Trying to balance taking care of your house and family, raising your kids, and growing a business as a mumpreneur can be chaotic! I know because I have been there, I am there. But I always look back and feel so rewarded with the fact that I have built a flexible business and have the freedom to work around my responsibilities as a mum, a wife, and a homemaker. It wasn’t easy and it has taken a lot of hard work, but I am finally there, and it is so worth it.
In this blog I am sharing my top 4 tips on bringing more flexibility to your business while still feeling accomplished in all areas as a mumpreneur.
These are great things you can implement into your business from the get-go so you can rest assured that if something comes up for your family, you are already flexible enough to deal with it.
Okay, let’s dive right in!
1. Communicate your need to be flexibleÂ
Communicate your need to be flexible with the people you work with. This includes everyone you work with, such as your clients, employees, contractors, suppliers, etc. If you stay transparent and set the right expectations from the very beginning, it will never be questioned, and that line will not be blurred.
For example, when someone books a discovery call with me, I let them know about my flexibility needs and the fact that I work from my well-equipped home office with my baby assistant (because let’s be honest, if you have kids at home, they love to get your attention at the most inconvenient times!) Your work schedule needs to be flexible enough to manage all of that.
2. Avoid commitments where your flexibility will be compromise
Where possible, avoid commitments where your flexibility will be compromised until you’re ready as this will bring unnecessary stress to your routine.
For example, recently someone asked me if I can help them in business. I said, yes absolutely, that is what I do. But in the discovery call when I found out that there is no certain time when they would be needing my support, it can be anytime between 9 am to 5 pm, plus when they do approach for help, they would like me to respond within an hour or so. I decided to kindly refuse as taking this project would put me at stress and my work flexibility will be compromised.
As a mumpreneur, it is hard to commit to such client demands. So, my advice is to learn to say NO to anything that would make your work less flexible. This will bring more calm to your routine and keep you stress free about work and life balance.
Soon for myself, I will be ready to give more of myself to my business as my son will start going to school, freeing up a lot of my time during the day. However, for now, I will stick to what I can commit to, knowing and understanding my responsibilities and time schedule.
3. Re-evaluate your availability and keep updating your booking schedule
This tips directly links to what I discussed above but it is so important to keep your business flexible! Re-evaluate your availability and keep updating your booking schedule.
For example, I often get into Calendly and move my available time slots to suit my current work schedule and availability. Every week doesn’t always look the same – and that is okay! As a mumpreneur with multiple roles and responsibilities, it is impossible to stick to one schedule forever with kids and family around you.
But it is so important as a business owner to let those around you know that too. As a mum, some weeks are busier than others (playgrounds, children’s birthday parties, that fun exhibition you wanted to take your child too… the list goes on!) So, change your availability to potential and present clients depending on your commitments and family needs.
4. Always have Plan B ready
As a business owner and a Mum, it is imperitive that I always consider what can go wrong in certain situations. That is why I always have a Plan B ready to go! If something goes amiss, I can easily steer the direction into Plan B to get myself across the finishing line!
For example, being a working-at-home mum, my son sometimes decide to throw tantrums at the very wrong time, such as 5 minutes before I have that important Zoom meeting. Again, this is something that is out of my control, they are human after all and especially as children they are still learning to regulate and control their emotions. But, I always have a plan B, such as keeping a $2 Hot Wheels car, a small bowl of M&Ms (only for emergency rescue kind of times), his milk bottle, or an exciting sticker sheet near my desk. If such thing happens, I quickly try if any of those things would make him happy. This way, I can stay on track (in this case the finish line of the Zoom meeting) and we don’t go off course too much.
Final thoughts
It can be so easy to get overwhelmed while being a Mumpreneur and have everything turn into chaos. But the most basic thing that has helped me throughout my years on this journey is belief. Having a strong belief in yourself that you can do this. Put belief into the people who support you most and finally take it one step at a time.
It is of course easier said than done to be so flexible but remember your priorities and what is most important to YOU! What I do might not work for you exactly, trial and error is our friend when trying to balance all our responsibilities as Mumpreneurs!
But remember, you’ve got this
If you are a Mumpreneur and still needing a little extra help, I am here for you. If anyone knows what it is like…it’s me!
Head on over to my Enquiry Form, fill it out and let’s see if here at Winowin Consulting we can give you a supporting hand in cultivating the flexible business of your dreams!
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