder but not getting ahead, you’re not alone.

Most entrepreneurs start out full of energy and passion — and then get stuck running in circles. They spend their days reacting to problems, putting out fires, and juggling tasks that should have been delegated long ago.

Sound familiar?

This is the trap Michael Gerber describes in The E-Myth Revisited. The escape lies in shifting your focus from working IN your business to working ON it.

Step 1 — Define Your Business (Not Just What You Do)

Working ON your business starts with defining what your business truly is — not just the product or service you sell.

Gerber’s first principle is clarity: your business is an entity separate from you, with its own purpose, identity, and future.

Ask yourself:

• What is the mission of my business?
• Who is my ideal customer?
• What unique problem do we solve better than anyone else?
• What does success look like three years from now?

When you define your purpose, audience, and goals, you stop reacting and start designing. 

Clarity creates focus — and focus drives growth.

Step 2 — Develop Systems and Processes That Scale

Most owners think they don’t have time to document processes. But the truth is, you can’t afford not to.

Systems create consistency, scalability, and freedom. They turn chaos into order and reduce your business’s reliance on any one person — especially you.

Start by identifying your core areas:

• Sales — how leads are generated, followed up, and converted.
• Operations — how products or services are delivered consistently.
• Customer Service — how clients are supported and retained.
• Finance & Admin — how cash, invoices, and performance are managed.

Document your best practices, update them regularly, and train your team around them.

Remember:

Systems run the business — people run the systems.

When processes are strong, your business becomes repeatable, teachable, and scalable.

Step 3 — Delegate and Empower Your Team

Delegation isn’t about giving up control — it’s about gaining leverage.

Many business owners cling to tasks because “no one can do it as well as I can.” But this thinking limits growth and burns you out.

Here’s how to delegate effectively:

• Identify repetitive, lower-value tasks that drain your time.
• Match each task to the right person based on skill and interest.
• Clearly define expectations, standards, and deadlines.
• Empower your team with authority, not just responsibility.
• Give feedback and celebrate wins.

When your people know what success looks like and have the autonomy to deliver it, accountability becomes natural. 

The goal isn’t to work less — it’s to work on the right things.

The Real Work of a Leader

Your role as a leader is not to do the work but to design the system that does the work.

That means shifting your mindset from technician to architect.

Technicians focus on execution.
Entrepreneurs design environments where others can execute brilliantly.

When you adopt this mindset, you gain time to:

• Innovate new products or services.
• Build partnerships.
• Explore new markets.
• Lead strategically, not reactively.

The E-Myth in Practice

When you work ON your business, you move from survival to scalability.

You create:

• Clear direction and purpose.
• Documented, repeatable systems.
• A team that owns outcomes.
• A business that grows without your constant input.

That’s not just better business — it’s better life design.

Freedom is not the absence of work — it’s the presence of systems.

Final Thought — The Owner’s Shift

Working ON your business is more than a productivity tactic. It’s a leadership philosophy.

When you step back from the daily grind and start designing for the future, you transform from operator to strategist — from employee to true entrepreneur.

Want to identify where your business is stuck working IN rather than ON?

Take our Scaling Up / Four Decisions Needs Assessment to benchmark your business against other high-growth companies.

Contact tedb@strategyandexecution.com.au to schedule a free 30-minute discovery meeting.

TED BONEL, SCALING UP PRACTITIONER – STRATEGY & EXECUTION BUSINESS ADVISORS

Are you looking to scale your business and execute strategy with clarity and impact? I help CEOs and founders turn big ideas into real-world results, guiding small to mid-market companies through tailored strategic insights that drive growth.

My expertise lies in simplifying complexity – bridging high-level strategic frameworks with the practical realities of running a business. Unlike many consultants who focus solely on theory or execution, I specialise in both—translating strategy into actionable, transformative steps that deliver lasting results.

Want to identify where your business is stuck working IN rather than ON?

Contact me at tedb@strategyandexecution.com.au to schedule a free 30-minute discovery meeting.

ABOUT STRATEGY & EXECUTION

For over 20 years, Strategy & Execution has supported leaders and organisations in developing and executing winning strategies. We provide expert facilitation, executive education, and hands-on consulting to help businesses refine their strategic direction and implement it effectively.

Using proven methodologies like Scaling Up, E-Myth Mastery, Outthinker, and more, we challenge conventional thinking and equip organisations with the tools to accelerate growth. Our approach is dynamic—combining deep business experience with practical execution. We don’t just advise; we roll up our sleeves and work alongside you to make strategy happen.

If you’re preparing for a strategy development or execution challenge and are committed to creating real value, we’d love to hear from you. Learn more about our work or upcoming workshops