Why Smart Service Business Owners Outsource Everything Except Their Genius

When you start a service-based business, you juggle every task going. You don’t just play one role, you play them all. Sales, delivery, invoicing, chasing payments, social media, admin, tech, bookkeeping… it all lands on your desk.

But the service businesses that grow quickly and sustainably, have one thing in common:

They outsource everything except their zone of genius.

My Story: 6 Figures by Letting Go

I didn’t hit six figures as a sole practitioner by doing everything myself.

I got there by getting very clear on what only I could do and by building support around everything else.

My “zone of genius" is bookkeeping and systems. That’s where I create the most value for clients, spot opportunities for automation, and help my clients make better decisions with their numbers.

So instead of trying to be a “one-woman band”, I made a strategic choice:

• I kept: Bookkeeping, systems, process design, client-facing advisory work.

• I outsourced: Payroll, year-end accounts, social media, admin, and other specialist tasks.

Why? Because I know there are experts who live and breathe those areas, just like I live and breathe bookkeeping.

The result?

I managed to build a six-figure bookkeeping business as a sole practitioner, without burning out, by staying in my own lane and outsourcing the rest.

Why You Shouldn’t Be Doing Your Own Bookkeeping

Most service business owners don’t think twice about outsourcing design, IT, or legal work.

But bookkeeping? That often gets left on the “I’ll just do it myself” list.

Here’s why that’s holding you back.

1. You’re Not a Finance Expert – and That’s Okay

Your genius might be:

• Coaching your clients through transformation

• Delivering high-level consulting

• Producing television shows

• Ensuring the education sector has the resources it needs

  
  

It’s not spending evenings trying to reconcile bank feeds or wondering if something is a cost of sales or an overhead.

Bookkeeping is a skill in its own right. When you try to DIY it:

• You lose time you could spend nurturing clients and your pipeline

• You risk errors that cost you money and sleep

• You end up reacting to your numbers instead of using them to drive decisions

  
  

Smart business owners don’t try to be experts at everything. They build a team of experts around them.

2. You’re Too Close to Your Own Business

Even if you’re reasonably confident with numbers, doing your own books means you’re looking at your finances through one lens: yours.

An external bookkeeper brings:

• Perspective – they can spot patterns, risks, and opportunities you’ve normalised or ignored

• Challenge – they’ll ask, “Why is this still costing you so much?” or “Do you realise how profitable this service actually is?”

• Objectivity – they’re not emotionally attached to every subscription, tool, or “nice-to-have” expense

  
  

That outside perspective is often what shifts a business from “busy” to strategically profitable.

3. Your Time Is Too Valuable to Be Stuck in the Books

Every hour you spend on bookkeeping is an hour you’re not:

• Deepening relationships with your best clients

• Following up warm leads

• Developing new offers or improving your service

• Building partnerships and visibility

  
  

Those are the activities that grow your business.

Bookkeeping is essential, but it’s foundational. It should be happening reliably in the background, while you focus on the work only you can do.

4. DIY Bookkeeping Often Means “Good Enough”, Not “Strategic”

Most business owners doing their own books are aiming for one thing: “Will this get my tax return done?”

Here at LJM Bookkeeping we are looking at something very different:

• Are your numbers accurate and timely?

• Can you see which services are actually profitable?

• Do your systems support growth, or will they break at the next level?

• Are you set up for automation so things don’t fall through the cracks?

  
  

That’s the difference between keeping up and using your numbers as a strategic tool.

Outsourcing Bookkeeping Lets You Stay in Your Zone of Genius

My approach is simple:

• I focus on my zone of genius: bookkeeping and systems for service based businesses

• I outsource everything that isn’t in that zone

• I helps my clients to do exactly the same

  
  

When you outsource your bookkeeping:

• You gain clarity – you know exactly where your business stands

• You gain confidence – you can make decisions based on real numbers, not gut feeling

• You gain capacity – your time and headspace are freed up for the work that actually grows your business

  
  

You don’t need to be good at everything.

You just need to be brilliant at what you do and supported by people who are brilliant at what they do.

Ready to Stop Doing It All Yourself?

If you’re a service business owner who’s still doing your own books, consider this your permission slip to let go.

Follow my lead:

• Keep your genius work – serving clients, building relationships, growing your pipeline

• Outsource the rest – starting with your bookkeeping

  
  

LJM Bookkeeping is here to be that expert perspective in your corner, so you can build the kind of business you actually want to run – without trying to do every job yourself.

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