Top Signs You’re Doing Too Much in Your Business (and How to Fix It)

Wow, I’m really good at what I do—and I enjoy it. But I’ve hit my ceiling at this company. I don’t want to keep working endless hours just to make someone else rich. Maybe I could do this on my own. I know it won’t be easy, but if I’m great at [insert job], surely I can build a business around it…

Sound familiar? This is the moment many small business owners decide to take the leap. The problem? Running a business requires much more than being great at your craft.

Unfortunately, what all of us realize pretty quickly is how far that is from reality. The fact is, when you start your own business you have to wear a lot of hats that you have never worn before. Suddenly, you are a CEO, COO, CFO, head of Sales, Marketing lead, and Human Resources, oh, and you have to deliver the service or make the product too. At first, these are not full time roles. But as your business grows, doing it all yourself quickly becomes the biggest barrier to growth.

Get help before you are drowning in your own business

Below are some common red flags that small business owners should be aware of.

1. You feel like you are working more hours than there are in a day, and you are always behind.

2. The strategic activities, like growth planning are constantly "on the list", but you never get to them.

3. Your product/service quality begins to suffer, you possibly even lose customers as a result.

4. You are spending more money than you are making because you don't have good expense controls.

It is important to recognize that something has to change BEFORE the business starts running you— instead of the other way around.

Acknowledging the signs is important. Now, let’s look at how you can step away from the ‘do-it-all’ role.

Step 1: Identify your highest-value activities — focus where your expertise matters most.

Step 2: Delegate or outsource low-value tasks — bookkeeping, admin, marketing execution.

Step 3: Invest in systems and processes — so others can replicate work effectively.

Step 4: Bring in specialized leadership as needed — fractional CFO, COO, or HR support.

Step 5: Trust the team and shift your role to visionary and strategist.

A wise woman recently told me, "just because you CAN do it all, does not mean you SHOULD". I often remind myself of this as a small business owner who frankly enjoys wearing a lot of hats. You do not have to hire full time staff, if you are not financially positioned to do so yet. Leverage outsourced help for tasks that take away from your focus— growing the business. Fractional leadership is a perfect solution that enables you with executive level support without the burden of the costly full-time executive salary. They bridge the gap between doing it all yourself and building a full leadership team. Our fractional leadership model helps small business owners step out of the weeds, so they can focus on growth while knowing the critical functions are handled.

Remember, you don’t have to do it all, and you don’t have to figure it out alone. If you’re ready to stop wearing every hat and start leading with focus, our Growth Readiness Assessment will show you where to start. Contact us today to stop reacting and start scaling.