Running a business should fund your life, not swallow it whole. Yet so many service-based business owners end up with a business-first model by accident: reacting to sales, overworking, and letting their calendar dictate their lifestyle.
A life-first business flips that. It starts with what you want your life to look like: your income, your lifestyle, your capacity — and then designs the business to make it possible.
In this post, I’m sharing my real story of moving from survival mode to a business that works around childcare, health, and actual joy. You’ll see what it really means to put life before business — and how to make sure your numbers can support it.
What does “life-first business” actually mean?
When I first heard the phrase, I’ll be honest, I rolled my eyes. It sounded like another girlboss rebrand of “working from the sofa in your PJs.”
But a life-first business simply means you decide what you want your life to look like first, and then you build your business to fit it.
That could mean:
- Choosing childcare hours that work for your family.
- Limiting your client calls to specific days.
- Setting your owner’s pay as the non-negotiable foundation of your revenue goal.
It’s not fluffy. It’s strategy.
My story: building a business with two childcare days
When I started, I only had two days of childcare a week. That was it. But I still needed to bring in a full-time income.
There was no wiggle room. My partner and I split the other half-day to cover things, and the business had to work around that. It forced me to be laser-focused: only revenue-generating activity, no busywork.
My business had to be life-first, because otherwise it simply wouldn’t exist.
Why it gets harder once you “have more time”
The irony is that once you get more freedom, like more childcare hours, a supportive partner, or simply more capacity, it’s easy to slide back into a business-first trap.
You start thinking:
- “I should use these extra hours to work more.”
- “If my kid’s in childcare, I must justify it by earning more.”
- “If I want more income, I must add more hours.”
But more hours doesn’t equal more money. It’s not about working more. It’s about making your business profitable enough that the hours you do work fund the life you actually want.
Life-first decisions I had to own
Some of my hardest but most freeing decisions:
- Putting my son in nursery more days not because I “had to” for work, but because it made me a better, happier mum and business owner.
- Investing in therapy, PT sessions, and driving lessons because those things improved my health and happiness, even though they cost money.
- Upping my medication and accepting that I get to design a business that supports my mental health, not worsens it.
Each choice meant my business had to generate enough money to cover those costs. That’s what makes it life-first: your life drives the revenue target, not the other way round.
Why money strategy matters here
If you’re paying yourself last, you don’t have a life-first business. You have a business-first business.
That looks like:
- Waiting until the end of the month to see “what’s left” for you.
- Letting inconsistent income dictate how much you can spend.
- Living in constant fear of tax bills or dry months.
A life-first model flips it. You set your owner’s pay first based on your lifestyle costs, and then reverse engineer your revenue goals, pricing, and sales activity to make that happen.
For me, that number is ÂŁ3,000/month. Everything else in the business is built backwards from that.
How to start building your life-first business
- Work out your lifestyle number. What does it actually cost for you to live the life you want — bills, savings, fun, childcare, everything?
- Reverse engineer your revenue. If your lifestyle costs ÂŁ3k, what does your business need to bring in to pay you that consistently, plus cover expenses and tax?
- Check your pricing. Low prices are often the hidden reason business owners overwork. If your prices don’t support your life-first income, they need to change.
- Focus on profitable actions. Stop throwing spaghetti at the wall. Prioritise marketing and sales that directly lead to clients, not endless admin.
- Plan for sustainability. Busy seasons are fine. Permanent grind isn’t. Build in buffers, overflow, and systems that let you step back when you need to.
Final thoughts
Building a life-first business isn’t about chasing “balance” or manifesting spa days. It’s about deciding what matters to you, putting a number on it, and structuring your business so you can actually fund it.
When you stop letting your business dictate your life, you stop feeling trapped. You start working fewer hours, paying yourself properly, and finally experiencing the freedom you went self-employed for in the first place.
FAQs on Building a Life-First Business
What is a life-first business?
A life-first business is designed around your lifestyle goals instead of forcing your life to fit around the business. It starts by identifying your ideal income, setting an owner’s pay strategy, and using a profitable pricing model to reverse engineer your revenue. The result? A business that funds your lifestyle while staying sustainable long-term.
How do I pay myself first as a business owner?
Paying yourself first means treating your salary as a fixed cost, not an afterthought. Instead of waiting to see what’s left after expenses, you build your revenue goals around consistent pay. This is the core of the pay yourself first business model, a method that helps self-employed entrepreneurs create financial stability and predictable income.
Why do many entrepreneurs end up with a “business-first” model?
Most service providers and online CEOs slip into a business-first model by accident. They undercharge, copy 9–5 working hours, or ignore business profitability when setting prices. Without a clear money management strategy, the business ends up dictating their lifestyle instead of supporting it.
Is a life-first business just about working less?
Not exactly. A life-first business isn’t about chasing “four-hour work weeks.” It’s about ensuring the hours you do work are tied to revenue-generating activities that support your lifestyle. Some online service providers work 12 hours a week and hit their income goals thanks to a profitable pricing strategy. Others choose to work more because they love what they do. The point is that it’s intentional and sustainable.
How do I know if my business is life-first?
Ask yourself: Am I paying myself consistently and covering the lifestyle I want? If you’re scraping leftovers, relying on feast-or-famine launches, or constantly hustling, you’re likely stuck in a business-first cycle. A life-first business uses reverse-engineered revenue goals and a sustainable business growth plan so your lifestyle is the driver, not an afterthought.
Can I build a life-first business if I’m just starting out?
Yes — and honestly, it’s easier if you start this way. Even at the early stages, you can calculate your lifestyle-backed revenue target, design a profitable pricing strategy, and build a plan for sustainable business growth. This stops you falling into burnout or undercharging habits that trap so many entrepreneurs later.
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