How long is a business day?
From “I Average a 7-hour Work Day” to “12 Hours, 3 Days a Week”, here’s what CEOs and business leaders shared in regards to how long their business day is:
- It Varies Across Time Zones
- 12 Hours, 3 Days a Week
- I Try to Keep My Day at 8 Hours, but It is Really 10
- As a Founder, Work Never Stops
- Our Average Day is 9 Hours Long
- 8 Hours (9 Am to 5 Pm)
- It Ends at 5pm Sharp
- As Long as the Length of My To-do List.
- 45 Minutes to 6 Hours
- Goal-oriented> Time Oriented
- I Average a 7-hour Work Day
- It Varies With Workloads
- I Work a Flexible Non-traditional Schedule that Fits Me
- Plan Your Day and Prioritize Tasks for the Day Ahead
- 10 Hours
- Usually My Hours Reflect Those of a 9 -5
- Flexible Remote Office = 24 Hour Workday
- Our Hours Coincide With Peak Customer Times
- 8 Hours
- As Long as It Needs to Be!
- 8 Hours
It Varies Across Time Zones
Because we have a global team working across time zones, we limit our operating hours to the traditional business hours in each region so that our team members work 40 hours per week at most. While technology makes it easy to stay connected wherever we work, much of our project collaboration happens through the cloud instead of direct interaction. So this doesn’t require having a set schedule.However, I typically start my workday between 3 and 4 A.M. and end between 9 and 10 P.M. While this may not sound sustainable, I allow myself a long afternoon break to play a round of golf or spend quality time with my family. Taking time out helps me recharge and improve my creativity and problem-solving. It also boosts my mood, enabling me to support my team with a positive attitude and agile mindset.
Shaunak Amin, CEO & Co-Founder, SwagMagic
12 Hours, 3 Days a Week
My business day is 12 hours long, and I work three days per week. By working in these concentrated bursts, I’m able to get more done in less time. I find that working 8 hours per day, 5 days per week is too much, and by working longer hours on fewer days, I’m able to stay more focused.By working at this ratio, I’m able to take one full weekend off per week, and have two extra days to focus on reading, gardening, and self-improvement. I find that this is enough to keep myself refreshed and engaged. Working within these parameters also allows me to spend more time with my family. I’ve found this to be the most productive schedule for me, and would encourage anyone to try it out.
Matthew Ramirez, CEO, Rephrasely
I Try to Keep My Day at 8 Hours, but It is Really 10
Although my preference would be to have it at eight hours, my standard business day is about ten. Many business people start work before they ever arrive at the office, and with the interconnectivity created by online office platforms and the ever presence of our smartphones in our pockets, that accessibility can keep us at work all day long.Though I try to give myself an hour or so after I get dressed to have a cup of coffee and mentally prepare myself for the day, most of the time, I don’t make it the full sixty minutes. Therefore, an hour before I arrive at work and at least an hour after I leave the office, I am still working, keeping my business day at ten hours long.
Cody Candee, CEO, Bounce
As a Founder, Work Never Stops
I am something of a die-hard entrepreneur (read: control freak). So, I’ve spent my whole life working for me, myself and I. I’ve started several businesses. And the truth is, I am my own worst boss. I work long hours, usually from early in the morning into the evening, and at weekends. But that’s what being your own boss means, and it’s what I want to do because I’m passionate about my work and seeing my businesses succeed. I also take lots of breaks and can be completely flexible with my workday. It’s not all nose to the grindstone. The truth is, I have more to do than can be done in a workday, most days, so I prioritise and forgive myself if I don’t get to something. There’s always tomorrow.
Matthew Stibbe, CEO, Articulate Marketing
Our Average Day is 9 Hours Long
We usually start ourbusiness day early in the morning, around 8 or 8:30. We begin by checking our voicemails and emails to see if there are any urgent matters that need to be addressed right away. We then review our calendar for the day and make sure we’re prepared for all of our meetings. We try to schedule most of our calls and appointments in the morning so we can have a few hours in the afternoon to catch up on paperwork and other tasks. We usually wrap up our day around 5 or 6 p.m., although sometimes we have to stay later if we’re working on a deadline.
