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CHAPTER 4 BUILDING A BUSINESS THAT WORKS... WITHOUT YOU

At the same time, I am sure you have also seen many examples
of entrepreneurs who started small and ending up building
hundreds of outlets/ offices in so many countries, returning
millions of dollars in sales every year. Think of Ya Kun
International which started as a small coffee shop but it has
grown into more than 50 outlets in seven countries. Think of
Subway, a small sandwich shop started by17-year-old Fred
DeLuca (who had no money to go to college) which has grown
into 29,355 restaurants in 86 countries. Their businesses just
get bigger and bigger each year. How do they do it? Where
do they find the time?

The most important thing you must understand about the latter
group of successful entrepreneurs is that they don't necessarily
work harder or longer hours. The difference lies in the kind
of work the entrepreneur is focused on. The biggest mistake
that entrepreneurs make is to focus all of their time working
IN the business and not enough time working ON the business.

Working IN the business involves doing the tactical work
necessary for the business to operate day to day. This work
is usually the urgent stuff that must be done immediately to
keep the business running. It involves selling the product,
making the product/providing the service, delivering the
service or product, administration and accounting. For example,
if you started a restaurant business, working IN the business
would include greeting people at the door, waiting on tables,
cooking, being the cashier, doing the accounts, cleaning etc...

While this work is indeed necessary, it should not be the
primary focus of the entrepreneur. The reason is because
focusing all your energy on this operational work will never
allow you to grow or automate your business. You are focusing
on short-term, one time income. The moment you stop doing

104 SECRETS OF BUILDING MULTI-MILLION DOLLAR BUSINESSES