As any mom knows, parenting is an around-the-clock job. And while it’s infinitely rewarding, it can be tough to manage when you’ve got another full-time job to attend to, namely keeping your business baby alive and thriving.
There’s no magic formula to make the balance between motherhood and entrepreneurship easier to achieve. In fact, balance is going to look a little different for everyone, and part of the challenge is finding a sense of equilibrium that you and your family can be happy with.
Having said that, there are a few guidelines and best practices that might point you in the right direction.
Tips for Balancing Motherhood & Business Ownership
1. Define Balance
Again, this isn’t one-size-fits-all. Different mothers will define balance in different ways. Before you do anything else, it’s important to be honest with yourself about the kind of life you want.
Maybe balance, for you, means starting your work day a little later each day, allowing some precious time with your kids before they head to school or daycare. Maybe it just means finishing by five each afternoon so that you can enjoy your family. Maybe it means taking Fridays off.
There’s no right or wrong answer here. Just make sure you know what you want. Ensure your partner is on board. And write down your ideal balance, providing you a concrete and well-defined goal to work toward.
2. Audit Your Time
Over the course of a week or so, be alert to where you’re actually spending your time in the workplace. Determine which activities seem to demand the most of your attention.
Then decide whether those are creative, strategic, and value-adding activities that only you can do… or, whether they are repetitive, administrative tasks that could be carried out by someone else.
For activities in column 2, delegate or outsource as much as you can. These are the tasks that not only sap your creative energy, but also eat into the time you have to be with your family.
And there’s really no reason for entrepreneurs to spend a lot of time doing things that don’t have to be done by an entrepreneur.
3. Choose the Right Structure
Here’s a technical suggestion: Be sure you choose the right legal structure for your small business, one that will provide you with plenty of flexibility to achieve that balance you crave.
For a lot of business owners, that’s going to be the Limited Liability Company, or LLC. Compared with running a Corporation, registering as an LLC is pretty low-effort. The specific rules can vary by state, but overall this is a business option with a light administrative burden. You can get help from a registered agent in your state, like Northwest and Legal Zoom.
What’s more, LLCs provide tax flexibility, managerial flexibility, and a healthy level of personal wealth protection. These are all things that can free your time and mental bandwidth to be at home more.
4. Set Boundaries
Actually, it’s not enough to just set boundaries. You also have to enforce them with utter ruthlessness.
This includes boundaries involving your family. If you have family events, or simply need to pick up a child from school, add it to your calendar. Block off that time so that none of your professional obligations intrude.
Do the same for your personal time; for instance, block off an hour on your calendar each day for the gym, or 30 minutes a week to sit, read, and regain your sanity. Doing so isn’t a selfish squandering of your time.
On the contrary, protecting personal time helps you to be at your best, not just for your family but also for your business.
5. Build a Support Network
There’s no getting around it: Even with the best tips and techniques, balancing motherhood and entrepreneurship is tough.
It can be a little easier when you have people to talk to. These can be fellow working moms, coaches, or mentors. Have a clear sense of who your trusted network is, and pencil in time for coffee dates or FaceTime calls every now and again.
Ideally, you’ll have some folks nearby who can not only offer emotional support, but help you with things like picking up the kids from school if you ever have a meeting that you just can’t get out of.
6. Make Time for Rest
Let’s hit this point one more time… because it’s that important.
To have a life of balance, you’ve got to preserve time for rest. That means sleep, but also hobbies, creative outlets, or other forms of mental health time.
It’s critical that you stop thinking of these as diversions or as drains of your time, and instead prioritize them as significant ways to give the best version of yourself, whether you’re at home or at the office.
Seek Balance in Your Life
Balance is something all of us seek. For working moms, it’s especially hard to come by… and for moms who are also entrepreneurs, it may almost seem impossible.
But with the right strategy, you can work toward the kind of harmonious life that you’ve always wanted.
