Lots of entrepreneurs really get lost in how much time they actually invest in their businesses. Sometimes its 60-70 hours or more each week. Being in business for yourself can be draining and require lots of time, especially in the beginning. It means staying up late, waking up early, learning, planning, research, monetary sacrifices and more. I always say, “I gotta make my check.” Meaning, I have to create the cashflow because there is no guaranteed every 2-week check. It’s constant work to maintain the current level of business, while working to create more business and planning for any mishaps. For most Mompreneurs working from home, there is also the challenge of creating an environment where family is first and your business still thrives. Here are a few tips that have helped me maintain both thriving family and thriving business.
DECIDE ON BUSINESS HOURS and if possible, BUSINESS SPACE
Decide how much time each day or week you will devote to your business. Share this information with your spouse and children. Let them know what your business hours are and before you ask them to respect those hours, you need to respect your business hours by sticking to them.
If possible, set up a designated space where you work from. This is crucial if you are working from home while your family is also at home. It lets them know that you are ‘at work’ and that you are probably Not Available. I struggle with this one even though I have an office. I seem to work on different things in different areas of my house. But, what I do recognize is that when I am in my office, no one messes with me. As a mother, I never knew such a place existed. I was just in the bathroom this morning and an 11 year old, knocked on the door. Ha! It never fails.
AGREE ON THE SACRIFICES
Talk with your family and agree as a team on what sacrifices will be made. Will it mean less going out to restaurants or movies? Would it mean taking public transportation or a less luxurious vacation? Will it mean incurring extra debt. Unless there is substantial amount of money saved to continue your lifestyle while growing your business, there will likely be some monetary sacrifice that will impact your family lifestyle. And if money is not the sacrifice, there will be a sacrifice on time. However, talking with your family through these sacrifices will help them to see the vision more clearly.
In my case, going out less to restaurants and movies meant more time cooking together and more family movie nights together. So even though there was a sacrifice, it actually didn’t feel too much like one. I did not want to sacrifice the way we travel but that meant sacrificing other unnecessary spending like getting a jacuzzi spa installed and remodeling my laundry room.
SHARE YOUR GOALS AND DREAMS
Share your business ideas with your family. Share your HUGE dreams and goals. But ,also share smaller goals and how meeting them will affect the whole family. Have your family share their personal goals and what’s needed to achieve them. This is key. Knowing each members’ individual goals, say for the next 90 days, enables you to support them and also gives you an idea of how much they could actually contribute to your growing business. It’s almost like making a separate business plan. It helps so much when everyone, including children, are on the same page. When everyone can reach their goals, everyone is happy. Your business won’t feel like a burden.
FIND AND MAINTAIN BALANCE
Last, but certainly not Least- BALANCE. When you have a family and a business you must actively maintain balance. Running a business and a household require managing your time well. What WAS your free time may now be dedicated to working your business. So, it is very important to make sure you are still spending time and attention to your spouse and children. They should not feel like they don’t know if you will have time for them. As an entrepreneur, you may not even realize how much time you spend each day and week working your business. So put everyone and every task on the calendar. Know what you are doing with your business and what is going on with your family. Do not allow your business to regularly cause you to forgo date night or taking the children to the park. It takes daily practice to manage time and ensure balance but it is well worth the effort.
