80/20 Rule
Helping Your Business Shine Like the Gem It Is
Every business reaches a point where grit, talent, and hustle just aren’t enough to push it to the next level.
For many entrepreneurs—especially in the trades—you’ve built something solid. You’re great at what you do. You’ve surrounded yourself with good people. You’ve been scrappy, smart, and determined. And it’s worked… to a point.
But then it starts to feel like you’ve hit a ceiling.
The business begins to outgrow your systems, your structure, even your capacity. It gets heavier. Messier. More complicated. You’re stretched thin, and the clarity you once had starts to fade.
This is what we call the 80/20 moment—the place where what got you here won’t get you there.
The Flip Side of 80/20
Everyone’s heard of the 80/20 Rule—that 20% of your efforts drive 80% of your results. But here’s the twist:
The last 20% of refinement often delivers the most transformational value.
That final push—refining operations, aligning your team, clarifying your financials, strengthening leadership—that’s where the magic happens. That’s where your business goes from “good” to “great,” from “scrappy” to scalable.
And most owners can’t get there alone. Not because they’re not capable—but because they’re already carrying so much.
As Rob Kalin, founder of Etsy, said:
“The last 10% it takes to launch something takes as much energy as the first 90%.”
Seeing the Gem Beneath the Surface
At Cabochon Group, our name means “gemstone”—and that’s intentional.
A cabochon is a raw, uncut stone. On the surface, it looks like just another rock. Ordinary. Heavy. Overlooked.
But in the hands of someone who knows what to look for, it becomes something entirely different.
With care, pressure, polish, and patience, the stone begins to shine. Its unique beauty is revealed—bit by bit—until what once looked rough and dull is now something rare, valuable, and full of potential.
We believe businesses are the same.
“Rough diamonds may sometimes be mistaken for worthless pebbles.”
— Thomas Browne
When You’re In It, You Can’t Always See It
When you’re tired, overwhelmed, and deep in the chaos, your business can feel more like a burden than a gift.
What once inspired you now drains you.
What once felt full of potential now feels like it’s stuck in neutral.
That’s where we come in.
At Cabochon Advisory, we help you rediscover the brilliance in your business. We come alongside you to:
- Identify and execute the critical final 20% that will unlock real growth
- Clarify the vision, the plan, and the financial story
- Align your team so you’re not carrying it all on your own
- Polish what’s already there, rather than rebuild from scratch
We don’t see a broken business.
We see the gem it already is—and the untapped brilliance it can become.
From Heavy to Valuable
If your business feels like a rock that’s dragging you down, our job is to help you see it for what it really is:
Something worth refining.
Something worth finishing well.
Something worth shining again.
We specialize in that final push—from 80 to 100.
That’s where the biggest wins are. And we’ll help you bring it home.
