As we head into 2025, small to medium-sized businesses (SMBs) are navigating a complex and demanding business landscape. Growth remains a top priority—but achieving it is easier said than done.
In a recent survey of SMB leaders, three pain points emerged again and again. The top challenges holding companies back from hitting their full revenue potential in 2025 are:
- Lack of accountability and productivity
- Being stuck in the day-to-day
- People-related issues and communication breakdowns
Each of these is a significant obstacle to growth. But for many business owners and executives, it’s the second one—being stuck in the day-to-day—that feels the most frustrating.
You know where you want to take your business. You have the vision. You’ve got a great product or service. But instead of leading forward, you spend your days reacting to issues, managing tasks, and trying to hold everything together. Sound familiar?
You’re not alone—and you don’t have to stay stuck.
Why Working “In” the Business Is Holding You Back
Ask any SMB leader how they spend their time, and you’ll likely hear a variation of the same complaint: too much time is spent managing operations and putting out fires, and not enough is spent moving the business forward.
The result? Business leaders become the bottleneck. Strategic priorities get delayed. Growth opportunities are missed. And despite best intentions, the organization remains reactive rather than proactive.
We’ve seen it time and again. Working in the business keeps things running. But working on the business is what truly drives growth and enterprise value.
To scale, innovate, and compete, SMB leaders must shift their focus. And that’s exactly where the MyTalentPlanner Growth Accelerator System comes in.
The Power of Working “On” vs. “In” the Business.
Let’s look at how time should be spent in a growing SMB:
- CEO/President: 70% on the business, 30% in
- VP-Level Leaders: 50% on, 50% in
- Managers: 30% on, 70% in
- Frontline Team Members: 10% on, 90% in
Unfortunately, most leaders find this ratio flipped—spending upwards of 68% of their time “in” the business, with only 32% devoted to working “on” the business and driving strategic growth. That imbalance doesn’t just slow you down—it sets a ceiling on how far your company can go.
Here’s the hard truth:
- 70% of business failures are caused by poor strategic planning, lack of delegation, and spending too much time on daily operations.
- Businesses that prioritize strategy grow 30% faster than those that don’t.
- Long-term focused companies are 33% more likely to become high-performers.
- And businesses that operate with a growth mindset sell for 2–3x higher valuations than reactive ones.
So, how do you get there? How do you free yourself up to lead the business to strategic clarity (where are we going) and role clarity (what is my role in it)?
Enter: MyTalentPlanner’s Growth Accelerator System
MyTalentPlanner (MTP) was built specifically to help SMB leaders like you shift from surviving to scaling.
The Growth Accelerator System (GAS) is a proven, people-first software solution that empowers leaders to delegate confidently, build accountability across teams, and focus their energy on what really matters—strategic growth.
No more strategy binder on the shelf, flash drives or multiple google docs to locate and manage. With a singular password, your company vision, strategy, goals, metrics, action plans, talent plans, development plans, performance plans, meetings and behavioral science assessments are all in one place and accessible from anyplace.
MTP gives you the structure, visibility, and tools to:
✅ Win at Talent – Excel at hiring, development, retention and succession.
✅ Set and track measurable goals for every team and individual
✅ Increase accountability & productivity through goals, ActOn plans & metrics .
✅ Use behavioral science to enable HOT (Honest, Open, Transparent) conversations
✅ Keep teams focused on the big picture while improving daily execution
✅ Free up your time as a leader to do what only you can do—drive strategic growth
Build a Business By Working “On” It!
Imagine what your business could accomplish if you had 10 more hours a week to focus on growth, innovation, or customer experience.
Imagine your team taking ownership of outcomes, solving problems before they hit your desk, and staying aligned on goals without you chasing them down.
That’s what the Growth Accelerator System helps you achieve.
It’s not just about better productivity. It’s about building a business that scales. One where accountability is baked into every role. Where communication is clear. Where strategy drives the agenda—not daily distractions.
And it’s all built inside an intuitive software platform that makes execution easier for every level of your organization.
Ready to Get Unstuck?
You don’t need another to-do list. You need a system.
If you’re tired of working in the business instead of on it—if you’re ready to create sustainable growth that doesn’t require you to personally push every project forward—it’s time to take the next step.
Get a demo of MyTalentPlanner and see how the Growth Accelerator System can help you:
- Create more time for strategy
- Build a culture of accountability
- Invest and develop the total person of every team member.
- Empower your team to take ownership
- And accelerate your company’s growth in 2025 and beyond
You’ve already built something great. Now it’s time to build something scalable.
👉Schedule your demo now and take the first step toward transforming your business from stuck to unstoppable.
