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Notes on building a business that runs without you
Written by an operator who spent five years as the single point of failure in his own company. Practical, specific, and free of the word "hustle."
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4 postsWhat your business is worth when it can't run without you
A record number of owner-run businesses are coming to market this decade, and buyers get to be selective. What the key person discount is, the six things buyers check, and the twenty-four month plan that closes the gap before you sell.
Read the post →Missed calls are the most expensive thing in your home service business
The biggest number in a typical trades business never appears on the P&L. Here is how to work out your own figure from your call log in ten minutes, plus an honest look at what AI receptionists fix and what they quietly do not.
Read the post →How to delegate so the work stops coming back
You handed off the task and kept the decision, which is why it is on your desk again by Thursday. The five levels of delegation, the return-trip test that shows which level you are really at, and how to move one rung without dropping the ball.
Read the post →How to write an SOP that people actually follow
Most SOPs get written once and ignored, and it is not a discipline problem. The record-first method that takes about 25 minutes per procedure, the six-part template, and the silent test that finds the gaps you did not predict.
Read the post →Start with the guides
Longer, more foundational pieces. If you are new to the idea of owner dependency, read these first.
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