When my wife and I acquired our pet boutique during the pandemic, we had a clear vision from day one: we didn’t want to spend every weekday working at the shop ourselves.
That wasn’t our goal. We wanted to build something that could operate without our constant presence – something that would give us the freedom to pursue other priorities while still generating income.
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Why Always-On Business Ownership Doesn’t Work
In our culture here in the US, everything is instant gratification.
If I want something, I can buy it on my phone, and Amazon will sometimes deliver it the same day.
When you run a business, there’s no easy exit — not even on the tough days — because people are counting on you.
If I had to run the shop full-time, do my full-time corporate job, and raise my kids, it would be impossible.
I would pull my hair out.
I don’t know how Elon Musk does it.
But when you build systems into your business, everything changes.
Building Freedom Into Our Business
I know that my shop will operate smoothly Tuesday through Saturday, with just occasional check-ins via text message.
This arrangement allows me to focus on my corporate responsibilities during the week, with just brief moments between meetings to monitor operations remotely.
I have software that lets me see how the day is going at the shop.
I can run payroll from my phone if I need to.
It’s all about finding that flexibility – you don’t have to be tied to your emails 24/7 in front of your computer.
People think that’s how you have to run a business, but it’s simply not true.
Why Paper Notebooks Sometimes Beat Digital Tools
I hate the “grind” and productivity culture that’s everywhere right now.
There’s this idea that everything has to be in a Notion database, and you need to track every minute of your day.
This just isn’t true.
For major projects in my corporate role (including an $11 million project we recently kicked off), I often use a simple paper notebook for planning and tracking. It works perfectly fine.
Remember that people built successful, lasting companies long before Notion, Asana, ClickUp, and other digital productivity tools existed.
Time Management for Business Owners
When working with my coaching clients, the first thing we do is get their time right. Where is their actual prioritization?
Someone might say, “Last week, I did X, Y, and Z, and it took a lot of my time.” But if you actually went back to their calendar and looked at how often they were thinking about it, it may have only taken two hours, while all the prep work leading up to it took the bulk of their time.
I have one client who told me, “I don’t have time to build a website because I’m just dealing with all these client calls all the time.”
And I asked, “What happens when those client calls stop? How have you been tracking your customers? Do you have a CRM in place? Where are the new leads coming from?”
His response was that it’s all referrals.
But referrals eventually stop and lull.
You don’t have a way to spur those people who used you again.
They’re not going to keep referring you if their problem isn’t fixed and no one brings it up to them.
The Three Questions That Streamline Any Business
When I work with clients to improve their business operations, I use a simple three-question framework to cut through complexity:
- Is this something you personally must handle?
- Could someone else on your team take ownership of this task?
- Is there a way to automate this process entirely?
These questions help identify where your time is being wasted and which activities can be systematized or delegated.
Once we’ve identified operational gaps, we examine the business roadmap and challenge assumptions about what’s truly necessary for growth.
Conclusion
The systems we’ve created allow our shop to run Tuesday through Saturday with minimal oversight.
I still maintain my full corporate role, managing a $35 million portfolio; we run two small businesses, and I’m present for my two young boys at home.
This isn’t about working less – it’s about working smarter and creating a business that enhances your life rather than consumes it.