It’s a story that plays out all too often in the small business world. A skilled tradesperson, we’ll call him Mark, opens a custom cabinetry shop. His work is brilliant, and soon, orders are flooding in. Before he knows it, Mark is working 80-hour weeks, personally overseeing every cut, finish, and installation.
The business is making money, but growth has hit a wall. He can't take a vacation, every decision lands on his shoulders, and he's burning out. Mark’s business isn't struggling because of a bad product or a lack of customers. It’s struggling because he built himself a job, not a business.
This exact scenario helps explain why the failure rate for new entrepreneurs is so high, around 50% within five years, and why someone like Brad Sugars, founder of the global coaching franchise ActionCOACH, has become such a central figure in business re-education.
