You’ve heard of an entrepreneur, but have you heard of a ‘parentpreneur’? Not technically a word that’s in the dictionary, yet, but essentially referring to the parents who also run their own business.
Running a business and raising children is no mean feat!
Sadly, there are only 24 hours in a day and we need a few of them for sleeping!
What we’re trying to say is that it’s okay to ask for help. If the mum/dad guilt isn’t already consuming you, perhaps a mountain of paperwork is…
I’m sure you’ve been in a scenario where you’ve got poorly children, the house is a mess, you have no food in the fridge and your inbox is blowing up.
In this situation you would normally outsource to a cleaner, you’d order a takeaway or ask a grandparent to help for an hour or two. If only you could outsource the task of clearing your inbox. 😉
Mum guilt
Did you know, three out of four mothers (75.6%) in the UK work as well as parent? Being a parent is a full-time job, so running a business on top of that is hard!
Mum guilt is an awful feeling that you’re not doing enough and often mums feel guilty for making time for themselves or for working too much. Many mums consider cutting their maternity leave short to get back to running their business.
However, a VA can help you get on top of your workload whilst you look after your baby. Who said you can’t have a baby AND have a business? A VA can help you to create calm and balance.
We want to give you a few tips on how you can succeed in parenthood AND be a boss business owner, aka a Parentpreneur!
Time Management
We’ll start off with the obvious, excellent time management. Some people have it, some don’t. We know people that time block their day, but we also know people that simply just wake up and hope for the best! Neither is right or wrong, but one a little more chaotic than the other.
If your to-do list keeps growing longer and longer, now is the time to cut a few things out. Anything on your to-do list that brings no value to your business or your children, delegate it or eliminate it.
Add all important tasks to your phone calendar / diary (whichever you use the most) and time block! By adding all meetings, tasks, breaks and appointments can be such a time saviour AND ensures you don’t miss the important things.
Be gentle with yourself
The more time spent working, the more successful you’ll be.
Wrong!
Of course, you want to give 100% to your business AND to your children, but 100% + 100% = 200%, and that is just impossible.
Being strategic with your time allows you to push your business forward and helps you to be a less stressed, less tired parent AND will allow you to spend time doing things for yourself.
Make a conscience effort to do things you enjoy. Read a few pages of your favourite book before bed, listen to a podcast or watch your favourite TV programme.
Quality sleep, sound mind.
Lack of sleep leads to lower concentration, alertness and, in a lot of cases, a lower mood. Do you think you’re getting 8 – 10 hours of sleep a night? Do you feel well-rested when you wake up? If you answered 'no' to those questions, something needs to change.
Things like working late, using electronic devices, eating large meals or drinking caffeine before bed can all cause sleepless nights… that and children waking up at all hours.
Implementing some of the time management techniques listed above should help with prioritising your sleep schedule.
Holiday Happy
Are you the sort of person that can’t switch off on holiday? Does going away seem like more hassle than it’s worth? With a VA, you CAN spend time with your kids and keep the business afloat.
A VA will handle “all of the important bits” whilst you’re away and leave you with an action plan for your return.
They can reply to enquiries, delete junk mail, maintain customer service and continue your marketing and social media management, all whilst you focus on your family.
You can’t tell me that doesn’t sound brilliant.
Still struggling?
Juggling a business and children is HARD, but it doesn’t have to feel impossible.
If you are simply just too busy (not a bad thing), consider outsourcing and give yourself some balance between parenting and entrepreneurship!
We would love to hear from you.
Drop us a line to book your free discovery call and learn how outsourcing could help you to succeed as a Parentpreneur.
Source:
Comments