<p>Sufficiency calls for an absolute reduction of production and consumption volumes in affluent societies and is seen by many sustainability scholars as a fundamental strategy for businesses to tackle environmental and social crises. Existing literature emphasizes challenges that businesses experience when implementing sufficiency. However, the complex and paradoxical nature of implementing sufficiency has so far hindered scholars from giving a broad overview and description of challenges and conflicts that impede sufficiency-oriented businesses. This study applies a paradox approach to identify and systematize tensions in sufficiency-oriented businesses and solutions used to cope with them. Thirteen expert interviews with German-speaking sufficiency-oriented frontrunner businesses revealed eight paradoxes, which consist of tensions between the intentions of sufficiency-oriented frontrunners and opposing dominant structural aspects. For example, sufficiency practices are conflicting with consumerist culture, pressure for time and cost efficiency, or with neoliberal government objectives. The creativity and intrinsic motivation of the employees and management, however, help these sufficiency-oriented frontrunners to find solutions to the paradoxes and continue to prioritize sufficiency in spite of paradoxical situations. Collaboration with other stakeholders appears as an essential resolution strategy to cope with the tensions. With the help of paradox theory, this study systematizes for the first time the variety of paradoxical tensions and situations that sufficiency-oriented businesses face and helps future practitioners and researchers navigate these tensions. It gives an overview of the complex reality of implementing practices that oppose the status quo and illustrates the necessity of coping mechanisms and perseverance strategies for creating long-lasting and sustainable impact.</p>