Kurt Tyack, director at Signarama Southern Africa, discusses the ‘not-do’ list. It is the opposite of a ‘to-do’ list, and is important for signage businesses.
I don’t know about you, but after years of working with sign shop owners, I’ve seen enough to-do lists to last several lifetimes. Some are neatly typed, some live on the corner of a desk under three brochures, and some? Well, let’s just say that on a recent visit to a store, I spotted a to-do list taped to the side of a laminator. I’m not judging, just observing.
What I do notice, though, is the same pattern across almost every shop: The owner’s to-do list is overflowing with things the owner should not be doing.
It’s one of the biggest challenges I see as a sign industry business advisor. Talented, hardworking people drowning themselves in tasks that keep them busy, not strategic. That’s where a not-do list becomes essential. Not as a guilt trip, but as a roadmap back to where your attention truly matters.
Here are the kinds of things I consistently see cluttering owners’ lists. These are things that should almost always belong on the not-do list instead:
Putting Together A Quote
Owners often tell me, ‘It’s faster if I do it myself’. Yes, maybe this time. But long-term? It’s a bottleneck. If quoting is on your list, the real task should be hiring or training someone who can quote with confidence and consistency.
Ordering Materials
This one appears constantly. Ordering stock is a repeatable process, one that a properly trained staff member should own. Your time is too valuable to spend checking whether you have the correct shade of vinyl in stock for job #4821.
Designing Customer Artwork
I’ve met many owners who are exceptional designers, which is wonderful, but if you’re still the best designer in the building, that’s a staffing issue. Your business can’t grow if all creative roads lead to you.
Scheduling Installations
Every time I see an owner trying to juggle installation schedules like a circus act, I know there’s a workflow problem. Scheduling should be a system-driven function, not a one-person show. If there’s a big installation coming up, block time to attend for oversight, not to micromanage the calendar.
Interviewing And Hiring Every Candidate
Owners often take this on by default, but your team should be involved – they’re the ones working with the new hire daily. Teach them what to look for, guide the process, and let them co-own hiring decisions. This way, it strengthens the entire shop.
Personally Handling Social Media
If there’s one task that owners cling to for far too long, it’s this one. Social media doesn’t need a ‘Director of Everything’ running it. Build a small internal content habit with your team or outsource it, but don’t let it live and die with you.
Over-Committing To Unpaid Or Community Work
I see owners pour themselves into community involvement (which is great), but sometimes at the cost of business focus. Contribute meaningfully, yes – but also intentionally, with limits. You can support your community without becoming the unofficial organiser of every local event.
Why The Not-Do List Matters
Every strong sign shop owner I’ve worked with eventually makes a shift: They stop trying to do everything and start focusing on leading the business instead. A not-do list helps you see where your time is leaking into tasks that don’t move the business forward. It highlights what can be delegated, systemised, taught, or handed off entirely.
Remember: no one else can steer your business. That part is yours alone. Everything else? Someone else can learn it.
Protect your time. Protect your role. Build a not-do list that lets you work on your business, not endlessly in it.
SIGNARAMA
+27 83 278 9000
kurt@signarama.co.za
https://www.signfranchise.co.za/
