A day in the life of an entrepreneur

I tend to spend a lot of time on this blog  writing about crime or gossiping about celebrities. But I rarely spend time talking about my own personal day-to-day routine.

How entrepreneurs spend their day seems to be a topic of curiosity and fascination for a lot of people. i love watching vlogs about a day in the life, just to see if I can pick up any hints or tips to make my busy schedule easier to manage.

It’s that fascination that inspired me to write this blog post.

Before we begin, I want to note that my typical day is an ever-evolving thing. I am always pivoting. And I’m always coming up with new ways to make my life less stressful while improving my bottom line.  To me, that’s really the best thing about entrepreneurial life – OK maybe aside from the money – it’s never boring. for those of you who don’t know I am self employed I own one of the largest vintage stores in Ireland, I also work part time for a local convenience store, I love both my jobs, I am currently in my second year in college studying pharma and food science my classes are two evenings a week and we have workshops once a month its full on and I have to study a lot to pass my exams but I’m loving it and really have made friends for life. if my life isn’t hectic enough I am also a brand ambassador for two companies, I am a blogger and a podcaster.

My “normal” day-to-day looks nothing like my “normal” from five years ago. Or even two years ago, for that matter.

What is an “entrepreneur”?

Let’s start with the basics, what makes one an entrepreneur? 

By definition, an entrepreneur is someone who operates a business and generally takes on a considerable amount of risk and responsibility in doing so ( lord knows i had taken a massive risk to begin my own business and i have massive responsibility on my shoulder)

I don’t always like to call myself an entrepreneur. This is largely due to the fact that the word is often misused on social media.

How do entrepreneurs make money?

Successful entrepreneurs make money in a variety of ways. And gross earnings vary wildly from one entrepreneur to another depending on the size of the business(es) and the types of products and services they offer.

Some entrepreneurs barely make any money at all. Others make thousands. Some are fortunate enough to make millions or even billions.

Some of the most common ways entrepreneurs make money include offering services or products for sale to consumers (B2C), offering services or products for sale to other businesses (B2B), creating content for ads, subscriptions or lead generation and investing. 

What do entrepreneurs do all day?

Every entrepreneur’s day-to-day routine looks different from the next. Some are early birds, some are night owls, some work from home and some maintain a strict corporate-like schedule.

Some barely make ends meet, others are Jeff Bezos or Richard Branson rich and many fall somewhere in between.

In the early days of launching my businesses, I used to hustle 16-20 hours a day, seven days a week. Long days, back then, were the norm. I often look back and wonder how I did it but trust me I did it and it was so worth it to get where I am today

Today, I’ve strategically reduced my workload to improve both my mental and physical health.

Here’s a closer look at my typical day now:

• 6:30 am: Wake up, get ready for work, i always try to spend and hour studying in the morning
• 10:00 am: open my store, set it up hoover, open till and catch up on what i missed out on from the previous afternoon
• 10:30 am: pack out new stock, upload images on Facebook, answer any DM’s we have
• 11:00 am: Go to the shops get all of our lunches for the day
• 11:30 am: chat with customers, work in the shop on little projects we have going on
• 12:00 pm: go and pick up new stock, bring them back to the shop and get them ready to put out
• 1:00 pm: Lunch
• 1:30pm: go to my other job
• 2:00 pm-6:30pm: Work in the convivence store its a great atmosphere in the store and i love the customer
• 6:30 pm – 9.30pm:  College i have three modules this semester so we have a class on each module every other night
• 9:30 pm: dinner this is the only time i get to eat since lunch time i am normally starving but I’m extremally lucky my husband supports my dreams 100% so he would normally have dinner ready for me on the nights i have college
• 10:30 pm: get ready for bed

during the week i also need to fit in blog posts, pod casts, photo shoots and cook dinner for my self and my husband on the days i don’t have college

I usually work anywhere between 10 12  hours per day.

I think it’s a common misbelief that all entrepreneurs have to get up early and start their day with some sort of aspirational morning routine.

I’m not a morning person. I’ve always been a night owl and find that I do my best creative work in the late afternoons. It’s also the best time to sneak in a bit of deep work as the late afternoons tend to be fairly distraction-free.

i am lucky that i get to walk to my shop everyday so that little stroll really helps to wake me up

I sometimes return to work after dinner if I am feeling inspired. But I try not to make a habit of it. Instead, I try to spend the rest of my free with my husband or spending time with friends.

I don’t eat breakfast. And if it wasn’t already obvious enough – I don’t have kids.

What do entrepreneurs wear?

What an entrepreneur wears during the day is going to depend on the type of work they are required to do, who they have to see and where they have to be.

Because I mostly work from home and am only seen from the waist up on Zoom calls during the day, I tend to take the professional yet comfortable route.

I normally wear jeans, shorts or leggings with a form-fitting top that pairs nicely with a blazer should I need to throw one on for a meeting.

I do my hair and makeup every day and do not allow myself to wear sweatpants. Feeling slouchy just doesn’t put me in a productive mindset. 

Can entrepreneurship be learned?

I’d like to end this article by answering another frequently asked question that often pops up in my research: Can entrepreneurship be learned?

I’m here to emphatically state that yes, entrepreneurship can be learned.

i always wanted to open my own business from as early as i can remember

While I’ve always had big dreams, I used to think I’d find success working for someone else, i never thought i would have to courage to take the leap into self employment

Fortunately, i come from a long line of entrepreneurs. I and i have an extremely supportive husband and it is with his help and encouragement that I eventually made the leap.

I don’t consider myself to be a person of above-average intelligence or skill, I just figure things out as I go.

At the end of the day, I’m just a regular human being like anyone else, albeit, perhaps, with a slightly higher energy level.

Sure, it took a long time, and a lot of hard work to get where I am today. I am no overnight success. It’s been a steady climb, and I’m still making my way to the summit.

But growth excites me. I tend to treat entrepreneur life like a video game. I’m always trying to get to the next level.

I read books, listen to podcasts, constantly hone my skill set, constantly strive for personal growth and am always on the lookout for new opportunities and ways to improve my bottom line. I’m always coming up with new business ideas.

I cannot tell you what a great feeling it is to be in control of your own life and career.

And trust me, if I can figure out a way to become a successful entrepreneur, anyone can.

being your own boss is one of the greatest feelings in the whole world but it is also one of the hardest things to do.

Did you enjoy this glimpse into the life of an entrepreneur? Are you thinking about becoming an entrepreneur? Let me know in the comments below. And don’t forget to connect with me on social media.