Many small business owners become trapped thinking that they have to do everything themselves. At times they think that because no one can do it as well as them that it is more effective to do it themselves. If you are a small business owner and don't want to grow this may work ok. However, if you want to grow, the odds are stacked against you if you are a CEO owner wearing most of the hats. We are seeing many contractors who say they want to grow, stubbornly resisting giving up control of tasks that can and should be done by someone other than the CEO. Contractors are not the only profession exhibiting this behavior. It is prevalent in many different types of businesses. In contracting, it is not uncommon to see the CEO running the company, handling the sales, running production, driving nails, making collection calls, and anything else they think that only they can do. This feeling of invincibility that they can do it all is not without grave dangers to the health of the business and the owner. It contributes to poor health, burnout, marital issues, questionable judgment, employee issues, money problems and sometimes heart attacks.
For example the average work week for a CEO is 50-60 hours and for a professional salesperson 55 hours per week. How is it possible for one person to do both effectively? Not to mention the other items the CEO owner handles.
The road to success for contracting companies is clearly available to any who seek it through modeling other successful companies in their industry, research, education and training. The only thing the CEO owner contractor needs to do is decide to run their business in line with established contractor best practices and proven paths already blazed by successful contractors.
If you are a CEO owner of a contracting company wearing too many hats, do you think you are invincible like superman?
Are you too stubborn to let some of the work go?
Do you need the feeling of saving the day and telling yourself no one can do it as well as me?
Do you think it is possible to keep up the pace and be profitable and healthy?
If your answer is yes, I wish you the best.
If no, maybe you are ready to work with a professional residential contractor coach who can show you how to shed the hats you are over qualified to wear!
Does this sound like anybody you know?