10 ways to achieve work/life balance as a small business owner

Yet, creating a balance between work and life isn’t just about feeling good — it’s essential for your long-term success. Let’s explore how you can reclaim control of your time, focus on what matters most, and run your business without it running you.

1. Understand what balance really means

Work/life balance doesn’t mean splitting your time evenly between work and personal life. It means having enough energy, time, and mental space to give your best to both. Some weeks, your business might demand more attention; other weeks, you’ll have time to focus on family, friends, and yourself. The key is to design your routine so you can flex when needed — without guilt.

Ask yourself:

• What activities give you energy, and which ones drain it?
• Are you spending your time on what truly drives your business forward, or just reacting to daily noise?

Action: Take ten minutes today to map out how you currently spend your week. Identify what could be delegated, automated, or postponed.

2. Set boundaries that protect your time

One of the hardest lessons I learned as a business owner was that “yes” can be the most dangerous word. Saying yes to every customer request, late-night message, or extra project often leads to burnout. Boundaries are not about being unavailable — they’re about being sustainable.

Try setting:

• Defined work hours — and stick to them. Let customers know your availability upfront.
• Communication limits — schedule when you check emails or messages rather than constantly reacting.
• Physical boundaries — if you work from home, create a dedicated workspace so you can mentally “leave” at the end of the day.

Action: Choose one new boundary you can implement this week and communicate it clearly to your clients or team.

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3. Prioritise what matters most

Many business owners mistake being busy for being productive. But endless busyness often hides inefficiency. The 80/20 rule applies here — 80% of your results often come from 20% of your activities. Identify the work that drives profit or growth and focus your energy there.

Ask yourself:

• What tasks actually move the needle for my business?
• Which activities could someone else handle — or could be automated?

Action: Write down your top three business priorities for the next 30 days and eliminate one recurring task that doesn’t support them.

4. Delegate and automate to reclaim your hours

You might be the founder, but you don’t need to be the accountant, marketer, and customer support rep all at once. Delegation is not a weakness; it’s a strength. By outsourcing or automating routine work, you create space to focus on higher-value tasks — or simply to rest.

If you can’t yet afford to hire help, automation can be your best friend. From scheduling social posts to reconciling transactions, small changes compound into major time savings.

Action: Make a list of five repetitive tasks you do every week. Decide which can be automated or handed off in the next month.

5. How Thriday helps you win back five hours a week

If there’s one area that consumes unnecessary time, it’s financial admin — invoicing, reconciling, paying bills, and preparing for tax time. That’s where Thriday changes everything.

Thriday automates your banking, accounting, and tax in one place. Every transaction is categorised automatically, invoices are tracked, and your BAS and tax are calculated in real-time. On average, small business owners who use Thriday save five hours every week — time that can be spent on growth, hobbies, or simply doing nothing at all.

Imagine what an extra five hours could mean: dinner with your family, time at the gym, or finally reading that book you’ve been putting off. Thriday gives you back control of your time so you can focus on living, not just working.

Action: Sign up to Thriday today and see how much time you can reclaim in your first week.

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6. Build routines that protect your energy

Habits are powerful — they automate decisions and reduce stress. Building a few key routines can help you stay grounded even during your busiest weeks.

Try incorporating:

• A consistent morning routine to set the tone for your day — even ten minutes of quiet reflection or exercise helps.
• Regular breaks to reset your mind; a short walk can boost focus and creativity.
• A clear end-of-day ritual, like reviewing your wins and shutting down notifications.

These small actions signal to your brain when to switch gears, helping you be more present both at work and at home.

Action: Choose one new routine to start tomorrow morning and pick something that supports your focus or rest.

7. Learn to disconnect (and actually mean it)

Many small business owners struggle to truly switch off. Even during holidays, they find themselves checking emails “just in case.” But rest isn’t a reward for hard work — it’s a requirement for it.

When you give yourself permission to disconnect, your mind recharges. You’ll come back sharper, more creative, and better equipped to lead.

Here’s how to start:

• Turn off notifications after hours.
• Schedule “no-work” days and stick to them.
• Tell clients you’ll be offline and provide alternative contacts if needed.

Action: Block out one upcoming weekend and commit to going fully offline. Let your customers know — and see how refreshed you feel on Monday.

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8. Surround yourself with support

Running a business can be isolating, but it doesn’t have to be. Surrounding yourself with the right people (mentors, peers, or even fellow business owners) helps you stay balanced and accountable.

Find a community where you can share challenges, celebrate wins, and learn from others. It might be a local networking group, a Facebook community, or simply a monthly coffee with another founder.

Action: Reach out to one business owner you admire and suggest catching up this month.

9. Redefine success on your own terms

The pressure to always “do more” can be relentless. Social media, competitors, and even friends can make you feel like you’re not achieving enough. But balance begins when you define success for yourself — not by someone else’s standards.

Maybe success means working four days a week, or earning enough to take a month off each year. Whatever it looks like, align your business with your lifestyle goals, not the other way around.

Action: Write down what a balanced, successful life looks like for you and then identify one change to bring you closer to it.

10. Invest in tools that make life easier

Modern business owners have access to incredible technology that can handle much of the heavy lifting. The key is to choose tools that integrate seamlessly and save you time rather than add more complexity.

Thriday, for instance, eliminates the need for separate accounting software, bookkeeping spreadsheets, and manual tax prep. It keeps everything in one place, automatically, so you can focus on growth — or take that well-earned break.

Call to action: Explore how Thriday can simplify your finances and help you reclaim hours each week. Join Thriday for free today.

Final thoughts

Finding work/life balance as a small business owner isn’t about perfection, it’s about intention. You’ll always have busy periods, but balance means you choose how and when to work, rather than being consumed by it. By setting boundaries, prioritising smartly, automating with tools like Thriday, and remembering to rest, you’ll not only build a stronger business — you’ll also build a more fulfilling life.