The One-SIM Card Entrepreneur Syndrome
A while back, I was doing sales consultancy for a company that had just hired three new salespeople.
Young. Energetic. Hungry. Ready to go.
But there was one major problem: they only had access to one cellphone.
And a dusty landline.
When I asked how these new recruits were supposed to prospect, follow up, or close deals, the answer shocked me:
“They are supposed to use my number.”
Whose number?
The owner’s.
I was speechless.
So I asked him—an experienced entrepreneur with over 20 years in business—why everything had to go through him.
His answer?
“I want to be in control. Every customer must come through me.”
And just like that, I understood the real problem.
This wasn’t a sales challenge.
It was the classic case of the One-SIM Card Entrepreneur.
This man wasn’t running a business.
He was the customer care rep, sales manager, project manager, finance officer, receptionist, and personal assistant—all rolled into one SIM card.
And he’s not alone.
Across Africa, we’ve got entrepreneurs with great products, powerful ideas, and even loyal teams—
But they’re stuck.
Not because there’s no market.
Not because they lack funding.
But because they refuse to let go.
They are the bottleneck.
The business is limited by one person’s battery life and availability.
If you’re the only one taking customer calls…
If you’re the only one with access to the CRM…
If your team waits for you to approve every quote, respond to every client, and solve every fire…
You’re not leading. You’re just surviving.
Here’s what happens when everything passes through your phone:
– You burn out.
– Your team stops thinking.
– Your customers get frustrated.
– Your growth flatlines.
Let me ask you:
How will your business grow if you are the only touchpoint?
When will you think strategically if you’re too busy sending locations and chasing invoices?
Business growth requires systems—not superheroes.
The best companies in the world don’t grow because the founder is everywhere.
They grow because the founder builds systems that work even when they’re not around.
So if you truly want to scale:
– Empower your sales team. Give them tools to win.
– Build a process from prospecting to closing.
– Install systems for customer service, delivery, and finance.
– Train your people. Then trust them to execute.
There’s a reason Coca-Cola, Econet, or Dangote Cement don’t run off one phone.
They run on systems.
You can’t be the hero in every story.
Your job is to become the builder of doers.
To move from being busy… to building something that works without you.
Because let’s be honest—
If your phone is ringing every five minutes, you’re not busy.
You’re disorganized.
Let that sink in.
Final Thought:
A constantly ringing phone may sound like business is booming.
But if you’re the only one answering it—your business is bleeding quietly.
Build systems. Empower your team.
And please—for the sake of your sanity and your business—
let that SIM card rest.
