Building it without
it eating you.

Nobody starts a business to work more hours for less money, but plenty end up there anyway, with no real solution in sight.

The thing that stops working

In the beginning, effort solves everything, and you're happy to do it. No work? Knock on more door;. fall behind on tasks? Work on Saturday. It's effective, satisfying, and you see things moving forward.

However, it's not long before you hit the ceiling. Your head is full, but the phone still rings, and your only remaining lever is hours you haven't got. The thing that got you here stops being the thing that gets you further.

Raise your prices before you raise your hours

The most common problem for small businesses isn't demand; it's margin. Men who are rushed off their feet but are still skint are often underpriced, and reluctant to raise it. They want to remain competitive and not feel like they're taking advantage of clients.

Work out what an hour of your time actually costs once you include the van, insurance, quoting, chasing, unpaid Sunday admin and the time off you don't take. This will help you identify what your True Working Value (TWV) is and how much you've undervalued yourself and your services.

Action plan: Put your prices up 10% on the next five quotes. Maybe you'll lose one or two but in this climate, a lot of clients will be understanding, especially if they've been to you before and know how good you are!

Get the worst hour off your desk first

When men finally get help, they usually hire someone to do the work they enjoy — the actual trade — but keep the invoicing, chasing and quoting for themselves, at night.

Do it the other way round. Pay someone a few hours a week for the admin and the chasing. It costs less than you think, buys back your evenings, and removes the feeling of resentment and being tied up in parts of the business you don't care for. Once this foundation is established, you can move onto outsourcing the trade itself and really scale.

Learn to say no to the wrong work

Every self-employed man knows a customer who haggles, changes their mind, pays late or calls on a Sunday evening. They fill the space good work would have taken, and they're usually accepted out of a fear of empty weeks.

If such a client comes along, realise your worth and simply tell them: "I'm not the right person for this one"

The bit that isn't about the business

Running your own thing does something to a person's identity that a job doesn't. It stops being what you do and becomes who you are. A slow month isn't just a slow month; it feels like a reflection of you and the quality you offer. It's easy to take this personally.

Put something in your calendar (and time block it!) that has nothing to do with work; maybe a date night with your partner or a social event with close friends. This will show you that your worth doesn't only come from one place and that you are more than just the success/failure of your business.