Small business owners (1-2 employees), how much actual free time do you have left daily? And do you feel trapped in a constant survival-race against local competitors?

Hey everyone,

I’m doing some research into the reality of running a small business in the US (like local coffee shops, bakeries, boutique retail, car washes, etc.) where it’s just the owner and maybe the owner and 1 employe.

I have two questions for the owners here:

1. How much actual free time do you have left each day after handling the daily operations, inventory, and staff? Do you feel like you ever truly "switch off," or is your brain constantly running screenshots of the business?
2. Do you feel like you are in a constant, exhausting race to compete with other local businesses just to survive? Like, do you find yourself manually checking their Instagrams, websites, or Google Maps profiles late at night just to make sure they haven't dropped their prices or changed their hours?

I see a lot of "hustle culture" content online, but I want to hear the raw truth from people actually managing the floor every day. How heavy is the mental load of keeping an eye on everything?

Thanks in advance for sharing your experience!