Can You Grow a Business Part-Time? What 5–10 Hours a Week Really Looks Like

Yes, you can grow a business part-time. I know because I did it. For two and a half years, I built The Complete Business around a full-time job, in about 5–10 hours a week. Lunch breaks. A random break in the afternoon. Evenings. Some weekends.

That’s the honest answer. But it’s not the whole one, because finding the hours was never the hardest part. Here’s what actually was, and what I’d tell you to stop doing if you’re building in the margins too.

What growing a business part-time actually looked like for me

I started this business at seven months pregnant, with little ones at home and no real idea what I was doing. (I wrote about that season in Starting from zero.)

There was no dedicated office day. No quiet morning block. The business got the pieces of the day that were left over:

• My lunch break at work
• A random break in the afternoon, if one showed up
• Evenings, once the house was quiet
• Some weekends

Add it all up and it came to roughly 5–10 hours a week. Not much. But it was enough to build something real, because those small pieces kept adding up. That’s what borrowed moments are. And it’s why I’ll always tell you that you don’t need more time to start.

The hardest part isn’t finding the time. It’s keeping it.

Here’s the part nobody warned me about. The hardest thing wasn’t squeezing the hours out of my week. It was actually sticking to the time I’d committed to.

There are so many excuses not to work on it. Especially in the evenings, after an already full day. There were so many reasons I didn’t want to sit back down at my desk. Honestly? I would have much rather re-watched my favourite show for the fifth time.

If that’s you right now, you’re not lazy and you’re not doing it wrong. Showing up after a long day is just hard.

What actually got me back to the desk

It took a lot of determination. A refusal to quit.

For a while, I told myself I’d be letting people down if I didn’t get my email out. If I’m honest, I didn’t really think anyone would miss it. What actually got me moving was this: I was tired of apologizing to my email list.

I was tired of sending yet another “I’m back! Sorry I’ve been away, life got busy this week” email.

So I made a decision. I stopped apologizing for getting busy or needing a break. I vowed never to send one of those emails again. Now when life gets in the way, I just pick up where I left off.

And there were absolutely weeks where the excuses won. That happens. If you’re in one of those weeks right now, here’s what to tell yourself when you’re feeling behind.

Consistency can mean whatever fits your life

These days, my motivation comes from sheer determination. There are people out there winning simply because they keep showing up. I’m going to be one of them.

But consistency doesn’t have to look like anyone else’s. It can mean whatever it needs to mean to fit into your life. Five hours a week. One email when you can. A lunch break here and there. It counts, as long as you don’t stop.

Stop chasing a new plan every week

If I could go back and change one thing about how I used those few hours, it would be this: stop chasing a new plan every week.

I tried a lot of things. Freelancing, Etsy, digital products, affiliate marketing. None of them worked, and for years I thought the problem was me. It wasn’t. They didn’t fit my skills, my life, or the scattered time I actually had. And even when something could have worked, I quit too soon. I jumped to the next shiny thing before anything had a chance to take. (It’s also why no side hustle list can tell you what to build.)

When you only have a handful of hours a week, starting over costs you more than anything else. So stick to the plan you built. It’s fine to add to it, build out your next step, or explore other avenues, as long as it still fits the bigger picture.

Bored, or a true no? How to tell the difference

There’s a difference between getting bored with a plan and genuinely needing to change direction. I wish I’d known it sooner.

Here’s the difference. Ask yourself: am I bored, or do I really dislike the whole thing?

If you’ve given it real time and you genuinely hate what you’re doing, that’s a true no. Make an informed change. That’s not quitting. That’s listening.

But if you’re bored, or you’re not seeing results yet, or it’s just hard to keep showing up, those aren’t true nos. Neither is disliking certain parts of it. Every business has parts you don’t love, and they’ll still be there whatever you build. That’s just the middle, and the middle is always the hard part.

Give it longer than feels comfortable

Real talk: getting consistent, refining your approach and starting to see results usually takes 6–12 months. That’s the exact stretch where I used to quit. Give your plan long enough to start working. The motivation comes back. The fun comes back. You just have to get through the stretch where it feels like neither.

Your small hours are stronger than you think

If you’re worried that scattered, part-time hours aren’t enough, look at what you’re already doing every day. In Mothered Media’s 2026 Maternal Strengths Report, a survey of 354 mothers, mothers reported a 123% jump in time management from before they became mothers to now, the largest increase in the report. (Mothers rated themselves; the report doesn’t claim cause and effect.)

Juggling competing priorities in small windows is exactly what building a business part-time asks of you. You’ve been practising.

If you only have 5 hours a week, start anyway

You need to start. Even if right now you’re just learning and exploring what might work for you.

Start with your mindset. Keep yourself open to the idea that this can work, because it can. Start convincing yourself of that now, before the plan is perfect and before the time feels like enough.

You don’t have to build it alone

Seeing and learning from others as you go changes that. It gives you the knowledge to make more informed decisions. You get to encourage other people and be encouraged. And you get the daily reminder that motherhood and ambition aren’t in competition.

That’s what The Growth Collective is: a free community for moms building a business around their family, in whatever hours they actually have.

I want to build alongside other moms → Join The Growth Collective free

Frequently asked questions

Can you really grow a business part-time with kids?

Yes. I built The Complete Business around a full-time job and young kids for two and a half years, in about 5–10 hours a week. It took small, consistent pieces of time, and not quitting.

How many hours a week do you need to grow a business part-time?

There’s no magic number. I worked roughly 5–10 hours a week, in lunch breaks, afternoon breaks, evenings and some weekends. Showing up consistently mattered more than the total.

What’s the hardest part of building a business part-time?

For me, it wasn’t finding the time. It was sticking to the time I’d committed to, especially in the evenings after a full day, when there were a hundred reasons not to sit back down.

How long does a part-time business take to start working?

Getting consistent, refining your approach and seeing results usually takes 6–12 months. That middle stretch is when it’s most tempting to quit or switch plans.

Should I change my plan if it isn’t working yet?

Only if it’s a true no: you’ve given it real time and you genuinely dislike the whole thing. If you’re bored, not seeing results yet, or don’t love certain parts of it, keep going. Those parts come with any business.

About the author

Sam Salfarlie is the founder of The Complete Business and The Growth Collective, a free community for moms building flexible, family-first income in the margins of real life. She started her business at seven months pregnant, with two little ones underfoot, and built it around a full-time job the only way she could: in borrowed moments. She believes ambition and motherhood aren’t in competition. They’re better together.