You may have heard of Michael Gerber’s three roles theory for business owners…

As a business owner you now have three roles you need to manage instead of the one you thought you were going to do:

1) The technician. This is actually performing the work you set up your business to do.

2) The manager. You need to step back and plan your workload to ensure that deadlines are met and workloads managed, perhaps by engaging assistance.

3) The entrepreneur. You must also plan the future direction of the business, whether that is new markets, methods or products. This ensures that the business continues to grow. Entrepreneurship is increasingly important, staying the same actually means you are falling behind in today’s fast changing business world.

I regularly attend courses and take time out from my business to engage the entrepreneur and investigate future opportunities, as well as undertake training in new areas. It’s an important part of my success, and something that could be worthwhile to you as well.

My most recent day out of the office was to attend a branding masterclass follow-up meeting, where I discussed advanced branding opportunities with fellow graduates from a range of local businesses. Having this time out increased my productivity when I returned to the office, as well as reinforcing the choices I have made so far.

There are a couple of quotes from people I know that are particularly effective, when you may think you can’t afford to take time away from the business:

You’ve got to learn more to earn more.

If you’re not on the train, you’re under it.

Do you have time away from your business planned, so you can work on it instead of just in it?