Congrats on your new bundle of joy and your drive to start a new business. The dream of becoming a mompreneur is a great ambition, but it’s not without its challenges. Juggling having a new baby and the demands of starting a company is not for the faint of heart.
Here’s some guidance about how to handle the guilt that can come along with starting a business as a new mom, how to get your company off the ground, and how to create a work-life balance so you can prioritize everything that is important in your life and turn your dreams into reality.
Even if you have a great business idea and you are excited to put it out in the world and start making more money for your family, it is natural for you to feel some guilt in the fact that you are not spending every waking moment with your child. However, you need to learn that this feeling is natural, and you are certainly not the first mom to feel like you are going crazy or doing something wrong. In fact, dad may also be feeling the guilt of going to work and leaving mom and baby at home.
The key is to celebrate yourself for having hopes and dreams. (Before you were a parent, you were a person. And you are still a person!) You are doing this to help your family and set a powerful example of prioritizing your goals, taking risks, and following your dreams.
Do what you can to foster that illusive balance, so you don’t ignore your new business or your new baby. Of course, feeding, comforting, and playing with your baby is the priority, so in between tasks at work, take the time to be there for your child. You can also designate certain times of the day for your baby, like in the morning and before they go to bed. Make work off-limits during these parts of the day. The goal is not maximum time with your baby and at work – it's about quality over quantity.
You can balance out the business portion of your life with smart scheduling. Take the time when your child is sleeping or is with another family member or caregiver to do important work like calling clients, holding video conferences, and writing big contracts. If you know that you will have a busy week, then schedule a babysitter for that time or lean on your family members for support. When you know that you are giving your baby and your job wholehearted parts of your life, time, and attention then you can say goodbye to pesky guilt.
The next step is to create a home office so that you can maximize your productivity while keeping your new baby in mind. Ideally, you will want to find a quiet part of the house where you will not be distracted during important calls by the sound of a baby crying. However, you don’t want to ignore your baby, either. A baby monitor is a great way to handle this dilemma
As far as work is concerned, you will want to find a suitable chair that gives you proper support, so you do not hurt your back or neck. You might consider a standing desk that allows you to stretch and keep the blood flowing while helping you to stay alert throughout the day. You will also want to keep the space well-lit so you can see your work and keep an eye on the baby. If you have windows in your office, then open the drapes and let the sunshine in. Natural light can help you to be more productive, and the vitamin D that is supplied is essential for your growing baby and your own mental health.
When you are caring for a young child and getting a business off of the ground, then it is essential to be smart with your money. Luckily, there are many ways that you can save money while working from home. You can start by pairing that natural light with LED bulbs that will last longer, burn brighter, and cost less. You can also invest in smart technology like thermostats and energy-efficient appliances, which is important since you will be using them more often as you work from home.
Once you get all of the details of your baby sorted out, you can focus more on your business. Statistics show that half of all recent small businesses have started from home, so you definitely have a chance to succeed.
You’ll probably want to start by securing as many clients as possible, and while it may seem close to impossible when you can’t get out of the house, you can still expand your professional network from home. One way you can do so is by going where the professionals are, including websites like LinkedIn. While you are there, you can look for people in your industry and introduce yourself digitally. You can also go on professional message boards like Reddit and join groups related to your field.
Next, you need to put a lot of work into your professional website. Make it easy for potential customers to find your best products and services. Also, have a clear navigation scheme, so it is easy for people to find what they need.
One page of your site should be dedicated to customer reviews. Whenever someone has a good experience with your company, ask them to submit their feedback, and you can use it on that page. Then, people who stumble upon your site can see that your business is worth investigating.
As you can see, it is possible to successfully - even joyfully - juggle a healthy baby and your entrepreneurial ambitions. Consider the tips discussed here, and you can make the most out of both worlds.
Charlie Fletcher
Author