How to Plan Your Week as a Service Provider (and What Mine Looks Like Behind the Scenes)

There are a million and one posts about “how to plan your week” as a business owner, each with their list of to-dos you “need” to succeed. And while they’re probably coming from a good place (wanting you to do your best, giving you the insights that helped them, etc), copying their routine probably isn’t what you’re looking for.

Even more so as a service provider when clients deliverables often taking more time than coaching calls (which is why when you’re looking for coaching or mentorship you should find someone who has BEEN a service provider).

Your day, week, and even month probably look wildly different than mine. And if you’re anything like me, your week-to-week probably looks drastically different, too.

The question is, how do you plan your week as a service provider without losing your time freedom or falling behind on your work? And while I don’t have all the answers, here’s what’s worked for me:

4 Tips for Planning Your Week as a Service Provider

These are what I consider to be the “starting point” for planning—they’re also not “tools” you need to download or buy. You can apply these to whatever systems, platforms, or notebooks work best for you (and that you might already be using).

With that in mind, here are my four top tips for planning your week as a service provider:

#1. Keep Your Calendar Up to Date

Before you say, “Of course, Lauren, that’s obvious,” make sure you’re actively checking your calendar and events on this list. There’s nothing worse than double-booking your day or booking a call right after your flight lands.

Keeping your calendar up to date could also look like:

• Marking your OOO days
• Time-blocking for tasks
• Tracking conferences and/or speaking events
• Scheduling your appointments
• Travel time
• Adding meetings with team members
• Changing times for conflicting events

And last, but not least, confirming that the events (and really anything else) that should be on your calendar are actually on your calendar.

Psst.. I highly recommend setting up a Zap that duplicates calendar holds from one calendar to another, so even if you’re managing multiple emails, you never have to worry about manually blocking time for events!

#2. Set Aside Dedicated Work Time 

This doesn’t have to be daily, but set aside time each week to complete your backend and client work. You can block out time, for example, if you’re busy Mon-Thurs, you can set aside 3 hours on Friday to get through your to-do list—or you could block out an hour (or more, of course) each day of the week.

Now, this DOES require you to book your projects ahead of time and map out your true capacity so you’re not overbooked (and out of time). 

If you’re a frequent flyer like me, it also helps to find workspaces to sit down and WORK. Cafés, coffee shops, and even designated work spaces in hotels can make the world of a difference in getting things done.

This doesn’t mean you lose the freedom to work when you want, but it does ensure that the work that HAS to get done actually gets done.

Try to differentiate between deep work/client work and tiny task admin work!! And don’t forget to schedule time for the little things!

#3. Outsource. Outsource. Outsource.

If you thought this was a one-woman-show—SUPRISE! It’s not and hasn’t been! I’ve worked with my accountant for years, have a blog writer on retainer (who I hired for an SEO optimization beginning of 2025), outsourced my entire web copy to Kaili at Reveal Studio, and deep-dived into my client experience, automations, and delivery with Hey Rachael (100/10 recommend), a VA I absolutely adore, and work with Kristin Brabant for coaching (yes, I know, not technically outsourcing).

Moral of the story: my team and the support I’ve outsourced is the reason I made $81,961.41 in Q1 (which is BEFORE taxes and BEFORE expenses, so not $81k cask).

And you don’t have to hire on retainer!!! This doesn’t mean add to your monthly expense, but you can determine if there’s a one-off project with a HoneyBook or Dubsado pro that might save you hours in client/project management or a one-off optimization of a platform that’ll help you get better results from your DIY marketing.

Or hiring a learning specialist (like me)  to help you build out the course idea in your Notes app so you can branch out from ONLY working 1:1 with your clients (which you can start by booking your Offer Intensive here).

#4. Find an Accountability Buddy/Friend/Bestie

Working online as a service provider can be very isolating. It’s easy to feel like all the responsibility is on your shoulders to get everything done—you’re the boss, the CEO, the top-tier manager, the marketer…and sometimes you end up ditching one thing to make sure the others get done.

Finding an accountability partner (or even program) to help you stay on track and on your to-do list can make getting the not-so-fun things done 10x easier. 

You could find a co-working group, join a membership with an accountability aspect, or just DM your business bestie(s), suggesting a wild plan to publish an Instagram post every weekday for the rest of the year (which is exactly what I did).

The Behind-The-Scenes of Entrepreneur, Academic (and as a Service Provider with 8+ Years of Experience)

My typical week is a little crazy at the moment—but it’s everything I’ve wanted and then some. I still have time freedom (the whole reason I started this business) and I’ve been able to scale my income, expand my expertise, and even advance my education.

While the exact hours spent on each vary each week, you’ll typically see me working on:

• Entrepreneur, Academic client work which varies from done-for-you course creation, auditing a pre-existing course, mapping out curriculum, and mentoring other entrepreneurs.
• Putting in hours for my Executive Coaching Graduate Program (the goal is still 100 by the end of the year).
• Working on renovating our new home—a steal which literally landed in our lap and I’m forever grateful for (but requires a lot of fixer uppin’).
• Working with non-profit organizations with my second (somewhat secret) identity….shhhh….
• Spending time with my adorable niece whenever I can

Sprinkle in a few flights for conferences, speaking engagements, and the works—and that’s usual here! And no, I don’t often feel overwhelmed by everything that I want (and need) thanks to doing everything I mentioned above!

It also comes from experience—every new trip, every new project, every new life change I see what’s working and what’s not and change my routine! Your schedule is something that will change as YOU change, it’s not something set in stone.

If you want to get more time-freedom in your business and scale beyond serving clients 1:1, book a free consultation here.