AIBU to Work 65 hrs per week on my own business

[CosmicScouser]

I'm 35, single (but dating someone who is kept busy with his own kids aged 12&14), no kids of my own (don't want any).
Paid my mortgage off.
£0 savings.
Just started a business start of this year.
I am really enjoying it.
I feel the pressure of looking after clients but I don't feel stressed in a bad way iyswim?

Would you?:
Work 65hrs per week.
With gym session X3 per week.
With seeing friends and family fairly regularly on my lunch break in the working day.
And a proper social occasion once per month.
With 2 holidays per year.
With one chilled (at home) date with partner per fortnight.
And one more exciting date/day out with partner per fortnight.
With one 2hour session of hobby time per week.
With no time for reading or watching much TV/film as whenever I am home I am just prepping food/clothes or sleeping.

Would you live that life if it meant you could have £1,000,000 cash in 10 years age 45? And likely retire or at least drop right down to 15-20 hours per week.

By which time a partner who has kids... Well, his kids would be grown up and we could focus on each other.

What do you think?

It’s sounds like a very regimented life to me, but maybe that fits your personality and also maybe that what you have to do if you run your own business. I’m surprised you give a shit what other people think though! And you may as well put the boyfriend idea on one side til you are 45 if the arrangement causes any angst.

Can I ask what sort of business you had? Just asking out of pure curiosity. I dont have a business brain and always amazed how people do it!

Lots of people work those hours without keeling over. Starting a business invariably needs that kind of input. But there is also the adage “find a job you love and you will never work again”, which seems to sum you up.

You also fit in a lot of non work activities so you have some balance, probably a lot more than working mothers and no one tells them to stop or they will have a heart attack

Do you have an exit plan that would value your business at that? Or will your sales get you to that figure?

Sometimes if you so focused on the build tomorrow, it's hard to plan ahead. Take the time to work that through. If you are just assuming a business will take you there, it might not. This knowledge will help you judge whether it's worth it for you

Educational training/consultancy. I should mention as well that in the early years we hardly made a penny and had a lot of debt. In the later years we made a decent living but still less than we’d have earned in paid roles. We only made a lot of money when we sold it.

Honestly, as a business owner myself it sounds utterly soul-destroying to me. I started off working all the hours under the sun and it nearly gave me a breakdown.

A million won’t be enough if you planning to retire at 45 (just saying) you could easily live for the same time again, and as you won’t have a family you may need to set aside money for help.

Your question should be different though op. You can do exactly what you please with your own life, Real friends should be happy for you, so why aren’t they? Do they miss you?
Are you investing zero effort into them, that seems like a mistake. But if you are managing to see friends regularly and take care of yourself then go for it! Be happy and if your new man is meant to be, he will fit in around you, and not the other way around.

Dh and I regularly work seventy hours plus. I wouldn’t say you were working too much personally. It sounds very rewarding and productive.

You seem to have only factored in 2 dates per fortnight. Thats not a lot to develop a meaningful relationship.
And you seem to be assuming that all friends and family can see you on your lunch break.

At the end of the day, you do what works for you but you seem to be expecting others to fit around your plan. Just don’t be surprised if relationships/friendships don’t survive unless you can invest time in them and be relatively flexible.

For me it’s not unreasonable if you can sustain the lifestyle without making yourself unwell. Especially if you’re making a good turnover and profit and can afford a good quality of life while doing it.

I wouldn’t work 65 hours a week self employed if I went into the red every month, couldnt afford new things when I wanted them, had no time for hobbies and took home very little a month and didn’t see the business making money for me in the future or for my future.

You appear to be in the first senario so I’d say keep going if you can.

Of you find yourself in the second if re evaluate

It sounds as though you have your life reasonably balanced, if not quite regimented. If it's working for you then absolutely go for it.

However, I would caution pausing your life with the idea of picking it up again in x many years. I'm sure it works for and auits many people, but you don't know what your life will look like, your health will look like, your friendships and romance at this future date.
Make sure you keep the balance in your life now.

People who are making comments in your life are probably just jel of your projected earnings and success

I work those hours regularly with 2 kids and while I am on a great salary, the bulk of my output is lining the profits of the company I work for! Go for it

but be self aware. Take breaks when you need to and don’t be scared to admit if it’s all becoming too much.

I did 70-80 hours per week for 2 years, although I am older. There was no time for anything except work and sleep, and I can't see how 5 extra hours of 'you-time' will make any difference to that!

It's draining, and that's why I gave it up, even though the money was amazing. Sometimes, however much money you get, it just isn't worth it.

I also know loads of doctors who have worked those sorts of hours for years - and mainly they cope because they have partners who sort everything else for them. but they still spend a lot of time falling asleep at dinner parties etc.

If the work is your life or money is pretty much all that matters to you, then fair enough.

Most people who have successful businesses work all the hours god sends initially - keep doing what you want to do.