If you’re a small business owner or manager, chances are you’ve heard this question before:
“Are you working in your business or on it?”
It might sound like a catchy phrase, but this distinction is critical, and understanding it could be the turning point that moves your business from surviving to scaling.
Let’s break down what this really means, why it matters, and how you can shift from one mode to the other.
Working In the Business: The Day-to-Day Grind
Working in the business means being involved in the daily operations, like the hands-on tasks that keep things running. You’re doing the work, responding to emails, answering phones, handling orders, managing staff, fixing mistakes, putting out fires.
You’re the engine, the driver, and the mechanic all at once.
Examples of working in the business:
- Packing products or delivering services
- Answering customer inquiries or chasing invoices
- Managing payroll, bookkeeping and admin tasks
- Handling staff issues or rostering
- Doing marketing tasks manually each week
There’s nothing wrong with this, especially in the early stages. Every small business owner wears multiple hats. But staying here for too long can lead to burnout, missed opportunities, and growth plateaus.
Working On the Business: Building the Bigger Picture
Working on the business means stepping back and looking at the bigger picture. It’s about building systems, setting direction, analysing performance, and planning for growth.
It’s not about the tasks, it’s about the structure that supports them.
Examples of working on the business:
- Designing systems to automate repetitive work
- Reviewing financial reports and setting goals
- Creating a hiring plan or refining team structure
- Building marketing strategies, not just posts
- Thinking about long-term positioning, pricing, and scalability
This is the CEO-level thinking your business needs to grow, but it often gets pushed aside for “more urgent” tasks.
The Real Reason We Stay Stuck In the Doing
Truthfully, many of us stay stuck in the doing because it’s familiar. It feels safe. It gives us quick wins.
But deep down, we know it’s not sustainable. You can’t scale chaos. You can’t grow if everything depends on you. And you certainly can’t take a break if you’re the only one who knows how things work.
Working on your business takes courage. It requires slowing down just enough to think clearly. To admit where things are messy. To ask for help. To trust your team. To let go of control and take hold of clarity.
How to Start Working On the Business Without Overhauling Everything
Track your time for a week
See how much time is spent on repetitive, operational tasks. This helps identify what could be delegated, automated, or improved.
Document recurring processes
If you do something more than twice, it should be a system. This makes it easier to delegate or optimise later.
Set a weekly time to “think”
Block out 1–2 hours each week to reflect, plan, or review. Use this time to work on the business, not to catch up on admin.
Prioritise delegation
Start by outsourcing or delegating low-impact tasks that drain your time but don’t require your expertise.
Review your business goals regularly
What are you building toward? What’s working? What’s broken? Working on your business means regularly asking and answering these questions.
Every business needs both: the doing and the designing. But if you’re constantly working in the business and never on it, you’re building a job, not a company.
Take time this week to reflect:
- What are you doing that someone else could do?
- What would break if you stepped away for a week?
- What decision, if made today, would make everything else easier?
You don’t have to do everything. You just have to stop doing everything yourself.
The content in this blog is intended to provide general insights and should not be regarded as professional advice. Each business situation is unique, and we recommend consulting with a professional for specific guidance. At Black Arrow Business Studio, we specialise in accounting and consulting services designed to support your business’s growth and success. Feel free to contact us for expert advice and customised solutions.
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