Busy Isn't Ownership

Ownership isn't a title; it's the ability to create more value than you consume.

Before diving into definitions of value, let's consider a fundamental belief: Ownership is not just about holding a title; it's about creating more value than you consume. Most people talk about 'value' in business as if it’s a warm, abstract concept. But the real issue is simpler and more important: the difference between negative value and surplus value. Phrases like 'value add' and 'we provide value' are tossed around without ever really defining what that means. However, there’s a distinction that matters far more than people realize, and it’s the difference between simply working in a business and actually owning one.

That distinction is the difference between negative value and surplus value.

Negative value is where most businesses live, especially early on. This isn’t something that’s dramatic or obvious, and, frankly, it often looks like productivity: answering emails, quoting jobs, taking meetings, solving problems, and putting out fires. In other words, it’s being busy, sometimes to the point of being overwhelmed. However, the output of that effort doesn’t meaningfully exceed the cost of producing it because while time is consumed and energy is drained, very little changes.

Negative value shows up when effort doesn’t translate into real progress. It’s when work feels urgent but not important, and when you’re constantly reacting instead of intentionally planning and building. You can spend an entire week on activities that feel like work and still end up in the same place you started on Monday. In other words, activity is not ownership.

On the other hand, surplus value is what turns work into a fully-fledged and functioning business. Surplus value exists when the outcome of what you do is greater than the cost required to deliver it and when your effort creates momentum rather than maintenance. In other words, it’s when your clients experience something that moves their business forward and they are willing to pay for it again. Moreover, surplus value is not just a one-time advantage; it becomes a sustainable competitive edge. It serves as the engine of differentiation, ensuring that your business continues to stand out in the marketplace and remain indispensable over time.

Surplus value shows up in the form of real and tangible impact:

• A campaign that drives measurable growth

• A strategy that changes how a client views their brand

• A relationship that turns into repeat work and referrals

• A solution that doesn’t just check a box, but actually solves a problem that needed solving.

Creating surplus value isn't about working harder; it's about doing less while doing the right things with clear intention. It involves carefully considering outcomes before making suggestions and understanding what matters to your clients, rather than defaulting to the latest trends or falling back on what you’ve always done.

Negative value is invisible until it becomes exhausting because it’s an insidious beast that hides in never-ending email threads, meetings that go nowhere, and pricing that drains margin. None of it feels catastrophic in the moment, but over time, it quietly erodes focus, creativity, and profitability. By contrast, surplus value feels strategic because there’s clarity in it. Decisions become easier, you know why you’re saying yes (or no), and your work begins to compound rather than reset every week. Here are some simple truths about being a business owner:

You don’t become a business owner when you form an LLC.

You don’t become one when you get busy and have clients.

You don’t even become one when you start scaling and hiring people.

You become a business owner when what you create consistently produces more value than it consumes.

Until then, you’re trading time for money. Sometimes successfully and other times not, but always linearly. Surplus value is what breaks that cycle because it allows your business to grow, stabilize, and ultimately become something you own instead of something that owns you.

If you’re unsure where you stand, here is a simple question to ask yourself: Did the work I did this week create a net positive change for my clients and for my business? If the answer is now, that doesn’t mean you failed; it just means you were operating in a negative value. Once you see the difference, you can’t ignore it.

Remember, people don’t pay for effort; they pay for progress, clarity, and, ultimately, outcomes. It’s time to stop chasing activity that keeps you busy and start building surplus value that makes you indispensable. Only then does your work become a business.