Why 35 Clients Is the Right Number for My Lifestyle Business 

For a long time I believed that working harder was simply part of running a business. Long days blended into short nights and weekends often felt no different to weekdays. I have worked in businesses where seven day weeks were normal and where the expectation was that you just kept going because that was what business owners did.

I did that for years and when I look back the reward was small compared to the effort that went in. The hours were long, the pressure was constant, and there was very little space to actually enjoy what I had built. That experience has shaped how I think about business today.

What I am building now is not about seeing how big the business can get. It is about building a lifestyle business that works properly for both my clients and for me. For me that comes down to servicing around 35 clients.

That number is not about limiting growth. It is about capacity and quality. At around 35 clients I can service every client properly and still have spare capacity in the business. That spare capacity is important because when a client needs me urgently I can divert away from everyday work and deal with that priority without upsetting workflow or creating stress elsewhere. Nothing else falls over and no one misses out.

It also gives me the time to work personally with my clients and give them the attention I believe they deserve. I am not rushing conversations or pushing issues down the track because the diary is full. I have the space to think clearly about their situation and help them make better decisions rather than simply moving on to the next task.

What this model really gives me is control. I feel far more comfortable operating this way because it allows me to make choices in my business rather than constantly reacting to it. In my previous business I never felt in control. I was always putting out fires, trying to get ahead, and pushing just to keep going. There was a constant sense of being behind no matter how much effort I put in. This structure removes that feeling and replaces it with clarity and choice.

These days success looks different to me. It is not about having my nose to the grindstone or being busy for the sake of being busy. For me success is being present with my clients, having the time to think properly about their business, and being able to step away when I choose without everything becoming urgent or stressful. That balance matters to me now far more than chasing scale for its own sake.

I still want to give my clients the best service I possibly can and I believe this model allows me to do that better than a high volume approach ever did. At the same time it allows me to enjoy my life, which is something I value much more now than I did earlier in my career.

This is why I see this as a lifestyle business. It is designed to support the way I want to live while still delivering a high level of service. It allows for urgency when it genuinely matters, but it is not built on constant pressure. It supports good work, strong relationships, and a sustainable way of operating over the long term.

Some people may look at this approach and think it is playing small. I do not see it that way. I have already worked the long hours and lived that version of business. I know what it costs and I know what it gives back. This model is a deliberate choice based on experience and clarity rather than ambition alone.For me, 35 clients is the right number to do my best work, support my clients properly, and still enjoy the life I have built.

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