Working In Your Business vsOn Your Business
Working in your business means doing the work. Working on your business means building the systems that produce the work's results.
The distinction is one of the most important an owner can grasp, because it determines whether they build a business or remain trapped in a job. Working in the business means doing the work delivering the value, handling the customers, doing the day-to-day work of the business. Working on the business means building the systems the processes and structures that produce the work's results independent of the owner. The owner who works only in the business does the work, keeping the business dependent on them a job. The owner who works on the business builds the systems, building a business that runs independent of them. Understanding the distinction directs the owner toward working on the business, building the systems, rather than only working in it, doing the work.
Business System Framework
This matters because working only in the business keeps the owner trapped in a job, while working on the business builds a business. The owner who works only in the business doing the work keeps the business dependent on them, trapped in a job; the owner who works on the business building the systems builds a business that runs independent of them. Understanding the distinction directs the owner toward working on the business, building the business rather than remaining trapped doing the work.
Why Working On the Business Builds a Business
Working on the business builds a business because building the systems produces results independent of the owner.
The owner working on the business builds the systems. The owner who works on the business builds the systems the processes and structures that produce the work's results independent of the owner. The owner working on the business builds the systems that produce the results. The owner working on the business builds the systems.
What Are Systems?
The systems produce the results independent of the owner. The systems the owner builds produce the work's results independent of the owner the results produced by the systems, not depending on the owner doing the work. The systems produce the results independent of the owner, the business running on the systems. The systems produce the results independent of the owner.
What Is Delegation?
This is why working on the business builds a business. The owner who works on the business builds the systems that produce the results independent of them a business that runs independent of the owner, that can grow beyond their capacity, that is an asset rather than a job. The owner working on the business builds the business that runs independent of them. Working on the business builds a business that runs independent of the owner. The Business System is built by working on the business building the systems that produce results independent of the owner.
(Insert product CTA: The Business System)
Making the Shift From In to On
The owner makes the shift from working in the business to working on it by systematizing and delegating the work.
Systematizing the work allows it to be done without the owner. The owner who systematizes the work building the processes that produce the work's results reliably and independently allows the work to be done without the owner doing it. The systematizing allows the work to be done without the owner, freeing the owner from doing it. Systematizing the work allows it to be done without the owner.
What Are Systems?
Delegating the work moves it from the owner. The owner who delegates the work moving it to others following the systems, or to systems moves the work from themselves, freeing themselves from doing it. The delegating moves the work from the owner, freeing them to work on the business. Delegating the work moves it from the owner, freeing them to work on the business.
What Is Delegation?
The freed owner works on the business. The owner freed from doing the work by systematizing and delegating works on the business, building the systems, growing the business, working on it rather than in it. The freed owner works on the business, building it rather than doing the work. The shift from in to on is made by systematizing and delegating the work, freeing the owner to work on the business.
Why Some Businesses Scale And Others Stall
The Practical Reading
Working in your business means doing the work; working on your business means building the systems that produce the work's results. Working on the business builds a business; working only in it keeps the owner trapped in a job.
The first move is to distinguish working in the business from working on it. Working in the business means doing the work; working on the business means building the systems that produce the work's results independent of the owner.
The second move is to recognize that working only in the business keeps the owner trapped. The owner who works only in the business does all the work, keeping the business dependent on them a job they cannot escape without the business stopping.
The third move is to recognize that working on the business builds a business. The owner who works on the business builds the systems that produce the results independent of them a business that runs independent of the owner.
The fourth move is to make the shift from in to on by systematizing and delegating the work. Systematizing the work allows it to be done without the owner, delegating moves it from the owner, and the freed owner works on the business, building it.
Business System Framework
The distinction between working in your business and working on it is the distinction between doing the work and building the systems that produce the work's results. Working only in the business keeps the owner trapped in a job dependent on them; working on the business builds the systems that produce results independent of the owner, building a business that runs. The owner who systematizes and delegates the work frees themselves to work on the business, building a business rather than remaining trapped in a job.
Related Reading
What Are Systems?
What Is Delegation?
Why Systems Beat Motivation
Business System Framework
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Frequently asked questions
Find answers to the most common questions about our products, shipping and returns.
What does working in your business mean?
Working in your business means doing the day-to-day work delivering the value, handling the customers, doing the work of the business. The owner working in the business does the work that produces the business's results. Working only in the business keeps the business dependent on the owner doing the work, which keeps the owner trapped in a job rather than building a business.
What does working on your business mean?
Working on your business means building the systems the processes and structures that produce the work's results independent of the owner. The owner working on the business builds the systems that produce the results, rather than doing the work themselves. Working on the business builds a business that runs independent of the owner, rather than a job dependent on them.
Why does working only in the business keep you trapped?
Working only in the business keeps you trapped because the business's results depend on the owner doing the work the owner cannot stop without the business stopping, cannot grow beyond their capacity. The business depending on the owner doing the work is a job they cannot escape. Working on the business building the systems is what frees the owner from the trap.
Why does working on the business build a business?
Working on the business builds a business because building the systems produces the work's results independent of the owner the results produced by the systems, not depending on the owner doing the work. The systems create a business that runs independent of the owner, that can grow beyond their capacity, that is an asset rather than a job. Building the systems builds the business.
How do you shift from working in to working on the business?
Shift from working in to working on the business by systematizing the work (building the processes that produce the results reliably and independently, allowing the work to be done without the owner) and delegating the work (moving it to others following the systems, or to systems). The freed owner then works on the business building the systems, growing the business rather than doing the work.
Should an owner never work in the business?
An owner may work in the business at times, especially early on, but should shift toward working on it building the systems that produce the work's results independent of them. The owner who only works in the business stays trapped in a job; the owner who works on it builds a business. The goal is to systematize and delegate the work, freeing the owner to work on the business.