Lorien Strydom, Executive Country Manager, Financer.com
8 Hours (9 Am to 5 Pm)
My business day is around 8 hours long with the usual 9 am to 5 pm timing. The day starts with a morning routine of checking emails and social media. I then head to the office, where I usually have a standup meeting with my team. We discuss what we are working on, any deadlines, and other tasks that need to be completed. I then have a few meetings throughout the day, including clients, other team members or people from outside the company. I always schedule these meetings in blocks so that it’s not too overwhelming. I may have some more work to do, but if not, I’ll head home for dinner and hang out with my family before bed.
Shaun Connell, Founder, Writing Tips Institute
It Ends at 5pm Sharp
There’s no reason why any business should work longer than the typical 9-5. Many companies sign off at 6pm, and by the time they get home, it’s at least 7pm and the day feels like it’s gone. My business days won’t go past 5pm unless there’s an emergency that can’t wait until tomorrow. This ensures I’m productive during normal working hours and I can enjoy my free time at the end of the day.
Natália Sadowski, Director of Aesthetics, Nourishing Biologicals
As Long as the Length of My To-do List.
I measure my business day in tasks, not hours. In other words, in my work, it’s crucial to make things done, not to work for a particular number of hours, and my daywork ends when my tasks are done. Usually, I finish in 6-8 hours, but on some busy days, I have to work longer. However, it evens out during the entire workweek.
Karolina Zajac, Community Manager, PhotoAiD
45 Minutes to 6 Hours
As a personal trainer, it can be anywhere from 45 minutes to 6 hours! Depending on the clients, how much time I spend with them during their workouts, and my own personal schedule. I am busy from about 6 AM until about 10 AM, so most of my days are about 3 hours. There are also some late afternoon/early evening clients that train from about 4 PM until 7 PM. When they schedule a session, my day is extended by another 3 hours.
Isaac Robertson, Fitness Trainer & Co-Founder, Total Shape
Goal-oriented> Time Oriented
I like to plan my day according to my goals table. I strive for short-term achievements and goals that give me a sense of accomplishment. I believe it is pointless to adhere to allotting time to activities. You might be able to sit through the quantity but the qualitative results might set you back. Never judge your work by the time you put in but by the effort, you are willing to make.My business day ends when I have achieved the qualitative goal.
Samantha Odo, Real Estate Expert & Chief Operating Officer at Precondo, Precondo
I Average a 7-hour Work Day
One of the reasons why I started freelancing is to skip the traditional work schedule. I’ve tested a few different schedules over the past few years. Currently, I start work between 9-9:30 AM after I’ve taken my kids to school, exercised, and showered. I take about 30 minutes for lunch unless I’m meeting up with friends or family. I work until about 3:30-4 pm, depending on whether my kids have after-school activities. On the rare occasion when my schedule is overwhelmed, I will work in the car during their activities or at night after they go to bed. I only work Monday through Thursday, and only Thursdays when necessary. Working less has enabled me to be more productive and creative with my time and the type of work I do. It’s also taken away a lot of stress, as I’m no longer trying to do too much in my business.
Alli Hill, Founder and Director, Fleurish Freelance
It Varies With Workloads
While our eCommerce is open 24/7, our office hours depend on the projects underway. So if we’re formulating new healthy recipes or conducting interviews with experts in our field, our day can run as long as 10 hours. But, as we prioritize a healthy work-life balance, our team typically works 6 to 8 hours when tending to the day-to-day operations of running a business, with most of us working from home on Fridays.
Maria Shriver, Cofounder + CEO, MOSH
I Work a Flexible Non-traditional Schedule that Fits Me
With caregiving responsibilities and a jam-packed schedule, my “desk time” is very limited on most days. During the school year, I may have 10 to 20 hours total to dedicate to my business, with the longest day being about 7 hours and the shortest totaling in at maybe an hour.So how I spend my work time is incredibly important, prioritizing my tasks and offering streamlined productized services are critical to get the most out of my limited schedule.
