The modern entrepreneurial mother who runs her own business has to juggle two worlds: her brand, and her family. Many mothers might think that you have to choose one or the other but this is far from true. It may not be easy, but it is possible to find the perfect balance between running a business and running a family. So Yes, it is possible to balance career and family as an entrepreneur. It takes hard work, dedication, and a lot of planning, but it is definitely doable.
Here are some quick tips for balancing career and family as an entrepreneur:
- Set boundaries: One of the most important things you can do is to set boundaries between your work life and your personal life. This means setting aside specific times for work and for family, and sticking to those times as much as possible.
- Delegate tasks: If you have employees or contractors, delegate tasks to them whenever possible. This will free up your time so that you can focus on the things that only you can do.
- Take breaks: It is important to take breaks throughout the day, even if it is just for a few minutes. This will help you to stay refreshed and focused.
- Avoid distractions: When you are working, try to avoid distractions as much as possible. This means turning off your phone, closing your email, and finding a quiet place to work.
- Ask for help: If you are struggling to balance your career and family, don’t be afraid to ask for help from your spouse, partner, friends, or family members. They can offer support and encouragement, and they can help you to find solutions to the challenges you are facing.
Balancing career and family is not always easy, but it is definitely possible. By following these tips, you can create a more balanced life for yourself and your family.
Establishing priorities is a first step as both family and business will have to be sacrificed at one time or another. Below are tips that will help a mother strike that perfect balance so neither the business nor her family feels abandoned.
Get In Work Early In The Morning
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The beauty of being able to get a few hours of work in before your children get up for school cannot be stressed enough. Clearing emails is usually something that can be done nearly anywhere and doing this early can be an advantage. By the time you go into the office you might have responses that might not have otherwise come for a few hours. It will help expedite everything as it is universal to clear your email once you arrive at the office.
Set A Fair Schedule For You and Your Significant Other
Running a family takes hard work between you and your significant other. Scheduling pickups and drop-offs of the children needs to be done in a fair way. With this being said, if your significant other works from home or is a homemaker then they can take care of these things. Even in these circumstances you should make a point out of picking up the kids from school at least once a week. Nothing is better than being able to ask your kids how their day was and to hear they got an A on a test or made a team.
Balance Your Team, Too
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Running a business isn’t just about balancing your own work schedule, but managing the schedule of your staff, too. It may seem arbitrary—especially if you have a relatively small team—but ensuring each employee has proper leave, balanced vacations, and sick days is critical to not only your company culture, but your daily operations, too. To help streamline your employee schedules, it’s best to use a tool designed for this.
Ask For Help With Household Duties
Hiring help for household duties allows a mother to spend time with her family instead of coming home having to worry about laundry or mopping the floor. You want to make sure that you use a company that is insured as well as does background checks. Simple, easy-to-use apps like TaskRabbit make it easy for you to hire on-demand cleaners in a synch, and you might find that you enjoy certain people better than others, and can keep them on retainer.
Unplug At A Certain Time Daily
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There should be a set time where you turn your smartphone off each day. Work can consume a person but daily family time is far more important than anything else in a mother’s life. Refusing to unplug can impact the quality of time spent with your children as you might not be as present if worrying about an email from an upset client.
Pay Your Teen To Help With The Business
If you have a teenager that is getting good grades, it is time to employ them. Teens getting work experience and being a huge help is a very positive situation. Even something as simple as being your assistant can allow them to learn valuable skills that they can use later. Things like proofreading emails or gathering contact information are valued in today’s sales world. Spending quality time with your teen also never hurt!
Get Work Done While Waiting At Practice/Rehearsal
Getting work done while waiting for practice or rehearsal can be a huge advantage. This will be perfect for some teens that don’t want to have their mother come into their football or basketball practice. For children that strive to impress their parents you need to go watch rather than work though.
Set Realistic Daily Agendas
Setting realistic daily goals for work needs to be done as you don’t need to feel like a failure when not achieving impossible goals. Time yourself doing certain things to put together an agenda that will help you get a lot accomplished but not overwhelm yourself.
You’re The Boss, Set Work From Home Days
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Being the owner of a business comes with perks such as being able to work from home on certain days. Studies have shown that remote work programs are very productive. Even taking a half day and working the rest of the day at home to pick up the kids works. If employees have a problem with this, let them know they are more than welcome to start their own business and run it as they see fit.
Take time to see where you can improve when it comes to your work/family balance. You might find that with a few tweaks it can be as good as it has even been!
