Over the last few years since I sold a number of my businesses I have time to reflect and look back on my behaviour while I was a business owner. Not to criticise but to really learn from what I now see I did and look at how I can change or improve going forward.

When we are deep in something we often don't have a vision of what we are doing to ourselves and to our team.

So I have collated a list of behaviours I now see I displayed at one time or another.

1. Wearing All the Hats

At the beginning I was doing everything, from sales and marketing to admin and customer service. There was some delegation but not enough delegation, which leads to burnout and missed opportunities for growth. For me I did move reasonably well towards delegating and even went too far to review what I did and put people in place to take those responsibilities.

2. Reactive Instead of Proactive

When you are buried in your business you are constantly putting out fires. There’s no clear plan, so you spend your days in survival mode rather than focusing on long-term strategy. Survival mode is exhausting because you never feel like you are moving forward, you are only ever just getting through the day.

3. Avoiding the Numbers

Again when you are in the weeds you don’t always look at your finances regularly. I know some business owners who actively avoid it completely. They feel overwhelmed or it’s so confronting. Others just do a rear view mirror look at what happened in the past. This leads to poor cash flow, underpricing, or unprofitable products/services. You need a dashboard of today and forward bookings to get a real sense of what is happening in your business every day.

4. Marketing Inconsistently (or Not at All)

This is all part of being reactive as opposed to proactive. Often we rely heavily on word of mouth or repeat customers but don’t have a consistent marketing plan to bring in new leads or build brand awareness. It’s not because we don't want to, it's because we don't have the time or the energy to put it in place.

Be Consistently Inconsistent with Your Marketing Efforts

5. Underpricing Themselves

I must admit I haven't had this issue myself but I do see a lot of business owners who do. They’re afraid to charge what they’re worth, often leading to undercharging or discounting just to close the sale, at the expense of profitability. Do you know what you or your product are worth? Do you know what your costs are on delivery of every product or service?

6. Lack of Clear Goals

Are you looking at your goals each day? There have been loads of times when I just needed to get through the day. Goals seemed such a long way off and nearly irrelevant. You may have vague hopes for more sales or more time, but there’s no defined business plan or structured goals with timelines and accountability. Start by looking at what you want for you and for your business. Create goals and work towards them.

7. Fear of Letting Go

Even if you have a small team, you can struggle to delegate because you don’t fully trust others to do it “right” or maybe you believe it’s faster to do it yourself. But then how do you build a business that doesn't rely on you?

8. Avoiding Hard Conversations

This was me. Coming out of COVID I had so many issues to fix and so many things hitting me in the face everyday I avoided dealing with issues. Whether it’s dealing with a team issue, increasing prices, or reviewing underperforming services, I was reluctant to address the tough stuff because I was so exhausted. However when we don't address the tough stuff it just gets worse and grows bigger. I know that from first hand experience.

7 Tips for Getting Through Difficult Conversations

9. Isolated Decision Making

When you are drowning in a business you won't ask for help often. You try to figure everything out on your own. You are putting more and more pressure on yourself everyday to sort things out but the pressure is exhausting you further. This slows down growth and increases the likelihood of missteps and burn out.

20 Ways Leaders Can Quickly Make Quality Decisions

10. Losing Passion or Drive

Then there is the desire to exit. You feel tired, unmotivated, unwell and stuck. What once excited them now feels like a massive burden. You have no idea on how to reignite your spark. Your passion left you long ago and you are simply going through the motions.

My Final Thought on This

If any of these behaviours resonate with you, and I am sure some will. Please know, you’re not alone.

These are common patterns that show up when business owners are overwhelmed, stretched thin, or just trying to survive day-to-day.

The good news is, recognising these signs is the first step toward making positive change.

You don’t have to keep doing it all on your own. Whether it’s putting structure around your goals, building confidence in your numbers, creating a clear plan for growth, or just having someone in your corner to help you see the forest for the trees, it all starts with a conversation.

I’ve been there. I’ve lived it. And I now help business owners just like you shift from struggle to strategy, from chaos to clarity.

If you’re ready to get back in control of your business and rediscover your passion, book a call with me. Let’s build a business that works for you, not the other way around.

Learn more about the challenges of running a business and how to overcome them, The Mental Battle of Being in Business.

Common Behaviours of Business Owners Who Need Help!