How to Structure Your Business to Do More of What You Love

Alykhan Jetha is an Entrepreneurs’ Organization (EO) member in Toronto, founder and CEO of Marketcircle, and creator of its flagship product, Daylite CRM, which helps businesses gain context on every conversation to drive business forward. We asked Jetha how he designed the company to focus on his strengths even as it grew and scaled.

Many entrepreneurs start businesses because they’re passionate about creating something meaningful, yet they find themselves buried in tasks they don’t enjoy. Through building my company, I’ve learned that structuring your business to focus on what you love isn’t just about personal satisfaction. It’s crucial for sustainable growth.

Let me share what I’ve learned about aligning your business structure with your strengths across four key stages of company growth.

Stage 1: The initial spark

The entrepreneurial journey typically begins in one of two ways. In the first track, which I call the service professional’s path, you’re working in an industry and decide to branch out on your own. You might start with a side gig while maintaining your day job, aka testing the waters before making the full-time leap.

The second track begins with an idea and access to capital. You develop a business plan, secure funding, and launch directly with a small team. While both paths exist in entrepreneurship, this article’s primary focus is on the first and the key decisions about structure and scale that the service professional track entails.

Stage 2: Flying solo (or with a partner)

When running the business by yourself or with a partner, it’s easy to get caught in the trap of doing everything. However, this is precisely when you need to start thinking systematically about your time and energy.

One critical lesson I learned early on is the importance of allocating at least 5 to 10 percent of your time to working on the business rather than just in it. That means analyzing workflows, identifying industry trends, planning for growth, and, last but not least, working on self-improvement and learning what you don’t know. It’s during this stage that you should start recognizing which tasks energize you and which drain you.

For me, accounting was my kryptonite. Just thinking about it would deplete my energy and lead to endless procrastination because other priorities were suffering. I decided to seek a solution—an experienced accountant who required minimal oversight from me. What might have taken me 10 hours of procrastination and stress took him just one hour of focused work. 

Better yet, the accountant’s office also helped me manage paperwork and filing, another task that would pile up on my desk. The math was simple: Even with limited resources, outsourcing tasks that drain you to competent professionals—even for just a few hours per week—is a worthwhile investment. The opportunity cost was high: Each hour I spent on the torture of accounting (or the 10 hours I spent putting it off) meant lost revenue and growth opportunities, while that one hour of expert help freed me to focus on core business priorities. 

Stage 3: Adding team members

As you begin to scale and add team members, the key is to be intentional when delegating—the what and the whom. When I started delegating customer inquiries, for instance, I developed a system that had team members handling routine questions but collecting the more complex ones. We’d then spend focused time together, usually 30 to 60 minutes, going through these challenging questions as a batch. That allowed me to transfer knowledge efficiently while freeing up more time for software development, major customer relationships, and important presentations.

I’ve learned through trial and error that there are two potential pitfalls here: the me problem and the them problem. The me problem is when you can’t let go of control. While I personally didn’t struggle with that, many entrepreneurs do. The solution is to recognize that delegating is essential for growth and that your unique value lies in focusing on the areas where you can make the most impact.

The them problem occurs when you hire someone who isn’t truly competent in the area you’re delegating. This often happens when you hire people you personally like but who lack necessary skills. I’ve fallen into this trap several times. It actually reinforces the tendency to hold onto control because you end up having to train and supervise extensively, creating more work instead of less.

Stage 4: Scaling beyond

As your business grows beyond 20 people, the principles remain the same, but the execution becomes more complex. Use that 5 to 10 percent strategic planning time to seek advice from peers and mentors while thoughtfully evaluating what roles you need and who could fill them effectively. The key is to continuously identify where you want to go and what’s needed to get there. Before taking on new responsibilities, delegating existing ones is the key to success. You can’t just keep piling more onto your plate.

Prevent burnout along the way

Preventing burnout is crucial at every stage. Learn to recognize early warning signs: Waking up tired despite adequate sleep, working 14 to 15 hour days, or feeling like you can’t catch your breath. Have rejuvenation strategies ready. For me, these include watching inspiring movies, long walks, listening to music, and building a real fire. As an introvert, these solitary activities help me recharge.

The path forward

Building a business that allows you to do more of what you love requires honest self-assessment about your strengths and weaknesses. Delegating requires courage and investing in the right people and systems requires wisdom. Start small. Even a few hours of outsourced help in areas that drain you can free up significant energy for what matters most. 

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