How do I stop being the bottleneck in my business?

If you feel like everything has to go through you — decisions, approvals, updates — you’re not imagining it. Many small business owners unintentionally become the bottleneck. And it’s exhausting.

The problem often isn’t your team. It’s that everything lives in your head, or you haven’t had time to set up clear systems that work without you.

Here’s where to start:

🔵 Map out one repeatable process — Just one. Get it out of your head and onto paper or a whiteboard

🔵 Look for delays — Where does the task or project slow down? Is someone waiting for you to approve, reply or assign it?

🔵 Create templates or decision guides — If you answer the same questions 10 times a week, write them down once

🔵 Make responsibilities visible — Don’t assume your team knows who owns what. Clarity creates confidence

🔵 Start delegating outcomes, not tasks — Tell them what success looks like — and let them figure out how to get there

Letting go doesn’t mean losing control. It means setting up your business to run without you being in the middle of every single decision.

Want help stepping back without losing visibility?

Your Business Personality Type might give you a clue about what’s making it harder to let go. Take the free quiz and start building trust in your team, your tools — and yourself.