The number of hours entrepreneurs work vary with the size of the company, number of employees, and nature of the business where sole proprietors tend to put in more work. Online businesses also tend to require more time input at the beginning with some late night and early morning schedules. Those who delegate and outsource may not need to work more hours. If your productivity is high you can achieve more in fewer hours of work.
We asked entrepreneurs and business owners how much they work and here are the responses.
#1- 60+ hours
60+ hours/week but not in-the-office routine. On top of operational work, decision-making, and team management, I manage external relationships. This requires significant time and effort, involving traveling to meet with stakeholders, attending events, and engaging in regular communication. Meeting new people and attending conferences are fun; technically, I work while doing those things. But who said work should be tedious?
Thanks to Vincent Luca, On Demand Pest Control!
#2- Depends on unpredictable workload
It depends. An unpredictable workload is one of the biggest challenges that entrepreneurs face. We often wear multiple hats and are responsible for various tasks, making it difficult to predict the amount of time and effort required. The workload can suddenly increase due to unexpected events, such as a surge in customer inquiries or a critical issue with a product. On the other days, when everything goes as planned, I can recharge and spend time with my family.
Thanks to Laura Adams, Happiest Camper!
#3- Closer to 50-60 hours
I've never worked more at anything that I also enjoyed as much. Probably around 40 hours a week of actual work, including meetings with clients and time spent on the phone and the internet. The rest is information collection and trend monitoring, which might include things like reading, watching television, and so on, but can also be considered work when one is in the field of communications. When added up, I estimate that it would be closer to 50-60 hours a week.
Thanks to Faizan Khan, UBUY Australia!
#4- 35 hours
My typical workday lasts from 9 am to 6 pm, although I often continue working into the night when I won't be disturbed. I spend a lot of time communicating with clients and independent creatives. In spite of the fact that I am not physically doing anything, time spent discussing designs and the like is still time well spent. I spend about 35 hours a week actively engaged in creative and animative pursuits for various projects.
Thanks to Jamie Irwin, TutorCruncher!
#5- Between 50-55 hours
It is crucial to learn what your most effective working schedule is in order to reduce the number of hours you work while simultaneously increasing the amount of work you get done. My shift begins at seven in the morning. The hours of 7:00 to 9:00 are ideal for getting work done because there are fewer individuals competing for your attention. I find that my productivity drops down around 3 o'clock, so I head to the gym and then I leave for the day. My typical week consists of between fifty and fifty-five hours of work.
Thanks to Alex Contes, ReviewGrower!
#6- 45 hours during a busy week
My work week officially runs from Monday at 7 AM to Thursday at 7 AM. It's a 96-hour shift that never ends. Sometimes I work till six o'clock. I'm then available by phone after that. Although I'm never required to stay the night, I must be accessible to answer queries and handle emergencies. Overall, this still only adds up to roughly 45 hours during a busy week and maybe as few as 30 hours during light weeks. Naturally, the shorter my days are, the less money I make, so it's not all good. Next month, I'll be taking on extra work. We'll see what happens.
Thanks to Aaron Barsalou, PsyclarityHealth!
#7- 50–60 hours
In other fields, a standard workweek may consist of only 40 hours, but I usually put in between 50 and 60 hours each week. Because I prioritize spending time with my family and maintaining a healthy work-life balance, I put in more effort during the weekdays. Because of this, I am able to successfully fulfill all of my work tasks during the course of the week. On the other hand, if it's a particularly essential or challenging project, I might be able to put in some extra hours on the weekends; but, I think my time management abilities will make that a rather rare event.
Thanks to Frederick Lansky, Points Panda!
#8- 77 hours
I work 77 hours a week in between making sales calls and working on the company's marketing and assets. I have everything scheduled properly for the number of hours I work. My mornings are consumed with follow-up calls and customer service efforts. The next part of my day in the office is making phone calls to new leads from our marketing and selling policies. The final part of my day around 5 – 6 pm is working on my company's marketing.
Thanks to Tim Connon, ParamountQuote!
#9- Around 50 hours
One of the things about working in a leadership role is that there's always more to be done. While my billable hours with clients can fluctuate quite a bit from week to week depending on my caseload and where I am in the process with some cases, I'm getting well above 40 hours in any given week. I would say that my average hours per week is around 50 most of the time, though it can spike as high as 60 or more in extreme cases.
Thanks to Ben Michael, Michael & Associates!
#10- Around 55 hours
In my experience, working fewer than 50 hours a week can lead to missed opportunities and a lack of drive, while working more than 60 hours can lead to burnout and decreased productivity. I've found that around 55 hours a week is the sweet spot for me, where I'm able to be fully engaged in my work and have enough time for my personal life. I also prioritize making time for activities that recharge my batteries, such as exercising and reading. This allows me to approach work with a fresh perspective and increased energy.
