Letting Go Without Losing Control Success is Determined by What Happens When You’re Not at Work

By Gary Harper 

What would happen if you were to step away from your business thoroughly? 

If that question just gave you the chills, then I have a few more for you: 

• Do you feel your business owns you instead of you owning the business?  
• Do you see poor communication in your team?  
• Do you feel compelled to be involved in every business-related decision?  
• Do you have a problem getting the results you desire from your staff? 
• Are you an entrepreneur looking to scale your business but don’t know how you’ll manage any more than you’re already doing?  

I was once told (while struggling with some of these questions myself) that your business is not measured by its success when you are there but by its success when you’re not there. 

It’s true. However, many real estate investors run businesses that cannot operate without them or, more likely, that they cannot release to run without them.  

Every business needs structure and organization, which grows as the company grows. 

For your company to grow, you must add more people to your structure. These people depend on your business for their livelihood, as will you. Think about it:  

When you first started, the entire burden was on you. You were the system. That is not a realistic growth model, however. Your business needs processes and systems so the company and employees can depend on those systems and not solely on you. You will burn out if you do not use systems as leverage to do more.  

Imagine the Possibilities 

Can you envision a business that runs effectively whether you are physically present? You’re free to take time off because you know the work will get done the way you would have done it. Sounds great, right? But what about a bad, even a worst-case scenario: your best employee leaves?  

Today, that event might be a nightmare. However, with the suitable systems in place, it can be a sad event rather than a disaster. Here’s how the best-case version of this adverse scenario might go, thanks to your business systems: 

Your best employee tells you they are leaving. You’re sad. You’re going to miss him. Thank goodness, the business won’t suffer! Thanks to your training systems, you hired someone else who shared your vision for the company and plugged right into the process and system your company built. Training new employees is nearly stress-free because you have documented processes and procedures that can be used for training. You make the hire, then get back to work “on” the business and vision instead of “in” the business, putting out fires and fixing problems. 

Keep going if that scenario sounds good, but you cannot imagine how to make it happen. The solution is as simple as asking yourself some simple, albeit tough, questions: 

• If you were to take time away, would your business run smoothly?   
• Are you constantly interrupted by calls and emails about daily issues? 
• Do your employees seem to lack directions and resources? How do you know for sure? 

The answers to these questions will help you identify where you need to start putting systems in place.  

Systems are a Creative Process 

You might think a system is the least creative thing in the world, but creating a system is truly an art, and, like all art, it can be challenging to get started. Creating sound business processes is hard work, but it must be done. There are a ton of things that must be documented with high-level process maps and work charts. Then, you need to define roles and responsibilities and accountability charts. 

Where do you find the time? Just add another hour to your day. Those clients will understand why you can’t care for their needs; you must document processes and procedures now. Maybe not. Plus, you barely have enough resources to complete all the work daily. 

Stop! This line of thinking is dangerous, and it leads to this result:  

You continue to do what you have done: nothing. This is part of the problem. You need to prioritize this and be a part of the solution, not the problem. Maybe you didn’t know before, and this is new to you. 

You Have 2 Tough Options 

Now that you are ready to make these systems and processes, your solution, happen, I will give you two options to choose from to start the process: 

1. Dig in and get it done. Ask your employees to work harder or pay overtime, add one more ball to your juggling act, and hope you don’t drop one. If you can accomplish this, then great; you will see a great return on the time you invest. 
    
2. Get help. There are lots of ways to get help, and one of those ways is to hire a business consultant.  

I wish I could tell you that every business owner who tries to do this on their own is successful, but most of the time, companies figure out they don’t currently have the in-house expertise needed. 

So, if you lack the expertise, time, or resources, hiring someone could be the most important decision you make to effect change in your business. 

Next Step: Take Action 

You must act now. Procrastinating will worsen your situation, and your total reliance on yourself to manage your business will soon start costing you money if it has not already done so.  

How much does it cost to lose a lead, continue costly rehabs over timelines, or pay more money to your lender because your projects are taking too long? Starting this process will help you resolve that problem and take your life back from your business without going out of business.