How I Run a Profitable Service Business in Just a 20-Hour Week

How I Run a Profitable Service Business in Just a 20-Hour Week

As a solopreneur service provider, I’m constantly asked: How do you get so much done?

The answer is simple: ruthless prioritisation and consistent investment in money-making activities.

Like many of you, I'm a "school run mum," and business owner and my 8-year-old is my priority. She is my North Star for how I run my business - it has to work for our life at home. This means I work part-time hours, typically capping my week at 20 hours.

People often ask for my secrets, so I'm sharing a Behind-The-Scenes breakdown of how I spent my time in a real-life 20-hour week (w/c October 13th 2025).

Take a look at this report to see exactly where a profitable, part-time business owner invests her time and where she saves it.

The Secret to Solopreneur Productivity: Time Tracking

To truly master your time, you have to track it. I use a tool called Toggl to get an accurate look at my week.

Here’s a summary of where my time went w/c 13th October:

  • Building revenue-generating assets: 33.9%

  • Consistent marketing & content creation: 19.5%

  • Client work & meetings: ~27%

  • Lead generation & sales activity: 9.67%

  • Product/membership management (the spark): 5.63%

  • Essential admin & planning: ~1%

  • Year-end tax prep: 2.2%

Let's dive into the core takeaway for every service-based solopreneur: Marketing and Sales are non-negotiable income-generating tasks.

Where the Time Goes: Investing in Automated Income

High-Impact Project: Building Funnels (33.9%)

This particular week, my single biggest investment of time was on a project that won't make money this week, but is designed to bring in revenue on autopilot for months to come.

I spent 33.9% of my time building a new evergreen sales funnel to sell my email template club, The Spark.

🔑 Key Takeaway for Service Providers: Don't just trade time for money. Dedicate time each month to building automated revenue streams (like low-cost digital products, courses, memberships or templates) that align with your ultimate goal of earning money while you're not at your desk.

Consistent Marketing: The Engine of Sustainable Business Growth

Content Creation & Email Marketing (19.5%)

If you're wondering how to sustain a part-time business, look at your marketing strategy. I always spend at least a third of my time every week marketing my business. This consistency is how I’ve grown my business and kept it stable for the past six years.

This week, my marketing time was focused on my SEO Strategy and my Email List:

  • Email: I sent 3 emails to my main newsletter list (a quick, high-ROI activity).

  • Content: I spent the majority of this time writing and publishing 2 new blog posts as part of a 3-month goal to boost my search traffic.

Strategic Planning for Long-Term Success (1 Hour)

I also invested an hour in refining my marketing and sales plan for 2025-2026. Starting my new financial year means I need to step out of the daily tasks and think strategically about my long-term income goals.

🔑 Key Takeaway for Service Providers: Consistent, low-friction content (like email) combined with high-value, evergreen content (like SEO-optimised blog posts) is the most effective marketing strategy for solopreneurs who value their time.

The Power of Focus: Cutting Non-Essential Time Sinks

Drastically Reducing Social Media Time (10 Minutes)

The biggest shocker in my report? I only spent 10 minutes on Instagram this week.

This was a conscious decision to reduce my reliance on social media as a marketing channel. I've found it doesn't bring in the cash like it used to, and honestly, the constant scrolling and content creation makes me feel awful.

I've learned I have a more efficient, less stressful way to make sales: my email list and my client flow between offers.

Non-Negotiable Sales & Lead Generation (9.67%)

While I love my funnels, the majority of my revenue comes from my 1-to-1 marketing consultancy and group programmes. To sell these high-ticket services, I need to speak to people.

This 9.67% of my week was spent on direct money-making activities:

  • Following up with leads.

  • Booking discovery calls.

  • Chatting in DMs about working together.

Selling is a non-negotiable money-making activity that I invest time into every single month.

How to Get More Done in Less Time: Outsourcing!

If you look at the tiny admin slivers in my report, you'll see a second secret to my 20-hour work week: smart outsourcing.

  • Admin Time (19 Minutes): This included "planning my week" and changing my office address on a few systems. All my other admin tasks are handled by my amazing VA, who works 2 hours a week for me.

  • Year-End Taxes (2.2%): I outsource this to an incredible accountant. My time investment is minimal - just checking, signing documents, and sending the money.

🔑 Key Takeaway for Solopreneurs: If a task doesn't directly generate revenue or bring you joy, outsource it. Even a couple of hours a week with a VA can free up your time to focus on the high-impact tasks.

Ready to Streamline Your Business?

My entire time report boils down to this: Focus your limited time on what truly drives revenue: marketing, sales, and building automated assets.

If you’d love to take back control of your time, streamline your marketing using your email list, and spend less time on the social media treadmill, check out the resources below.

 
 

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