Becoming the Manager with the Help of Parkinson’s Law
Should you actually be working fewer hours in your business? In this episode, I dig into the "manager" role from Michael Gerber's E-Myth framework and why having only a few hours a week to work on your business might actually be your biggest advantage. I walk through how Parkinson's Law shapes the way we use our time, and break down the systems every side-hustler should be tightening up — from admin and invoicing to marketing, client onboarding, and delivery. If you've ever felt like your business is running you instead of the other way around, this one's for you.
Highlights
- The three roles every solo business owner plays: technician, manager, and owner
- Why Parkinson's Law works in your favor when you only have limited hours to run your business
- Revisiting the boundaries concept and the Easy Ates (automate, delegate, eliminate) framework
- Auditing your admin systems: invoicing, proposals, scheduling, and financial reporting
- Tightening up marketing and client onboarding to make it easier for people to work with you
- Streamlining client delivery and documenting standard operating procedures
- Investing in the right tools to buy back time instead of overspending on unnecessary software
Chapters
0:00 – Welcome and Recap
1:17 – Meet the Manager Role
1:50 – Parkinson's Law Advantage
2:41 – Time Boundaries and Easy Ates
3:45 – Systems and Admin Efficiency
6:02 – Marketing and Client Onboarding
7:27 – Streamlining Client Delivery
8:54 – Lean Tools and Wrap Up
Resources Mentioned
- QuickBooks — for online financial reporting vs. manual spreadsheets
- Calendly — scheduling tool for eliminating back-and-forth emails
- Acuity Scheduling — alternative scheduling tool
- Google Business Profile — for managing your online listing, photos, and reviews
- Claude — AI automation tool mentioned for handling manual work
- Zapier — automation tool for connecting workflows
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Remember, build the business, but be the dad!
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