Haley, it sounds like you need to spend some time working the leather to learn what works for you. There are NO hard fast rules in leather, minus a few obvious ones. You should check our Bobby Park's (Hidepounder) tutorial on edge finishing. Here's the rub (Pun intended) To create the edge you desire in the time frame you desire, you will need to either eliminate steps in your process, automate steps in your process or make it so efficient that you stay profitable. I don't know where you came up with 20 minutes, but the only way to gain speed and efficiency is to practice. A lot.
A tip to cut time considerably in the process is to buy pre-dyed leather, possibly bridle or latigo leather. Both of these have oils and waxes in them that make them weather resistant. Of course, they are more expensive, but as a business, you need to calculate your time into the equation. Two hours of waiting for dye to dry is time that could be spent elsewhere in the process.
Good luck, and welcome to LW.net
Mike
Oh yeah. Skiving sucks. Again, its a time-in-grade thing. Also, the better quality leather you use, the better off you will be when it comes to skiving.