One of the greatest pains I see small business owners endure is the cycle of being so busy working in their business that they can’t find the time to do the fundamental things necessary to grow it beyond where it is at that moment. They find themselves stuck in a rapidly expanding rut of the daily grind, writing estimates, dogging receivables or worse yet — performing services in the field. They are literally slaves to their business.

I’m sure there are plenty of behavioral psychologists out there who have a multitude of theories as to why these situations exist. While understanding is important, change through action is impactful. Breaking free of this self-imposed, indentured relationship, however, is not for the faint of heart. Neither is entrepreneurship! Fortunately, there is a pattern to the behavior of successful business owners who have earned their freedom.