The life of a parentpreneur can certainly be a juggling act! So what are some of the best ways of managing a business whilst also managing a family? Mum-of-two, Lauren Hampshire, who founded breastfeeding clothing brand, The Milky Tee Company, shares her 5 top tips.
Get organised
Running a business can be tough, but when you’re also running a household, the workload can become overwhelming. In order to juggle it all, you need to get organised. This involves setting routines, writing to-do lists, keeping a diary with set tasks for each day and having a designated work area (whether that’s an office or even a desk in the corner of the bedroom) where you can focus your mind on work.
Separating work-life and home-life is important so designate set times for work activities and home life. Plan ahead so you know what you are doing each day, as disorganisation can often lead to procrastination. If you write down set tasks for each day, you can check those each morning and get on to those activities straight away. It’s also good to tick off your tasks as you complete them to help you recognise the things you have achieved.
Learn to delegate
As the saying goes “no man is an island” and that is certainly true of both business owners and parents, both need support. Often when you start a business you may feel you need to do everything yourself but that can be detrimental. Delegating work or hiring experts will often save you both time and, in the long-run, money. You do not have to take on full time staff, there are many freelancers out there or people you can hire on short term contracts to help with tasks you may not have the time or the knowledge to complete.
Also don’t be embarrassed to ask for help with child care, whether that’s from a partner, a friend, a family member, just ask - people are often happy to help. If you have young children, having a least one set day of childcare each week will allow you that time to be able to focus your mind on work without any distractions.
Be flexible
Although it is good to set a routine, when it comes to family life, things may not always follow a set plan. There may be times when your child is unwell, when childcare falls through, when there are school holidays etc, so learn to adapt and be flexible. A a parentpreneur the typical 9-5 just may not be possible, instead it may mean working before the school run, working some evenings and weekends. Be honest with people if your plans have had to change and set out-of-office replies if you need to have a day to be with your children or deal with a family emergency.
Learn to switch off
Between looking after a business and looking after a family, you can often forget to look after yourself. It is essential you learn to switch off and have some ‘me time’. If you run yourself into the ground then both your business and your family will suffer so make sure you have time to relax and have self-care. Taking some time out can also help you to refocus and re-energise.
Go easy on yourself
As a business owner you can often put pressure on yourself to reach certain goals or make a certain amount of money. Even for those without kids, these goals can be hard to achieve, but when trying to also raise a family, those goals may seem even further away. The truth is it may take longer than you had hoped but that is OK. Take your time, do what you can, take things step-by-step. You can still reach your goals and achieve your dreams, even if over a longer term, and at the same time you've raised little people as well - so that is something you should definitely be proud of!
