As I shared last week, I’ve spoken with over 50 business owners in the last two months and I’ve gained insights into Phase 2: The Work Phase of business ownership. Last week, we discussed Phase 1, so let’s dive into what characterizes this phase and how you can effectively navigate it.

Phase 2: The Work Phase

The work phase is marked by two key qualities: Action and Frustration.

- Action arises from your understanding that all the learning you’ve accumulated is only as valuable as your implementation. This requires dedicated effort.

- Frustration sets in when you realize the extensive work necessary to elevate your business to a level that the marketplace will reward. Taking action means facing consequences; for instance, if you contact 100 people a day, you may encounter 99 "no's," which can deter you from initially taking that leap.

Many business owners get stuck here because, while they are willing to do the work, they often lose sight of their long-term vision. They neglect high-level thinking and miss opportunities to employ leverage effectively.

The Trap: Working, Working, Working

In this phase, I meet individuals who are not struggling to take action but rather are challenged by actions that truly drive long-term growth. Being focused on immediate tasks can lead to hard work that doesn't yield productive results. Remember: Being busy does not equal being productive.

External Challenges
- Letting go of control
- Overworking
- Establishing a reliable lead generation system
- Managing higher demands on products and time

Internal Challenges
- A hustler mentality that compromises well-being
- Pressuring oneself to constantly perform
- Measuring progress by the amount of work rather than its quality
- Fear of losing traction generated by engaging in high-level strategies

Unhelpful Beliefs
- "The more I work, the more my business will grow."
- "To grow, I need to do more."
- "I must be worthy to earn significant money."
- "I should be further along than I am."
- "If I stop for a moment, everything will collapse."
- "I don’t trust others to do the work that only I can do."

What to Do in This Phase to Move Forward

"Embrace saying no, keep your focus and incorporate play."

To further progress to the next phase, evaluate your activities and categorize them into three groups:
1. Only I Can Do
2. Software Can Do
3. Someone Else Could Do

Your growth in this phase will come from two major developments:
Delegation and Leverage.

Delegation is a core skill for an effective owner and takes some skill and learning to do effectively.

You need to learn to create SOPs and delegate responsibility, not only tasks.

What does it cost?
Trust!

You have to overcome your need for control to effectively move through this phase.

Start to employ leverage. Leverage can come from:
- People: Those who can assist you with tasks. Someone can take over managing your social media, doing the website, invoicing and accounting, emails, and other tasks that you can teach someone else.
- Software: Tools that can automate processes. Think AI, auto DMs, CRM systems, communication tools, and more.
- Money: Investments that can facilitate growth. Masterminds that teach you valuable skills, mentors, coaching, facilities, technologies, or product development.
- Media: Platforms that can amplify your efforts. Post, post, post.

Successful business owners in this phase continuously do the basics while learning these new skills:
1. Improving their product/service
2. Making their product or service known

Many people stop after their first attempts to employ leverage and mistakenly believe it doesn’t work.

Stay persistent—keep refining your approach until you find the right employee, software, or media outlet. When you do, you'll be amazed at how much more your business can achieve.

Next week, we’ll explore what happens in Phase 3 and how to scale beyond it. Stay tuned!