Tips for Running a Business while Parenting

Plenty of entrepreneurs will tell you that running a business is as involved and time consuming as raising a child. But what if you are actually raising a child while running your business? Successfully navigating a business while parenting is possible if you stay mindful of a few key tips.

A survey of five hundred 'momprenuers' conducted by Vistaprint showed that nearly seventy percent of respondents started their business because they wanted more flexibility.

No doubt you too, want to spend more time with your family but may struggle with work-life balance while your business is in the growth phase. You can find a happy medium by making just a few tweaks to your lifestyle. If you prioritize, make effective use of technology, and stay flexible, you can grow your business and deepen your relationship with your children at the same time.

According to Franklin Covey, one of the keys to effective time management is to put the 'big rocks' or priorities first and schedule everything else around them. This applies to your business as well. What are your priorities? If your goal is to spend more time with your family, calendar your family time first and build your work schedule around it. A friend of mine is a therapist. She never takes appointments between two and four in the afternoon because she meets her daughters at the bus stop every afternoon.

Don't forget to schedule personal time too. You can't support your company or your family if you don't take care of yourself.

Another way to use your time more effectively is to take advantage of some of the technology available to automate time-consuming aspects of your business. Apps like Hootsuite and Buffer save business owners time by allowing you to schedule your posts ahead of time. Set aside an hour or two to create and schedule all your social media posts for the week and you'll be surprised by how much time you save.

The most important thing is to remain flexible. Businesses and children are unpredictable, and both require you to become an expert at managing changes as they come.

Be open to working non-traditional hours so you can maximize the time you spend with your family. Don't be afraid to delegate responsibilities at home or on the job whenever possible. The Vistaprint study revealed that 'momprenuers' often felt guilty about the amount of time they spent away from home, causing them to lean even less on their partners during non-work hours. This is impractical and can be damaging to your partnership in the long run. Don't be afraid to ask for help when you need it.

Even if you are managing your time perfectly, there will still be occasions when you will need a break from your business and your children. Don't feel guilty about taking time to get out of the house when needed. Taking time for yourself makes you more productive at work and more attentive and engaged at home.