Michelle Pontvert, Founder & Website Designer , Michelle Pontvert
Plan Your Day and Prioritize Tasks for the Day Ahead
As a business owner, I work 12 hours a day. I break down my tasks and working process depending on priority. I need to spend the first 3 hours of my day developing my company’s goals. I also communicate with clients, develop strategies for them, and grow their businesses. This is, of course, easier said than done. I love everything to be super organized and on time, which is one way to ensure I can get everything under control. My main secret is prioritizing my tasks. For example, if I have a client meeting scheduled, that’s way more important to get ready for the meeting than respond to a few emails. Also, at the end of each day, I write a list of the six most important tasks for the next day, so I will have them scheduled for the following day. This is an ace in the hole. Highly recommended!
Maria Harutyunyan, Co-Founder , Loopex Digital
10 Hours
My business day usually begins at 9:00 AM and ends at 7:00 PM. This may be long to many but I am pretty flexible with my time. I can go for a longer lunch break if necessary and squeeze in a quick workout if I find myself with some free time. I believe that productivity is not measured in the hours you clock in but rather in the output produced.
Michelle Siy, Content Writer, Oliver Wicks
Usually My Hours Reflect Those of a 9 -5
Typically I tend to work hours that closely resemble a 9 – 5, although naturally days can go longer especially during peak seasons like the holidays. It is very important for me to prioritize my personal recovery as well as time spent with friends and family outside of work so that I can show up as my best self when I am on the job. One of my methods in doing this is to religiously protect my sleep and those later hours of the day when I naturally want to start winding down.
Patrick Robinson, Founder & CEO, Paskho
Flexible Remote Office = 24 Hour Workday
We don’t expect beyond a standard eight hour workday for our staff. However, since we are a fully remote company with flexible scheduling, technically our work day lasts 24 hours a day. Flexible scheduling can cause problems when employees work on asynchronous schedules and may work during opposing hours. Team members may feel pressured to respond to messages received in off-hours, and thus the workday can extend far beyond normal working hours. To offset this possibility we mandate a block of “all-on” hours where staff all have to be online and can reach coworkers directly, and encourage staff to schedule emails and messages to send during normal business hours or include a line that reads something like “I am sending this at a time suitable for me– do not feel pressured to respond immediately.”
Kate Duske, Editor in Chief, Escape Room Data
Our Hours Coincide With Peak Customer Times
eCommerce is always ongoing. For this reason, customer needs and issues can arise anytime when you have clients in various time zones. So our business day is defined by something other than the hours between opening and closing. However, ensuring our team members maintain a healthy work-life balance is vital. So we offer employees flexible schedules so that they can prioritize tasks in a timely manner while making themselves available to clients at peak times, typically 8 am to 4 pm EST. This way, we can meet our customers’ needs without team members having to incur a lot of overtime hours.
Daniel Kroytor, Founder and Director, Tailored Pay
8 Hours
I rarely go over 8 hours a day. This is my way to regulate my work life balance and I find that I am able to get the majority of my work done within an 8 hour period. There are of course the occasional deadline driven projects where I have to work over that 8 hour period, but I really try to finish everything within 8 hours. If I can’t finish something, I’ve learned that it will always be there for me tomorrow and I can work on it then.
Marshall Weber, CMO, Stor-It
As Long as It Needs to Be!
As an owner/operator of an agency, my days tend to be as long as I need them to be in order to help out the team an be most effective. Some days are your typical 9-5 where i’ve got a set list of high priority items to accomplish for the day. Others start at 6am prepping for a podcast appearance or working on helping a strategist out with a deliverable for a big client project late into the evening. Ultimately, my goal is to work on the most important and impactful items on the business within my zone of genius for the exact right amount of time needed. Burnout is real so purely measuring success proportionate to numbers of hours worked is a great recipe for disaster as well.
Ken Marshall, Chief Growth Officer, RevenueZen
8 Hours
My business day lasts 8 hours. Some days I start at 9 and some days I start at 10 or 11 depending on my tasks, but I don’t go over 8 hours per day unless it is a special event or an emergency. I find that if I work more than 8 hours or later than 7pm on a consistent basis, I end up feeling drained and doing a lower quality level on my work. In conclusion, as an entrepreneur who has some flexibility in my schedule, I do tend to work the standard 9-5 work day, give or take an hour here or there.
Cayla Gao, Public Relations Manager, Depology
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