How to Find Time to Start a Business This Year

Are you interested in starting a business to provide more income for your family, but you just don’t know how you could possibly find the time to do it as a full-time pastor?

Well I believe it really is possible, and we’ll talk about how to find the time to start a business or achieve any goal this year - in just 7 or 15 hours a week - on this episode of the more than a pastor show.

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How to Find Time to Start a Business This Year

In my conversations with pastors I often encounter those who say they really want to start a business or side hustle to provide more income for their family, but they just don’t know how they could possibly find the time to do it as a full-time pastor.

Have you ever felt that way too? I know I have.

So, is it possible for a full-time pastor to begin to create income outside the church? Or is it just a dream?

I believe it really is possible.

And so today I’d like to talk about how to find time to start a business, or achieve any goal this year, and share two specific ways you can find the time to write a book, start a business or side hustle, or achieve any dream you have.

Could You Start a Business in as Little as 7 Hours a Week?

It’s been said that we often overestimate what we can accomplish in a day and underestimate what we can accomplish in a year.

So as we’re starting out the new year here in early January 2025, let’s think big picture about what we could accomplish by this time next year.

Let me ask you, do you think you could start a business, or accomplish something significant in 2025, if you dedicated 365 hours to it? 365 hours over the next year?

Man I know I could do something significant if I dedicated 365 hours to it over the next year.

That’s just 30 hours a month, right. Do you think you could do something significant if you dedicated 30 hours a month to it?

Yes, I believe I could.

That’s just 7 hours a week, right. Could you do something significant if you dedicated 7 hours a week to it?

Yes I believe I could.

That’s just 1 hour a day, right? Could you do something significant if you dedicated 1 hour a day to it?

At face value, 1 hour a day might not seem very significant, it might not add up as fast as we’d like it to.

But 1 hour a day still adds up. And it builds significant momentum as the days turn into weeks and the weeks turn into months and the months turn into years.

If you believe today that there’s no way you could find the time to start a business. Why not start here? With just one hour a day?

So how do you find that hour

1. Schedule it first (after your time with God)
2. Maybe get up an hour earlier
3. Look at what you can eliminate from your schedule or cut back on (tv, etc.)
4. Look at what things you can combine to save time - kill two birds with one stone, so to speak

I believe we make time for what we really want to do, would you agree?

So if you really want to start a business, make that time - even if it’s just one hour a day, and schedule other things around that.

So this is what I call the 1-hr a day method to building a business.

I really do believe it’s possible to build something significant with the equivalent of one hour a day, 7 hours a week, 30 hours a day, and 365 hours in a year.

If that’s all the time you can find to start a business. Then start there.

To borrow a theme from Zechariah 4:10, do not despise small beginnings.

I think it’s easy for us as humans to pooh-pooh small beginnings and think they won’t add up to anything significant. But they really do add up. And if we’re doing something God has called us to do, he guide us and bless our efforts, and can even multiply them for his glory.

But what if I could show you how to double that, without taking away from your family time? Would that be of interest to you? What if I could show you a way to find 15 hours a week for your business?

I call this the 15-hr a week method.

For many business start-ups, 15 hours a week is enough to build and grow a profitable business.

But how in the world could a pastor find that kind of time?

Well, let’s talk about that.

Many pastors I’ve worked with, when they’re honest about how many hours they work for their church, find themselves working 50-55 hours a week many weeks. Some even 60 hours.

That might be OK if they were actually being compensated for those additional hours. But in reality, they were working 55 hours + and getting paid for only 40.

So if that’s you, let’s help you shed those additional 15-20 hours a week you’re not getting paid for, and repurpose those hours into something that does add to your bottom line.

From my own ministry experience, I know how easy it is to take on an extra meeting here, or class there, or to stay longer to help with this event or that ministry. And at some point we stop, look back, and wonder, “How in the world did I go from 40 hours to 55 hours?”

Well, it’s easy to understand when we remember that the work always expands to the hours we dedicate to it. So if we’re willing to give it 55 hours, it will surely take 55 hours.

So what’s the solution?

1. Refocus our schedule on our top priorities, and make our new business one of our top priorities
2. Reallocate those 15 unpaid hours to our business instead of the church
3. Become more focused in our church work in order to make up for the loss
4. Delegate more to empower others to do what we shouldn’t be doing

Let me add that I believe all four of these things are healthy for us and our church. We’re not healthy and our church is not healthy if we’re working 55 hours + in it. If we believe it won’t get done unless we do it. We’re not healthy if we’re not getting paid for the hours we’re putting in. We’re ot healthy if we’re allowing work to expand to fit whatever time we give it. We’re not healthy if we’re doing what others can and should do.

So freeing up 15 hours a week to start a business can be a win-win for you, your church, and your family.

But it may require a mindset shift on your part and for those who have come to expect you’re going to be available 24/7/365 no matter what.

You’re going to have to have some conversations. Maybe a few will be tough. You’re going to need to train some people. They probably won’t do things the way you’d do them at first.

But my guess is you’ll be pleasantly surprised that you can get more done in a focused 40 hours a week than you did before with a sloppy 50-60.

The focus will be good for you, the church, your family, and your business.

Application & Action

So if you’re wondering how to find time to start a business in 2025, which method would you want to try? The 1 hour a day method or the 15 hour a week method?

If I can be of assistance to you as you begin to implement it, please feel free to reach out to me at [email protected].

So what if you’re interested in starting a business this year to provide more for your family, and you’re willing to find the time, but you just don’t know if starting a business is really right for you? How can you know for sure? We’ll talk about that in our next episode.