“What have you tried?”
It’s a question most business owners have heard before.
Usually it’s asked with good intentions. The aim is to understand what’s already been attempted before suggesting the next step.
There’s nothing wrong with that.
But sometimes the question can unintentionally imply that the answer is simply to try something else.
In my experience, that’s rarely the case.
By the time someone reaches out for support, they’ve often already invested a huge amount of time, money and energy trying to improve things. They’ve made thoughtful decisions, taken advice and implemented new ideas.
The problem usually isn’t a lack of effort.
It’s that they’ve been trying to solve the wrong problem.
Here are five things I see business owners try all the time.
1. Have you changed software, hoping it would solve the problem?
You’ve switched to a new CRM, moved to a different project management tool or invested in new accounting software. Each decision made sense at the time because the software promised to solve a frustration you were experiencing.
Sometimes it does.
But if the real issue is unclear processes, inconsistent ways of working or responsibilities that have never been properly defined, new software simply gives you a different place to experience the same frustrations.
The software wasn’t the problem.
2. Have you implemented someone else’s ‘proven’ system?
Perhaps you’ve followed a framework from a coach, copied another business’s onboarding process or adopted the latest productivity method because everyone seemed to be talking about it.
None of those are bad ideas.
The question is whether they were designed for your business, or whether you’ve been trying to reshape your business to fit someone else’s solution.
The best solution isn’t always the most popular one.
It’s the one that fits.
3. Have you delegated more, expecting it to solve the problem?
Delegation is good advice.
It creates capacity, develops your team and allows the business to become less dependent on you.
But delegation isn’t just about handing work to someone else.
It relies on clear expectations, defined responsibilities and confidence about who can make which decisions. Without that structure, work often finds its way back to you.
Delegation wasn’t the wrong thing to try.
It just wasn’t enough on its own.
4. Have you launched something new, hoping it would create the capacity you needed?
Perhaps you’ve introduced a membership, added a new service or created another offer to bring in more revenue.
On paper, it makes perfect sense.
More income should create more opportunities to invest in the business.
But every new offer brings its own marketing, delivery, administration and customer support. If it hasn’t been properly thought through, or the foundations of the business aren’t ready for it, you’ve added complexity before removing the friction that already exists.
Sometimes the answer isn’t another offer.
Sometimes it’s making the business you already have work better.
5. Have you invested in training because you felt you should?
There’s no shortage of courses promising to help you become a better leader, a better marketer or a better business owner.
Learning is valuable.
I encourage it.
But sometimes we invest in training because it feels like the next logical step, or because everyone else seems to be doing it.
Before signing up for another course, ask yourself one question.
What problem am I hoping this will solve?
If the answer isn’t clear, there’s a good chance the course won’t be either.
The right learning, at the right time, can make a huge difference.
But it needs to solve the problem you have, not the one someone else assumes you should have.
Before You Try Something Else
I’m still interested in what you’ve tried.
It helps build the picture and often tells me what’s important to you. But it’s rarely the first place I look.
I’m more interested in understanding what’s making progress harder than it should be. Because once you identify the source of the Business Friction, choosing the right solution becomes much easier. 💡
Sometimes the right answer is new software. Sometimes it’s training. Sometimes it’s another pair of hands. Sometimes it’s something else entirely.
The important thing is that the solution fits the problem. Otherwise, you can end up investing more time, more money and more effort without ever addressing what’s really getting in the way.
So before asking, “What have you tried?”, I think there’s a more useful question.
What’s actually making this harder than it should be? 🤔