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Before I got a guide camera, I'd get about 3-4 minutes (sometimes 5 near the poles) of exposures before I saw trailing. Yes, balance is very important. Back then I didn't know about east/west heavy balancing so just balanced everything equally. But the most important thing is polar alignment. I spent a lot of time making sure my polar alignment was spot on. I had a Polemaster, but you can do the same with Sharpcap and your telescope (though I don't know whether Sharpcap requires a minimum focus distance).
If you're polar aligned correctly, you'll be surprised what your mount is capable of. You won't compensate for gusts of wind, and periodic error, but you'll get a lot of things done better.
Also make sure you're level. Get a level from bunnings and ensure your tripod is correctly setup.
These small things are free or next to free and should enable you to get good longer exposures. Or if you're still chasing shorter subs (90-120 seconds) then you'll have more confidence of better performance.
Good luck!
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