I don’t mean a competitor or dodgy member of staff!
I’m talking about bad mindsets, bad practices and bad habits within your business which are working against your success.
These saboteurs stop your progress and ultimately limit your ability to grow your business shareholder value.
Imagine dismantling away these saboteurs which would:
- Show clients why your approach delivers better outcomes for them.
- Build a business that’s focused, efficient, and positioned for fast growth.
Here's how.
Step 1: Break Down Your Key Areas
Whether you're building an empire, or scaling your business for a life changing exit, the goal is always to maximise shareholder value.
As an investor, once I acquire a business, I'm looking to blitz scale!
To do this, I focus on three key areas:
- Staff
- Systems
- Sales
Within these areas, saboteurs are lurking in the dark - disguised as old habits, poor systems and flawed assumptions.
Step 2: Identify the Saboteurs in Each Area
These are the saboteurs I see most often in the construction sector?
Leadership & Delegation
Saboteur: “No one can do it as well as I can.”
Fix: This mindset turns you into the bottleneck of your business. Build a team you trust and allow them to lead.
Saboteur: “Good employees don’t exist in this industry.”
Fix: Great talent is out there, but if you’re not attracting them, it’s time to look at why your business is not attractive to this talent. (Spoiler - paying more money doesn't result in better talent!)
Systems & Processes
Saboteur: “I know how we do things; it’s all in my head.”
Fix: A business without clear, documented processes isn’t scalable—or sellable. Create systems your team can follow without you.
Saboteur: “We don’t have time to set up systems.”
Fix: “Winging it” is costing you a lot more than the time it takes to implement solid processes.
Sales & Marketing
Saboteur: “We’ve always relied on word-of-mouth.”
Fix: Word-of-mouth is inconsistent. Build a consistent and predictable system for generating high-quality leads.
Saboteur: “Marketing doesn’t work in our industry.”
Fix: It’s not the industry—it’s unfortunately your lack of a clear, targeted strategy.
Exit Planning
Saboteur: “I’m not thinking about selling yet.”
Fix: The earlier you prepare for an exit, the more valuable your business will be when the time comes.
Saboteur: “I’ll sell when someone offers me a good price.”
Fix: Great offers don’t just appear. They’re engineered through years of intentional preparation.
Step 3: Implementation
Once you’ve identified the saboteurs in your business, it’s time to start taking action!
By tackling these saboteurs head-on, you’ll attract better clients, deliver stronger results, and build a reputation for driving real growth.
You'll also find it a surprisingly easy to attract great talent!
Why This Matters
Every business has saboteurs—flawed assumptions, habits, or systems that actively work against success.
Identifying and addressing these saboteurs isn’t just about fixing problems.
It’s about building a business that’s stronger, more scalable, and primed to maximise shareholder value, ultimately maximising your wealth with a business sale and exit.
Take time this week to identify the saboteurs in your business and start dismantling them.
The clarity and focus this brings will transform your business and your client relationships.
See you next week.