Thanks to Sam Underwood, Bingo Card Creator!
#11- 42 hours
It largely depends on how important the work is. My regular working hours in the office are 7 hours per day, or 42 hours per week, excluding Sunday, unless there is an urgent need to complete the work. I also have to extend my working hours if there is an emergency or more activity, such as excess orders during certain days or scheduling a training activity on Sunday. It doesn't matter how much time you put in during the week; what matters is how well and efficiently you get the task done.
Thanks to Steven Baker, vvs jewelry!
#12- Between 60-70 hours
In a typical week, I easily clock in between sixty and seventy hours of work between my primary job and my other endeavors. If it's a really busy season, or if my team and I are putting a lot of effort into developing a strategy for the upcoming year, it's not unheard of for that number to rise much higher than that. Because of this, it is essential for me to schedule definite chunks of time during which I do nothing but unwind and give my mind a break so that I can continue functioning effectively.
Thanks to Pete Chatfield, Household Money Saving!
#13- 50 to 60 hours
I often work 50 to 60-hour weeks at my job. Even if I'd love to work only 40 hours per week, that's still too much for me. In life, we miss out on so much. We hardly ever have the opportunity to see how the sky appears throughout the day. Only two things make up our lives: work and home. There is no time to unwind and appreciate life as it is. What a depressing life.
Thanks to Jay Soni, Yorkshire Fabric Shop!
#14- 40 hours
I work 40 hours per week. Your personal time is quite limited when you work a 40-hour workweek. You're too worn out from the workweek when you come home to do anything worthwhile with your free time. You simply wind yourself engaging in mindless activities like watching TV till you pass out. You're lucky if you have the energy to squeeze in a workout or some housework! Also, the weekend flies by far too soon.
Thanks to Alan Perkins, RadialZone!
#15- 15-20 hours
I adore my job. I like every aspect of the work I perform for my whole firm. I run two offline enterprises in addition to two internet ventures. Most weeks, I put in about 15-20 hours and spend most of my time coordinating with my teams, but occasionally, a major event, a significant launch, or a significant request from a single customer in one of those businesses causes me to work too hard. Due to my passion for both my profession and my independence, I still have time to enjoy life, take vacations, and go out at night.
Thanks to Shad Elia, New England Home Buyers!
#16- 50-55 hours
I don't belong to the group of entrepreneurs who insist on attending spin classes at 5 a.m. and working 20-hour days. When it was just me, me, and I at first, I was working 70+ hour weeks. However, I soon realized that 20 of those hours were completely ineffective. I now arrange my days towards the end of the precious days and work for 50 to 55 hours a week which is really fruitful. I am able to complete all of my work on time and effectively.
Thanks to Jonathan Rogers, Credexel!
#17- 70 effective hours
Every week, I put in a total of 70 hours of effort. Writing and editing blog posts, fielding phone calls from insurance agents, and making videos to market my business make up a regular day for me. Normally, my day begins at 5 a.m. and ends between 5 and 6 p.m. A few times a week, I take an hour or two out of the middle of the day to train in jiu-jitsu. During the weekends, I'll devote a few hours to writing as well.
Thanks to Gerrid Smith, E-commerce!
#18- 42-44 hours
Working 40 hours per week is always the goal for me. Over the past year or so, I have really been trying to make a conscious effort toward having a healthy work-life balance, and as any other entrepreneur knows, that can be incredibly difficult to achieve. But, I have gotten a lot better at being consistently close to 40 hours per week in comparison to my business’ early days when I was often working 60-70 hours. Today, I would say that I usually average around 42-44 hours per week.
Thanks to Jeremy Yamaguchi, Lawn Love!
#19- Around 70-80 hours
Since our business operates digitally and has clients in various time zones, I, as the marketing manager at DoFasting, need to be available around the clock. Although I do my best to maintain a regular sleep schedule, my work often demands my attention outside regular business hours. To manage my workload, I start my day by reviewing my to-do list, then take a brief break before returning to my office to address tasks according to their priority. During lunchtime, I check my email and respond to urgent messages. While driving home from work, I make my daily phone calls. After dinner, I allocate time for personal activities, but I also need to work on specific projects or communicate with clients worldwide. Typically, I work until midnight to ensure that everything is completed.
Thanks to Simonas Steponaitis, DoFasting!
#20- Weekly shifts of 30+ hours
Nowadays, even if a person works fewer hours per week than they were previously required to, they may still be considered full-time by their company (i.e., over 30 hours, 35 hours, or 37.5 hours). While corporations must provide health insurance to workers who clock 30 or more hours per week, the threshold beyond which workers are considered full-time is entirely up to individual employers to determine. Certain companies may have a more generous weekly hour allotment.
