Leverage Changes Everything
“Thus one need use but little strength to achieve much… one must take advantage of the situation exactly as if he were setting a ball in motion on a steep slope. The force applied is minute but the results are enormous.” — Sun Tzu
Running a small business can feel like an endless uphill climb—you push and push, but progress is slow, and every step forward seems harder than the last. What if you’re just pushing in the wrong place?
Small business success isn’t always about working harder— sometimes it’s about leveraging momentum. The most powerful strategies don’t require massive effort; they set things in motion so that progress builds on itself.
Some efforts are like rolling a ball across flat ground—slow, manual, and always needing another push. Others take advantage of a steep downward slope, where one small action keeps building speed without extra effort.
The key? Find the places in your business where small, well-placed actions lead to outsized results. Let’s break down where to apply your energy for the biggest return on effort.
The Small Moves That Create Big Results
Every business has high-leverage areas—places where a small change has a ripple effect that saves time, grows revenue, or creates lasting improvements. But most business owners spend too much time on work that doesn’t compound.
Where should you focus instead?
- Systems that replace manual work and free up time
- Marketing and sales strategies that keep working long after launch
- Pricing and offers that increase revenue without increasing workload
- Partnerships and existing infrastructure that expand your reach instantly
Key Insight: The goal isn’t to work harder, it’s to find the areas where small changes create the biggest effects.
Challenge: Open your calendar. Find one recurring task that’s draining your time. Can you automate, delegate, or eliminate it? Take action this week.
Marketing That Keeps Working Without Extra Effort
Marketing shouldn’t feel like an endless treadmill—constantly cranking out content, chasing trends, and pushing promotions. The best marketing works in the background, bringing in customers with minimal effort long after you’ve set it up.
High-Leverage Marketing Strategies:
- Evergreen Content: Blog posts, videos, or guides that continue attracting traffic long after they’re published. I recently saw some research by marketing expert Neil Patel that pointed out that longform video has strong staying power, often drawing engagement months or years after its release.
- Referral and Affiliate Programs: Let others promote your business in exchange for a commission or reward.
- SEO and Organic Search: Optimize your website so customers find you without ongoing ad spend.
Example: At Turning Pages Bookstore, the owner collaborated with a well-known parenting blog to create a “Best Children’s Books for Every Age” guide. The post continues driving traffic to their website and bringing in new customers months later—without additional effort.
Key Insight: The best marketing doesn’t just create a quick sales spike—it keeps working behind the scenes, bringing in steady business.
Challenge: Choose one marketing effort that could generate long-term results. Take one action this week to start building it.
Tap Into Existing Networks Instead of Starting from Scratch
Trying to build an audience, customer base, or network from the ground up is slow and expensive. The smarter move is to tap into infrastructure that already exists.
How to Leverage What’s Already Built:
- Affiliate and Referral Networks: Instead of spending time and money on ads, partner with businesses that already serve your ideal customers.
- Strategic Partnerships: Cross-promote with complementary businesses.
- Industry Groups and Communities: Join established networks like BNI, local chambers, or online communities where your customers are already engaged.
Example: Morning Roast Café wanted to grow its catering business but lacked the budget for major advertising. Instead of running expensive promotions, they partnered with a well-connected event planner who recommended them exclusively to corporate clients. Within six months, catering became their fastest-growing revenue stream—without spending a dime on ads.
Key Insight: You don’t always have to build something from the ground up. The right partnerships and networks can give you a shortcut to growth.
Challenge: Identify a business, influencer, or community that already reaches your ideal customer. Reach out about a partnership or collaboration.
A Team That Multiplies Your Impact
If every decision and task still depends on you, your business probably isn’t scalable. A strong team doesn’t just take work off your plate; it expands what your business can do.
How to Multiply Your Business’s Capacity:
- Hire for Strengths, Not Just Roles: Look for people who can own a task, not just follow instructions.
- Delegate With Structure: Clear expectations and follow-ups prevent micromanaging.
- Document Processes: SOPs (Standard Operating Procedures) make it easier to train new hires and ensure consistency.
Example: At Poppy’s Pastries, the owner hesitated to hand off vendor negotiations, worried no one else would get it right. However, after training their assistant manager on supplier relationships, they not only got back hours of time per week but also saw the manager secure better pricing.
Key Insight: Delegation isn’t just about offloading tasks—it’s about creating leverage. The right team member handling the right task multiplies your impact, freeing you to focus on higher-value work that moves the business forward.
Challenge: Identify one task you’re holding onto that someone else could handle. Create a plan to delegate it this week.
Technology That Does the Work for You
Some business tasks have to be done manually. But many don’t. The right technology automates the busywork, freeing you up to focus on high-value activities.
High-Leverage Tech Investments:
- Automation Tools: Email sequences, chatbots, and appointment scheduling.
- Pre-Built Infrastructure: Instead of custom-building a system, use existing platforms (e.g., Circle for community management, Shopify for e-commerce).
- E-commerce and Payment Systems: Let customers buy, book, or sign up without manual processing.
Example: Hearthstone Café switched to an online ordering system that reduced phone calls, cut down on mistakes, and increased revenue—without hiring extra staff.
Key Insight: Automation is powerful, but not everything should be automated. The key is to streamline tasks that save time without sacrificing the personal touch that builds customer loyalty. Use technology to handle routine work but keep the human connection where it matters most.
Challenge: Identify a recurring manual task that technology could simplify. Research tools that could automate or streamline it.
Your Next Move: Find the Small Actions That Create Big Results
Sun Tzu’s wisdom reminds us: “One must take advantage of the situation exactly as if he were setting a ball in motion on a steep slope. The force applied is minute but the results are enormous.”
The biggest wins often don’t come from working harder—they come from using leverage strategically. It’s not about pushing with more force; it’s about placing effort where it creates the greatest ripple effect, turning small moves into lasting momentum.
Here’s how to start:
- Identify one high-leverage change—whether it’s automating a process, delegating a task, or adjusting pricing—and take action this week.
- Look for tasks or strategies that generate ongoing results instead of short-term fixes.
- Replace effort with efficiency—where can a small change create the biggest impact?
Most small business owners aren’t struggling because they aren’t working hard enough—they’re struggling because their effort isn’t creating momentum. Sun Tzu reminds us that small, well-placed actions can set massive change in motion.
The right strategy turns a steep uphill climb into a downhill roll. Instead of grinding away at tasks that keep you stuck, focus on the moves that multiply your impact. What’s one step you can take today to make your work easier and your results bigger?
