Entrepreneurs are a bit of a different breed. There’s no question that they tend to be driven, focused, self-starters with a vision. Successful entrepreneurs are also not afraid of hard work. There is, however, a bit of a myth that surrounds those who strike out on their own. It’s often believed (sometimes by the entrepreneurs themselves) is that they can—and even must—do everything by themselves.
Many entrepreneurial efforts often start off that way—usually by necessity. If you’re doing something that nobody else has tried, it can be tough to get people to back you (either financially or in a working capacity). Entrepreneurs aren’t afraid to go it on their own. It’s frequently the only way they can get the ball rolling. The challenge, however, is knowing when you should bring in others.
It’s a matter of scaling your business. Even a terrifically talented businessperson with a great vision has limited capability. Many a great business idea has floundered because the talents and drive of the entrepreneur simply can’t be stretched out over multiple clients. There really is no such thing as a one-man-show when it comes to growing a business.
To be honest, if you have an idea or a plan that absolutely requires your participation throughout the process, you probably don’t have a business that scales. It doesn’t mean it’s a bad plan. And if you are happy being a one-man/one-woman show it may be a great thing for you. But if you’re looking for something that you can scale up and grow that’s not going to happen if you have to oversee every aspect of the operation.
Sometimes, however, it’s the entrepreneur who has a hard time letting go of control. If you constantly resist having other people take responsibility in your business because, “Nobody can do it like I do it,” you’ll never be able to grow your business. You’ll always be limited by the amount you can do. That’s what can happen when you buy into the myth of the entrepreneurial one-man show. Thinking you can do it all yourself will severely limit your ability to scale your business.
It’s critical, of course, to make sure you have the right people working for you. Having a great business idea—or even great business skills and acumen is wonderful. But it’s a myth to think that you can build a major business by yourself. You need the multiplied impact that a team brings in order to scale your business.
You can’t just settle for anyone. You have to identify people with the same kind of passion and drive that you have. Here’s a post that can help you get started with that process. Don’t let the myth of the one-man-show keep you from the kind of growth you want.
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