Let’s talk about something most entrepreneurs don’t want to admit:

You think you’re saving money by doing it all yourself.

But it’s costing you way more than you realize.

If you’re constantly saying “I’ll just do it”—whether it’s replying to customer emails, editing social media graphics, or building invoices from scratch—you’re not being scrappy.

You’re being expensive.

Because every task you say yes to… is time you’re saying no to the big stuff.

The Real Cost of DIY

Most entrepreneurs believe DIYing is smart in the early days. And sometimes, it is.

But when it becomes your permanent strategy?

You start bottlenecking your growth.

Here’s what that looks like:

• You spend 10+ hours a week on admin.
  That’s 10 hours you’re not selling, marketing, building relationships, or thinking big picture.

• You’re mentally drained by noon.
  You’ve already switched between 12 different tabs and 9 different types of tasks before lunch.

• You’re working nights and weekends.
  Because the only time you can get “real” work done is after hours.

• You’re losing money.
  Let’s say your time is worth $100/hr (and if you’re leading a business, it probably is).
  If you’re spending even 10 hours a week doing $25/hour tasks, that’s $750 in lost value per week. That’s $3,000 per month. $36,000 per year.

You’re not saving. You’re leaking.

What to Do Instead

This isn’t just about hiring a VA or building a team.

It’s about making a decision to stop playing all the roles—and start acting like a leader.

Step 1: Audit Your Time for One Week

Grab a notebook or open a Google Sheet. Track every task you do for 7 days.

Label each with:

• How long it took

• If it gave you energy or drained it

• If it’s something only you can do

You’ll quickly spot patterns—and identify the tasks that need to go.

Bonus Tip: Use a time-tracking tool like Toggl to make this easy. Even better: screen record your day once for self-review. It’s eye-opening.

Step 2: Categorize Your Tasks — Keep, Delegate, Delete

Here’s a quick framework:

• Keep: Strategy, client relationships, vision setting

• Delegate: Scheduling, research, email triage, invoice follow-up

• Delete: Busywork that doesn’t move the needle (editing a Canva template for 45 minutes… you know the one)

Your job isn’t to do everything. It’s to protect your energy for the highest-value work.

Step 3: Hire for Output, Not Just Help

When you do bring in help (even just 5–10 hours/week), hire with intention.

You’re not looking for someone to check boxes. You’re looking for someone who:

• Has done this before (especially in your industry)

• Can take initiative, not just take orders

• Thinks in systems, not just tasks

At LADR, this is what we specialize in. Our VAs aren’t task-doers. They’re business-minded support partners who bring structure and strategy.

Step 4: Protect Your Highest-Value Hours

Block off your mornings (or whatever your peak window is) for strategic work only.

That means:

• No checking email first thing

• No hopping on reactive calls

• No admin during your creative zone

Batch low-energy work for the afternoon—or delegate it altogether.

This one shift alone can increase your productivity by 30–40%. Most CEOs do their best work before 11am. Guard it.

You’re Not Lazy. You’re Just Doing Too Much.

Burnout doesn’t always come from working too hard—it comes from working too much on the wrong things.

And the longer you delay delegation, the more expensive it gets.

You can’t scale chaos. But you can scale clarity, support, and systems.

That’s where we come in.

Ready to Stop Doing It All?

At LADR, we help entrepreneurs reclaim their time with the right people and the right processes.

From strategic VAs to plug-and-play systems, our team exists to help you move out of survival mode—and into serious growth.

Check out our VA Packages or join our coaching space inside The Action Lab to get support as you scale.