How to Balance Parenthood and Entrepreneurship
You’ve probably heard someone say that starting a business is like having a baby. The long hours, demanding clients, and lack of sleep can pile on the stress.
But what about those “parentrepreneurs” who are juggling both? Raising a family and running your own business at the same time can be overwhelming, to say the least – but if you’ve taken on the challenge, you know that you’ll do whatever it takes to succeed.
Here are five ways to find some balance between entrepreneurship and parenthood.
1. You’re Not Alone
The Kauffman Foundation for Entrepreneurship conducted a survey and found that 59.7% of entrepreneurs had at least one child when they launched their first businesses.
Although it seems overwhelming, it’s important to remember that there are others like you out there! In fact, the majority of entrepreneurs are actually parents. If you feel like no one understands what you’re going through, try to reach out to those who have been there for guidance and inspiration.
2. You’ll Learn to Let Go
Things will (almost) never go as planned, but that’s okay. It’s all part of the game.
Kids get sick, your launch fails, your “big break” falls through, or something else might come up that takes you off-track all together… you never know.
So what do you do? Let go. Take it one day at a time and trust in the bigger picture. The reality is that you can’t control everything, and the best way to get through setbacks is to remember your purpose. Be grateful for the opportunity to grow your own business and raise a child, and you will carry onward.
3. Get More Sleep
Ahh, sleep. The most transformative tool that new parents are lacking. As an entrepreneur, you probably have a tendency to burn the candle at both ends, working into the wee hours to catch up on your projects… but in reality, you could be much more successful if you got the right amount of shut-eye.
In the video below, Arianna Huffington gives us some quick advice for being more successful at our jobs and happier with our lives through one small change.
4. Manage Your Time
Though multitasking may be an inevitable fact of parenthood, multitasking in your business can actually cost you valuable time that you could be spending much more effectively. In fact, studies show that not only do you have a 40% reduction in the amount of work done, but you actually might be damaging your brain by multitasking!
Try to give whatever project you’re currently working on your full focus. Exercise some good, old-fashioned self-control, buckle down and get done what you need to do make your business successful.
5. Don’t Do Everything Yourself
How is one person supposed to keep up with deadlines, client relationships, bookkeeping, marketing, child care, housekeeping, etc.?
Outsource!
If you have young ones at home with you, you will probably find it very challenging (or impossible!) to get any work done. Reach out to friends and family for occasional help with babysitting, or find a local daycare so that you can have uninterrupted time to focus on building your business.
Hiring a housekeeper on a biweekly or monthly basis is a great way to manage your time more efficiently and it can be affordable, even for those on a tight budget.
And finally, think about how you’re going to promote your business and what % of your annual income you will be investing into marketing. Because a funny thing happens when you don’t invest in your marketing strategies or channels — NOTHING.
It’s more important than ever to have a strong online presence to tap into a marketing powerhouse for your small business, but it’s immensely time-consuming, creatively challenging, and requires constant technical education to do it yourself.
At RTOWN, we make it easy for you to turn this challenge into an opportunity. We combine all of our advanced technology and proven techniques into a single integrated solution that’s focused on advocating your business across all channels.
Contact us today to find out how we can help you find some balance and accelerate your marketing efforts.
