What it really costs you as an entrepreneur to keep doing everything yourself

The tasks that keep growing

Entrepreneurs tell me how they’re spending increasing amounts of time on things they never started a business for. Think of compliance and administration—areas that only seem to expand. Registrations, paperwork, forms, checks.

I recently spoke to a prospect who sighed at how much time it takes just to apply for anything. Whether it’s a bank account, insurance or another service, you have to onboard again every time—submitting information, completing forms, going through the same steps.

On top of that comes financial administration: invoices, VAT returns, reporting. And as soon as a team enters the picture, another layer is added. Contracts, payroll, reviews, absence management. It never really stops.

“I just don’t enjoy this”

What strikes me most in these conversations is how often entrepreneurs say they simply don’t enjoy these tasks. They drain energy instead of creating it. They’re the tasks that linger, that you keep putting off—and that still have to be done at the end of the day.

Many entrepreneurs say it quite plainly: “I love running my business, but everything around it is starting to take the joy out of it.” And that’s a shame. You didn’t start a business to get buried in admin—you started it for freedom and fulfilment.

How much time does this actually take?

Research shows that entrepreneurs spend, on average, around one full working day per week on administrative and support tasks. In practice, I see this confirmed time and again.

These hours are not insignificant. They’re hours not spent on clients, strategy or growth—and often not on rest either.

If you keep doing everything yourself, you end up working in your business. While the space to work on your business continues to shrink.

The real cost lies beneath the surface

The question I often ask entrepreneurs isn’t whether they can do these tasks themselves—because they usually can. The question is what it’s costing them:

• In focus and energy
• In job satisfaction
• In room to grow
• And ultimately: in revenue and freedom

Many of these tasks feel safe to hold onto. But they also keep you small, busy and exhausted.

Finally

The fact that so many entrepreneurs are considering a VA is not a luxury problem. It’s often a signal—a sign that running a business has become too much about the things that don’t align with your strengths or give you energy.

Running a business can be challenging. But it doesn’t have to feel heavy because of everything that comes with it.

Marianne Sturman
Founder & CEO of Moneypenny

Do you recognise yourself in this and want to explore what you can let go of? Moneypenny is here to help. Get in touch for a no-obligation conversation.