When Doing Everything Yourself Goes Wrong
Do you pride yourself on your DIY skills? Pull up a chair because we are going to delve into why DIY is killing your business.
You ever seen that Kayak.com commercial where the farmer’s out in her field playin’ scarecrow ’cause she don’t trust the actual scarecrow to do its job? Yeah. That hit a little too close to home, didn’t it?
That farmer? Sis, that’s you. Always doing everything herself.
The solopreneur. The overworked queen. The control freak with a Canva account and a dream. You out here building your own website, designing your own flyers, tweaking your own SEO, and posting your own Instagram Stories (don’t even get me started on that bootleg logo) all while tryna run a whole business.
Let me guess: ‘Cause you don’t trust nobody to do it like you?
Sound familiar? Then pull up a chair, ‘cause we gotta talk about why DIY is killing your business and how to break the cycle before burnout breaks you.
Why We Do It All Ourselves
It ain’t just about money. It’s about trust. About fear. About pride.
Somebody burned you. Didn’t deliver. Or worse, took your deposit and ghosted. So now? You don’t let go of nothin’. ‘Cause in your mind, it’s safer to overwork than get played again.
And let’s be clear here, we glorify the hustle. The DIY grind. “Built, not bought.” But at some point, all that bootstrapping? It turns into bottlenecking.
You’re not being resourceful anymore.
You’re being stuck.
What It’s Really Costing You
Let’s talk about the real price.
That late-night logo you whipped up? Yeah… that ain’t it.
The hours you spent editing website copy instead of closing a client? That was missed money.
That week you pushed your launch because you were knee-deep in an HTML tutorial? That was opportunity = gone.
You’re not just spending time. You’re burning revenue, momentum, and energy you can’t afford to lose.
And that right there is why DIY is killing your business, slowly, quietly, and one overloaded task at a time.
Facts
Every hour you spend on tasks that ain’t in your zone of genius? That’s your business losing steam. That’s burnout. That’s delay. That’s less money, less freedom, and less peace.
You became the plug… and the clog.
And the data backs it up:
-
A Gallup study found that business owners who delegate grow 33% faster than those who don’t.
-
Deloitte research shows that 59% of businesses say outsourcing helps them cut costs, and 57% say it frees them up to focus on their core business.
-
And according to Harvard Business Review, entrepreneurs spend 68.1% of their time on “in the business” tasks – admin, operations, putting out fires and only 31.9% on the strategic stuff that actually drives growth.
So yeah… why DIY is killing your business isn’t just a vibe. It’s verifiable.
You’re Scaring Off the Help You Need
In all honesty, folks don’t wanna help someone who don’t trust nobody. If you constantly redo what they did, micromanage every move, or sigh loud enough to shatter glass? They’re gonna ghost you too.
You’re not just doing the most, you’re blocking others from doing anything at all. And that’s one of the silent ways why DIY is killing your business without you even realizing it.
That ain’t leadership. That’s control. And it’s costing you more than just help – it’s costing you growth.
How to Let Go (Without Losing Your Mind)
-
Delegate one thing. Just one. Start there.
-
Write out how you do it. Not for you, butfor the person you’re gonna pass it to.
-
Give grace. Nobody hits 100% on day one, and neither did you.
-
Stop looking for clones. Hire folks to do what you don’t do best.
You ain’t gotta let it all go overnight. But start loosening that grip instead of trying to do everything yourself. Because white-knuckling every task is exactly why DIY is killing your business and your peace.
Final Thoughts (From a Reformed Control Freak)
I see you. I was you.
I built sites. Designed graphics. Ran ads. Cleaned the kitchen while taking sales calls with my hair in a scarf and a baby on my hip.
And I thought that meant I was winning because I was doing everything myself.
But the moment I started trusting good people to take things off my plate, not perfect people, but capable ones, I finally had space to breathe. To grow. To lead.
So no, you ain’t gotta be the scarecrow, standing frozen in your business, chasing away every crow and every assistant.
You can let go. Just a little. One task at a time.
And when you do? Baby, watch your whole business bloom.
Further Reading
Need more proof on why DIY is killing your business? These posts break it down beautifully:
-
Forbes – Four Reasons Why Doing Everything Yourself Is Holding You Back
-
Inc. – 7 Signs You’re a Control Freak, According to Psychology
-
Fast Company – The Psychology Of Control—And Why It’s So Hard To Let Go
-
Rocket Web Designer – Why Your Cheap Website Design is Costing You (Especially in 2025)
-
Rocket Web Designer – How To Find The Best Web Designer in 2025
Have any questions?
We are to help answer any questions you might have regarding web design & marketing.
