Stop Duct-taping Your Business Together

My youngest son’s soccer cleat exploded last week.

When he got back from soccer camp, the toe was wide open and the insole was flapping around like a tongue. It looked more like a Muppet than a shoe.

His coach slapped some duct tape on it so he could finish practice. But clearly it was time to retire this pair and invest in something new. And we should probably size up while we’re at it.

I gotta say, these cleats lasted longer than I expected. They were hand-me-downs from his older brothers and had already served for several seasons.

But we’ve pushed them as far as they’ll go. And Ollie loves soccer – he’s truly gifted at the sport – and I want to make sure he has the gear he needs. Not just duct-taped hand puppets; but cleats that fit well and help him play confidently.

Scrappy is good. Until it isn’t.

In business, we often start with what we have.

We dust off our college laptop. We use free versions of software. Go with the “budget” option for everything and duct tape our business systems together.

No shame in that. It's resourceful. You don’t want to rack up a ton of expenses before you’ve had a chance to validate your business idea and see if it will turn a profit.

But there comes a point where duct tape starts to slow you down.

You hit the limits of the free tier. Your old tech starts lagging in the middle of a Zoom call. Your cobbled-together systems create more friction than flow.

It’s tempting to keep limping along, to squeeze a little more life out of something that’s already past its prime.

But eventually, it costs you more in time, energy, and lost confidence than it would to just upgrade.

This is your sign to buy yourself some new cleats (metaphorically).

You’re a professional, danggit! Start acting like one!

When you finally replace that broken tool or pay for the version that actually does what you need, you work more efficiently. But something else happens too.

You show up more professionally and confidently.

For example, when I outsourced my bookkeeping to Formations, that was a big milestone for me. It allowed me to stop wasting time worrying if I was managing my finances and taxes right, and spend more time doing what I know I’m good at (and what actually brings in money). It made me feel like I was actually running a business.

You’re not playing pretend. You’re building a business that makes money, and you can invest some of that money into tools and services that help you do your job better so you can make more money…

….or you’re not. If you’ve been trying to grow your business for a while now but you’re not generating enough revenue to be able to afford the tools you need (I’m not talking about willy-nilly luxury purchases, but actual strategic investments that would genuinely improve the way you work), then that might be a sign there are some issues with your pricing, your product, or your positioning.

We can dig into that another time. But if you have the means, give yourself permission to ditch the duct tape.

The Takeaway

You don’t need to overspend. You don’t need the fanciest tools.

But if something is clearly holding you back, it’s okay to buy new shoes!

Invest in tools that match your current level of commitment.

The free tier was fine to get started. But if you want to keep growing, it might be time to size up.

Your Turn:

What’s one thing in your business that’s duct-taped together right now?

I’d love to hear what upgrade you’re considering and help you evaluate the best tools for your business situation.