I run a tiny branding studio (just me and a part-timer). I used to bill 40+ hours a week easily, but lately I'm lucky if I get 25 hours of actual client work done. The rest is admin, emails, invoicing, and chasing late payments. Is this normal? I feel like I'm working all the time but getting nowhere. Curious how many hours you all actually put in vs. what you say you do.
Time Management
How many hours do you really work in a normal week?
I track everything with a timer. Last month I averaged 32 hours of real work per week. The other 15 hours were "looking at my computer and sighing."
Define 'work'. If you count reading industry newsletters while drinking coffee, I'm at 60. If you mean billable output, closer to 28.
This is the trap of small business. You're not just doing the work, you're running a whole operation. I finally hired a VA for 10 hours a week and my billable hours went up without me working more. Worth every penny.
I don't count. Counting makes me depressed. I just work until the list is done and then panic about tomorrow's list.
40 hours a week, but 20 of those are spent explaining to clients why the thing they asked for will take longer than they think. So really 20 hours of work and 20 hours of therapy.
coffeeandchaos, what helped me was separating "revenue hours" from "business hours." I aim for 20 revenue hours and 15 business hours (admin, marketing, etc.). That's a 35-hour week. If I hit that, I'm good. Some weeks are 50, but they're rare now.
I tell everyone I work 50 hours. I actually work maybe 30. The other 20 I'm "networking" on Reddit.
3 kids under 6. I get about 25 hours of real work done at night and during naps. It's not ideal but it's what I've got. The guilt is real though.
Thanks all. Good to know I'm not alone in the 25-30 range. frugal_freda, that revenue vs business hours split is smart. I'm going to try that framing this week.
One more thing: the hours you *don't* work matter too. I used to feel guilty about stopping at 3pm on Fridays. Now I just do it. The work expands to fill the time you give it. Give it less time.