How a Mum can run a business while raising a family
In modern times, a quiet revolution has been taking place for some time now as there is a spike in the rate at which women are ditching traditional forms of employment for an entrepreneurial lifestyle, which allows them to combine running a business with raising kids. Apparently, this is an onerous task as being a mum is a full-time job itself and managing a business is also a full time job.
How do you balance the two to ensure that one area isn’t blossoming with your full attention and focus to the detriment of the other? That’s what we will be discussing in this article: the best 8 strategies you can deploy as a mum to manage a business and raise a family.
Set a Boundary between work and motherhood
You need first to define a boundary between being an entrepreneur and a mother. If you can effectively divorce the different responsibilities both fields demand from you, you will be able to foster the efficiency of managing the 2 of them. Ensure that you don’t juxtapose them. When it is time for you to engage in business activities, try to commit yourself, exclusively, for the required number of hours for the job, and you can then switch. When you are home with your family, you should try to challenge yourself to disconnect well from work.
Give yourself peace of mind with reliable childcare
Generally, the business world is not ideal for individuals that are the primary childcare giver. There will be instances when you have to partake in a seminar, meeting or visit a supplier and will require childcare for your kids. Making a prior arrangement with at least 4 different childcare options — your spouse, childminder, grandparents, friends, and so on — will enable you to juggle the demands of your business with those of your family.
Interact with a support network of working mums
You may think you’re the only mum who’s going through the challenges of having to run a business while taking care of kids. But this is not so. Many mums abound that have created a good balance between their duties as parents and their responsibilities as business owners.
You should search for support networks for working mums. A search on the popular social media platform, LinkedIn, for “working mums” will produce some results you will find useful. You can equally meet and develop rapprochement with other mums via your child’s playgroup or daycare.
Also, groups that are devoted to Women’s leadership often have resources that are beneficial to moms. Participating in these kinds of groups with other mums can offer you support as you encourage one another, share your experiences or ordeals, and get relief from stress.
Turn down some business requests
If you were to welcome all requests thrown at your enterprise, you might have to work day and night. You need to know that declining requests outside of your business schedule is not only healthy but also empowering. This practice gives you time during which you can focus your attention on your kids and make sure they don’t feel neglected.
Consider delegating certain duties at home
You would have delegated duties at your business enterprise before. When demands at home become overwhelming, do not hesitate to delegate duties there, too. Sit down with your partner and discuss the home duties with him/her, letting them know how taking care of your kids and running a business can sometimes take its toll.
Hopefully, they’d understand your plight and try to help you carry out some duties. You could consider taking turns with them in looking after the children. When it isn’t your turn to take care of the kids, you will have ample time to concentrate on your business venture. Also, you can delegate to a “virtual assistant” such as toys, which can help keep your kids busy as you manage your business activities.
Furthermore, if you engage in sewing or crafting business, besides the possibility of making money by selling crafts/arts/sewing projects; your family can help you by taking part in the process of designing handmade crafts. With such businesses, you will have the opportunity of looking after your children as you work, and of course, make money.
Find time for yourself
As a mom who juggles running a business with raising a family, it is very likely that you would overlook your own care at the mercy of your work and children. You need to avoid this. Always create time for rejuvenating yourself. You could do this by taking a day off every week to focus on your personal needs. At such times, you should avoid bothering yourself with business and family matters that would usually demand your attention all week long.
Get ready to work between 6am and midnight
Given you are running your own business, most likely, you won’t use the normal 9-5 work schedule. Being an entrepreneur gives you the flexibility to put your family first in some instances; for example, visiting your child’s school on sports day. However, depending on what services your business specializes in, there are times you must send an important e-mail at midnight or leave home as early as 6am for business activity. At such times, you could wish that you had more normal working hours as well as patterns.
Rid yourself of any feelings of guilt
Working mothers have to deal with different forms of guilt; the guilt of opting to manage a business or that of creating some time for themselves. Nothing is wrong with contributing to the financial support (like the college fund) as well as the stability of your family. Feeling guilty for such reasons makes it hard to take some time out for yourself, particularly when your kids need your attention; however, you need to keep in mind that a rested parent is more effective and healthier than an overwhelmed one.
Takeaways
Without mincing words, it is a daunting task for a mom to combine running a business with raising a family. More than anything, it requires focus and determination. By adopting the strategies above, you will be able to merge these 2 fields more expeditiously.
About the author: Annabelle Carter Short is a stay-at-home mum, freelance writer and a seamstress of more than 7 years. She is a craft lover and loves making crafts with her two children, Leo (age 6) and Michelle (age 8). When not working, she’s spending time with her family or putting pen to paper for her own personal pursuits. You can check her blog here: https://wunderlabel.com/blog/
