The Role of a Business Owner

The role of a Business Owner takes many forms across a wealth of variables; business sector, age of the business, size of the business, day of the week, etc. For an owner that is just starting out, your role at any given time is most likely the combination of a myriad of job descriptions; CEO, IT Support, CFO, Customer Service, CMO, Web Designer, and so on. For an owner that has a portfolio of businesses, your role has probably shifted towards the other end of the scale; Investor, Board Member, PR Icon, Acquisitions, and so forth.

Regardless of where you are in your journey as a Business Owner, there is one fundamental role that must remain constantly sacred: Business Owner - the human behind the title. While there is no shortage of job descriptions available for all of the other roles listed above, there is no job description out there for the human behind the business. Yet, without that human, there is no business. This is especially true in the service industry, and immeasurably true for solopreneurs. 

So what does it take to be a successful business owner? We aim to define this role by providing an industry-standard job description for the role of a Business Owner.

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Business Owner

Position Description 2023

Overview

The role of a Business Owner is summarized as an individual that owns and is financially, ethically and morally responsible for a business (defined as a business entity that fills one or more needs through the provision of a physical or digital product, or service). This role requires self-care, continuous learning, and setting clear expectations and boundaries. A Business Owner must be prepared, diligent, tenacious, goal-oriented, and dedicated.

Scope

This is a full-time, long-term commitment position, that is responsible for the sustained success of the business.

General Responsibilities

• Maintain healthy boundaries

  • Set DND hours on all devices for at least 8-10 hours per day

  • Schedule and honor recurring personal time for:

    • Self; ideally 2 full days per month dedicated to self-care / self-love

    • Fitness; 3 hours per week of physical activity, allocated however works best with your schedule

    • Family; daily/weekly interactions with your family through whatever method works best for you all

    • Spouse/Friends; at least one date per month with no external distractions

  • Set and honor personal & business expectations:

    • Communication; clarify how and when people should expect to communicate with you

    • Scheduling; make sure to schedule and honor at least 2 full days off per week

    • Availability; clearly define how and when you will be available

• Take time for all forms of rest

  • Physical (allow your body to rest); sleep 7-8 hours per day, eat well, stretch, do yoga, get a massage, take a nap

  • Mental (allow your mind to rest); take 10 minute breaks every 2 hours, always have a notebook nearby to help filter thoughts, meditate, practice breathwork, give yourself 20 minutes of quiet time

  • Social (allow your whole self to rest); spend time alone with yourself, visit with people you don’t need to be “on” with, take a social media cleanse, turn off all screens

  • Creative (allow yourself to find inspiration outside of your norm); hike, walk, meditate, sit outdoors, go for a drive, take a bath, go to an art museum, go to a bazaar or craft fair, volunteer, have a conversation, people watch

  • Emotional (allow your emotions a safe space to process); therapy, get a life coach, journal, watch a tear-jerker movie, self-discovery activities, affirmations, validations

  • Spiritual (allow space to let your roots grow deep); grounding exercises, gardening, working with your hands, meditate, volunteer, give back, random acts of kindness, active listening

  • Sensory (allow your nervous system to rest); close your eyes for 3 minutes once an hour, sit outside, walk, practice breathwork, sensory deprivation activities

Role-Specific Responsibilities

• People first

  • Always put people before your to-do’s

  • Collaborate and delegate

  • Every connection matters; it’s when, not if

• Be mindful

  • Think before you speak

  • Speak before you act

  • Always be listening

• Open ears, open mind

  • Network, interact, engage

  • Model continuous learning

  • Always ask for feedback

Experience & Expertise

• Big-picture views; 1 year, 3 years, 5 years

• Patience; both with self and others

• Problem-solving; identify the root issue, vet it out, and solve

• Active listening; pay attention to people’s message

• Time-management; be able to prioritize and manage time with unmatched efficiency

• Multitasking; the ability to work both independently and collaboratively, and be able to transition tasks on a dime

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While this is by no means a complete view of the full role of the human behind the title of Business Owner, this job description provides a base-line overview of what’s required to run a successful business. Remember, without you as the business owner, there is no business. Taking care of, and honoring yourself, is the primary duty of the Business Owner role.

When you’re ready to take the next step, we’re here for you.