Thanks to Michael Lees, EZLease!
#21- 50 hours
My experience has taught me that working smarter—rather than harder—is what makes a difference. I make an effort to keep this in mind every day. I give myself goals and benchmarks. After I have made this clear, I begin to organize my weekly smart hours. I'll work a few hours on the weekends every week as well. I can work 50 hours or so per week using the strategy, which gives me the chance to do far more than if I worked an unorganized 75 hours per week.
Thanks to Richard Dixon, Team Emergency Plumber!
#22- Around 25-30 hours
Time spent on tasks that are both urgent and vital counts as productive time in my book. The number of hours I actually spend working each week varies because of the constant stream of urgent but ultimately unimportant tasks that seem to pop up. Around 25–30 hours a week are spent working on meaningful activities for me. The time I spend working from home in the mornings and nights accounts for half of my total productive time.
Thanks to Mark Lindquist, Community Phone!
#23- Upto 50 hours
Simply put, I don't work more than 50 hours a week. Since I started the company and serve as its chief executive officer, I must admit that my daily plans are always shifting. It sometimes feels like I work nonstop for several days straight when I'm on the road. However, we have a half-day Friday policy, and as the father of three young daughters, I want to devote as much time as possible to them.
Thanks to Alan Perkins, RadialZone!
#24- 80-90 hours most weeks
I go to work from approximately 7 in the morning until 4:30 in the afternoon. After that, I unwind with my loved ones for a while before putting in an extra hour or two of work before bed to get myself ready for the next day. A normal weekend day for me consists of four hours of work, most of which is done before everyone else in the family is up and about. Most weeks, I probably put in 80–90 hours. The thing is, I'm used to it now, so it's not even noteworthy. Whoever wears the crown must feel a weight on their shoulders.
Thanks to Matthew Magnante, FitnessVolt!
#25- Between 50 to 70 hours
Business owners typically work long hours, often exceeding the standard 40-hour workweek. As a business owner myself, I understand the demands of running a successful company and the amount of time and effort it requires. I work anywhere from 50 to 70 hours per week (including weekends). However, I also recognize the importance of maintaining a work-life balance and try to prioritize personal time, fitness, and activities outside of work to prevent burnout.
Thanks to Justin O'Brien, AdsManaged.co!
#26- 60 hours on average
Of the 168 hours in a week, I typically work an average of 60 hours. This is due to my wearing many hats in my consulting business ranging from working with clients to writing blog posts to updating the company website. A key for me is to budget 77 hours in the week for sleep (8 hours per night), downtime with family (2 hours a day), and exercise (1 hour per day). The remaining 31 hours in the week are for cooking, grocery shopping, and serving as an unpaid Uber driver for my children.
Thanks to Paul Savor, Twokin Consultin!
#27- Between 45-50 hours
I work as many hours as necessary to ensure that my business is successful and growing. This means that it’s not uncommon for me to work more than 40 hours per week. On average, I typically work between 45-50 hours per week. The majority of my hours are spent on tasks that are essential to the smooth running of my business. This includes things like sales, marketing, financial management, customer service, administrative tasks, and more. I also dedicate time each week to planning and strategizing so that I can stay on top of trends and opportunities that may benefit my business.
Thanks to Omer Usanmaz, Qooper!
#28- Around 50-60 hours
My working hours depend on the day, my mood, and what I need to get done. But on average, I work around 50-60 hours a week. My philosophy is that if you want to be successful in business, you have to put in the hard work upfront. That means long days, late nights, and plenty of hustle. No great success came easily – you have to be willing to put in the time and effort if you want to make your dreams a reality. That's why even on my busiest days, I'm still ready to roll up my sleeves and get back to work.
Thanks to Aaron Jerez, Home Bar Select!
#29- 75 hours
I'm lucky that at this point in my career, my hours vary enough to keep me sane. While I have weeks where I'm working 75 hours, most weeks I am keeping a regular schedule or can cut back to compensate. It will largely depend on where we are at in the quarter, and if my responsibilities as a board member are requiring more attention than usual or if I'm needed more for operations. I love when I have a lighter week, as I can spend more time in the field interacting with customers and checking up on past clients.
Thanks to Gates Little, altLINE Sobanco!
#30- 30-40+ hour
I think that many employers now think of component workers as full-time even if they only collaborate a few hours a week (i.e., over 30 hours, 35 hours, or 37.5 hours). Under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), employees who work 30 hours upwards per week are entitled to health insurance. However, businesses can create their own standards for full-time pay and other benefits beyond 30 minutes per week. Some employers may ask their employees to work so many hours per week.
Thanks to Joshua Pelletier, BarBend!