The Real Reason Business Owners Get Stuck Working 60 Hours a Week

by Sean Foster | September 25, 2025  | Business Coaching

It’s 9 pm, your inbox is still full, and you’re thinking about tomorrow’s tasks. Sound familiar?

Introduction

If you’re a business owner regularly clocking 60-hour weeks (or more), you already know how exhausting it feels. What’s harder to admit is that this isn’t just about working hard, it’s about working in ways that keep you trapped. Let’s look at why so many NZ business owners fall into this cycle, and what you can do to change it.

Caveat: Working 60-hour weeks is in itself not necessarily a bad thing, after all, the origins of the ‘40-hour’ week goes back to the 1800’s to rightly offer some balance to over exploited workers.

For a business owner, especially startups, where work is often their passion, working long hours is often a necessity. The truth serum is really understanding the answer to the question: ‘Are the hours I am working negatively affecting me personally, those around me or my business?’

1. The Trap of Wearing Every Hat

When you launched your business, you probably did everything: sales, admin, marketing, customer service, finance. The problem is that many owners never let go of those hats, even years later. What feels like “saving money” often becomes the biggest time and energy drain.

Tip: If you are employing staff, one of your missions should be to employ people that are better than you in their role. If you get this right, then stop micro-managing them. They are better than you at their job, your role is to lead them and to set up a very clear path on where this leading is heading, aka: your overall business strategy.

2. Busy Doesn’t Always Mean Productive

Spending long hours at your desk doesn’t always move your business forward. Often, you’re caught in the daily grind: answering calls, solving team issues, chasing invoices, rather than setting direction. That’s the difference between working IN your business versus working ON it.

If time feels like it’s slipping away on low-value tasks, it helps to put the right tools in place. Our article Manage your Time Right: Top 4 Essential Tools for SME Owners introduces practical resources that help you streamline work, free up energy, and focus on what matters most.

3. Burnout Is a Business Risk (Not Just a Personal One)

Working 60+ hours might feel noble, but it often leads to burnout, poor decision-making, and missed opportunities. In NZ, small business burnout is on the rise, with many owners admitting stress impacts not just them, but their families and staff too.

Tip: An effective business strategy has two primary parts. Firstly it is to differentiate your business from your competitors and secondly, it is ensuring that this differentiation is value-adding. As such, you need to think and act innovatively. And innovation only happens when you are rested and clear thinking.

4. Why Long Hours Keep Happening: Lack of Structure and Boundaries

The real reason you’re stuck in overwork isn’t laziness from your team or an endless to-do list. It’s the lack of clear boundaries, systems, and structured planning. Without these, every issue lands back on your plate, and that cycle never ends.

A lack of direction also creates stress for your team. When employees are unclear about priorities, they become less effective and more anxious. Our article The #1 Mistake That Business Owners Make That Causes Stress, Anxiety & Worry in Their Employees explores how clarity and leadership can transform not only your workload, but also the confidence of your staff.

5. How to Break Free from 60-Hour Weeks

Here are some practical steps NZ business owners can take:

1. Embrace 90-Day Planning
Breaking your goals into quarterly cycles keeps priorities clear and prevents overwhelm. For a deeper dive into this approach, our article 6 Fundamental Steps to 90-Day Planning walks you through how to structure your goals, measure progress, and stay on track.

2. Delegate with Purpose
Let go of the hats. Build accountability systems so your team owns results, not just tasks.

3. ScoreCards
Everyone (including you) needs to fully know and to understand how they contribute to the business and its success. What does perfection look like in any job? ScoreCards specify how each role contributes to business success.

4. Set Boundaries Around Your Time
Your availability is not unlimited. Protect focus hours and avoid being “always on.” Are you familiar with time blocking?

5. Focus on High-Value Work
Spend more time steering strategy, less time firefighting. It is useful to understand your effective hourly rate. Then to understand that for all functions you perform, which ones have the highest financial return.

6. How Business Coaching Helps Break the Cycle

Breaking free from overwork isn’t about finding more hours, it’s about making better use of the ones you have. This is where many business owners find coaching valuable. A coach brings an external perspective, helps you build structure (like 90-day planning), and keeps you accountable to working on your business, not just in it.

If you’re curious about what this looks like in practice, our article What to Expect in Your First 90 Days with a Business Coach in Auckland shares how the early stages of coaching can help you reset your workload and build better systems from the start.

7. Business Coaching for Time Management and Overwork

Time management challenges and overwork are among the top reasons business owners seek coaching. A study by the Institute of Coaching at Harvard Medical School highlights that coaching not only increases resilience and job satisfaction among leaders, but also directly improves time management and overall effectiveness. Their findings show that with the right coaching support, leaders and business owners learn to prioritise strategically, protect their time from constant interruptions, and reduce stress caused by overwork. For business owners, this means reclaiming hours that can be reinvested into growth, decision-making, and personal wellbeing. Coaching provides the frameworks and accountability needed to focus on what truly matters, protect your time, and create sustainable balance in both business and life.

Conclusion & Call to Action

If you’re stuck in the 60-hour work cycle, it’s not a sign of dedication, it’s a sign your business needs structure. Taking back your time is possible, but only if you change how you work.

Ready to explore how? Book a call with Sean and start reshaping the way you run your business.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why do so many business owners work 60 hours a week?
Because they’re stuck wearing too many hats, handling both strategy and day-to-day tasks without effective systems or delegation.

What’s the risk of overworking as a business owner?
Burnout, poor decision-making, lack of innovation and a stalled business that relies too heavily on you.

How can I move from working in the business to on the business?
Introduce structure through quarterly planning, creating ScoreCards, delegate responsibilities, and focus on strategic growth instead of daily firefighting.

Can a business coach really help reduce my workload?
Yes. A coach helps you set boundaries, build systems, and stay accountable to the changes that free your time.