Summer is right around the corner and you may be wondering what exactly you’re going to do now that the kids are home from school and you’re busy trying to build a biz.
No worries, I’ve got you covered. 😉
I can remember when my girls were younger and while I absolutely loved spending time with them, I was (and still am) a creature of habit. I had my days planned from the time that we got up until the time we went to bed. I developed a system that worked for me and one that even my oldest, continues to use as she worked her way through college.
Today, I want to share with you 5 tips that I implemented in my home that helped me build my business while my girls were home on break.
You can actually use these year around so feel free to try them whenever you’re reading this.
1. Review Your Schedule – This was extremely important for me. When the girls were in school, I had more flexibility to move things around but having them home meant that there were activities, sometimes bickering between the two and all of the other stuff that happens when kids were home that I was trying to juggle.
I took the time to sit down each week and look over our family calendar and then worked around the time that made sense to me to work on my business. In the beginning, I was working full time so that meant that it was usually before work and before the kids were up for the day or after everyone went to bed.
By doing this, it gave me the quiet time that I needed, gave me the flexibility to work on the projects assigned and allowed me to grow my biz to a point where I could eventually cut back from my full time job and work less hours there.
Once I was home permanently, I decided to use what is called “time blocks” where I worked at specific times throughout the day and in between those blocks, I would do family stuff which allowed me to have the balance that I was looking for. This is a practice that I continue to this day and what my daughter uses so that she can have more “balance” in her life.
We have a white board calendar with everyone’s schedules on it. Everyone knows what’s going on and when and it’s kept where we all have access to it. No more confusion on where we need to be or who is doing what. It also includes our meal plan for the week as well as any other important information.
1. Review Your Schedule – This was extremely important for me. When the girls were in school, I had more flexibility to move things around but having them home meant that there were activities, sometimes bickering between the two and all of the other stuff that happens when kids were home that I was trying to juggle.
I took the time to sit down each week and look over our family calendar and then worked around the time that made sense to me to work on my business. In the beginning, I was working full time so that meant that it was usually before work and before the kids were up for the day or after everyone went to bed.
By doing this, it gave me the quiet time that I needed, gave me the flexibility to work on the projects assigned and allowed me to grow my biz to a point where I could eventually cut back from my full time job and work less hours there.
Once I was home permanently, I decided to use what is called “time blocks” where I worked at specific times throughout the day and in between those blocks, I would do family stuff which allowed me to have the balance that I was looking for. This is a practice that I continue to this day and what my daughter uses so that she can have more “balance” in her life.
We have a white board calendar with everyone’s schedules on it. Everyone knows what’s going on and when and it’s kept where we all have access to it. No more confusion on where we need to be or who is doing what. It also includes our meal plan for the week as well as any other important information.
2. Prioritize Your Day – This was another important thing for me to do. I’m the Queen of Busy Work and can keep myself busy all day long. However, if it’s not an income producing activity or one that’s really required to keep your business running, it might be worth evaluating if it’s something that you really need to do or something that can someone else can do.
To this day, I get up each morning and take a look at what needs done. I know what tasks are a must, what I can give to my Assistant and what needs postponed or removed entirely. I then set my work day up for those tasks. Anything else that gets completed that day is a bonus.
I chose to do things this way simply because I knew that while I wanted to be an entrepreneur, I also wanted the flexibility and freedom with my girls to do things with them as I wanted, when I wanted. Kids grow up too quick and being in the moment was just as important to me as everything else I was working on. Having that plan in place allowed me to have the best of both worlds. I am thankful for that time that I had with them when they were younger.
3. Set Expectations – One of the very first things I did when I decided to start my business was be clear with my family that there would be times when mommy had a call or mommy had some work to do. My girls grew up knowing and respecting that when Mom had a sign on the door that she was working and that it meant no interruptions unless an emergency. This I feel, helped them problem solve with one another, learn how to set healthy boundaries and to also learn how to manage their own time by finding things that would entertain them or keep them busy. It was a win-win for us once we got the kinks worked out and they understood what was going on.
4. Get Them Involved – This is a great tip if you’ve got older children. As my girls aged, often times they could work for me and became part of my team. When I needed samples mailed out, they entered the info into excel, printed labels and stuffed envelopes. Kids have become so knowledgeable when it comes to apps, computers, etc, that you might just find that they can edit videos, create images and do a bunch of other things that can take a load off of your plate. Giving them some responsibility and a little pay to help you work allows them to feel independent and allows you to get things done. It promotes a good work ethic and gives them experience for their resume too. Another win-win.
5. Ask for Help – This is a tip that I share because it’s often overlooked. Most days, we’re juggling most everything on our own and we’re getting by. However, asking a spouse, friend, other family member or even hiring someone to come help us out on things like housework, sitting the kids, assisting in our biz, etc. can be a good thing. Working moms need breaks and we need help. You have permission to ask for it. Take advantage of people that are there to help you. As I’m sure you’ve heard, “It takes a village.” Let the village help.
Lastly, I’ll add this. There may be days where you’ve done all of the things above and you feel like you’re not making much progress, especially, if you’re working full time and raising a family because you’re tired and you feel stretched.
Know that you’re not alone.
Building a business isn’t an overnight thing. It does take work and it takes sacrifice but you don’t have to compromise one for the other. You can have BOTH worlds. You can be both boss and mom. It takes time to develop a routine and establish procedures sometimes for yourself and for your littles. Don’t give up on your dreams. Keep taking action steps every single day towards the life you want.
If I can do this, you can too. You’ve got everything you need to create the life you desire. Keep going! Keep pushing! Keep working on your dream!
If you’re not in our Ambitious Boss Babes facebook group, I encourage you to join. Here’s the link. https://www.facebook.com/groups/426611351409901/
We often chat about subjects similar to this, healthy living, share business building tips and more.
I hope to see you there!
In this together!
❤️
Laura