Day 9: Are You Building a Business… or Just Buying Yourself a Job?
- kbives9
- Jun 23
- 3 min read
3 min read
·
Just now
🗓️ This post is part of a 90-day blog series for micro-business owners who want to build sustainable, profitable businesses that support their lives — not take over their lives.
When you first started your business, freedom probably topped your wish list.
Freedom to set your own hours.
Freedom to do work you love.
Freedom to earn what you’re worth.
But if you’ve been at it for a while, you may have noticed something: You didn’t build freedom. You built a job — one with longer hours, more stress, and a much worse boss: yourself.
Let’s unpack what’s happening… and how to course-correct.
😩 The Job Trap: When “Self-Employed” Feels Like a Prison
Here’s how it usually plays out:
You get good at your craft (whether that’s bookkeeping, coaching, or candle-making).
Word spreads. You get more work. More clients.
To keep up, you work longer hours — and cut corners on sleep, systems, and self-care.
Before long, you realize: You’ve created a business that only works if you do.
That’s not entrepreneurship. That’s self-employment with shackles.
🧠 The Shift: From Doer to Designer
If you want more than survival — if you want true growth and freedom — you need to shift your identity from “worker” to “business owner.”
That starts by changing the questions you ask yourself.
Instead of asking, “How can I get this done faster?”, start asking, “Can someone else do this just as well — or even better?”
Instead of wondering, “How do I make more sales this week?”, shift to, “What kind of system would help me generate consistent sales every week?”
And instead of constantly reacting with, “What’s next on my to-do list?”, ask, “What’s my role as the CEO in growing this business?”
This mindset shift may feel subtle, but it’s powerful. You don’t need to do less work — you need to focus on the right work, and create support around everything else.
🔁 How to Escape the Self-Made Job Trap (Even If You’re Just One Person)
Here’s a simple framework you can apply right now:
1. Audit Your Weekly Tasks
Use a tool like Clockify or even pen and paper. Track everything you do for a week. Then categorize:
CEO Work: Strategy, planning, visibility
Client Work: Services, fulfillment
Admin: Emails, invoices, scheduling
If 80% of your week is admin or client work, you’re stuck in the business, not leading it.
2. Pick One Task to Systemize or Delegate
Use ScribeHow to document how you do the task.
See if it can be automated (e.g., emails, scheduling).
If not, consider outsourcing (even 2–3 hours a week helps).
3. Create a Weekly CEO Time Block
Even just 15 minutes. Use it to check your numbers, review goals, and plan forward — not just react.
📊 Focus on the Big Three
Remember, everything you delegate or systemize should support one of these three pillars:
1. Sales — Bringing in new leads
2. Finances — Managing your money and pricing profitably
3. Operations — Delivering your service smoothly without chaos
If your time isn’t strengthening one of these, it’s time to shift it.
💡 Inside the Program: Stop Doing It Alone
Taking Care of Business — Together is designed to help you:
Step out of task overwhelm
Build systems for growth
Make smart business decisions using real data
You’ll still wear many hats — but you won’t wear them all at once, or alone.
📝 Catch Up on the Series:
Day 1: Why You’re Stuck Under $100K
Day 2: What to Fix First
Day 3: Prioritizing What Matters
Day 4: Why You Keep Falling Behind
Day 5: Track What Matters
Day 6: Free Tools for Small Business Success
Day 7: Why You’re Not Getting Consistent Leads
Day 8: The 15-Minute Weekly CEO Check-In
➡️ Coming Tomorrow: Day 10: What to Do When You Feel Like Giving Up on Your Business
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