6. Making Your Business Less About You
A story about stepping back, letting go, and building a business that outlives its founder.
It was 7:42 a.m. and James was already fielding a third call, this one about a late delivery to the airport client.
He wasn’t angry. Not really. Just tired. He solved the problem, reassured the client and then scribbled a note to speak to dispatch about cross-checking orders. Again.
His phone buzzed. A reminder: “Sarah meeting 11:00 – Topic: Owner Reliance.”
James sighed.
When Sarah arrived later that morning, she didn’t ask how things were going. She already knew. Instead, she asked, “What happens when you’re not here for a week?”
James smiled. “Chaos,” he said. She didn’t smile back. “That’s a problem,” she replied. “Not because it means you’re doing a bad job. But because it makes the business unsellable.”
He blinked. “Unsellable?” “Well,” she softened, “not to anyone who wants a business that doesn’t collapse when the owner goes on holiday. Or retires. Or sells.”
James sat quietly, hearing it in full for the first time.
The Psychological Perspective
For many SME owners, the business is them.
That sense of control, purpose, and centrality is deeply validating. But when it comes time to exit, the very structure that made the business run so well – you - becomes the very reason it’s hard to let go.
Letting go isn’t about stepping away all at once. It’s about intentionally pulling yourself out of the centre over time. It’s emotional labour. It challenges your identity.
You might feel guilt (“Will the team cope?”), fear (“What if it falls apart?”), or loss (“If I’m not needed, who am I?”).
But it’s also the greatest gift you can give your successor and yourself.
HR Best Practice
Owner dependence is one of the biggest deal risks for buyers.
From an HR and organisational design perspective, reducing it starts with -
Documenting core operational processes
Building leadership capability in your team
Delegating decision-making in meaningful areas
Creating a structure that doesn’t bottleneck at the top
For James, this meant starting small: handing over client presentations to his sales lead, inviting Pete into monthly financial reviews and having the team trial a week without “asking James.”
It was rough at first. But it revealed strengths and gaps that they could address before the buyer ever walked in.
HR advisers often call this “institutionalising knowledge.” It’s about moving from personality-led to systems-led.
Red Flags To Be Mitigated Against
Buyers start asking about owner involvement almost immediately. Red flags include -
The owner handles all customer relationships
Staff defer upwards on every decision
There’s no formal leadership structure
Key IP or financial management resides only in the owner’s head
James realised he didn’t just know everything - he had built it that way. Not out of ego, but out of necessity. But now, necessity had to give way to sustainability.
Ideal Owner Mindset
The mindset needed here is architect over operator.
A saleable business is one that -
Runs predictably without your daily oversight
Has leaders, not just followers
Has documented systems that survive turnover
Can scale—or survive—without you as the linchpin
It doesn’t mean becoming invisible. It means becoming optional.
James didn’t need to disappear. He just needed to prove the business wouldn’t disappear without him.
Key Takeaway - If your business can't run without you, it isn't ready to be sold. Start building independence now—so you can step away later, with confidence.