Business First September 2017 Business First September 2017 | Page 53
How to Maintain a Work-Life Balance
as a Female Entrepreneur and Mum
By Charlotte Baldwin, Operations Manager at IQ Cards:
any people describe parenting as a
fulltime job in itself, so when
combining this commitment with
entrepreneurship, you have a recipe for
hardship.
The appeal of being selfemployed is often
the flexibility that supposedly goes with it,
but business owners will tell you that it
makes for a far more difficult and demanding
working life than that of the average
employee.
In the UK alone there are over 800,000
stayathome mothers who run their own
businesses, and this statistic is higher than
ever. In order to see the frequency of
parenting while running a business carry on
increasing, it is helpful to figure out how to
achieve, and maintain, a worklife balance
that allows entrepreneurs to enjoy the fruits
of their labour.
Here are some top tips for making this
happen.
M
Expect Chaos
Neither family life nor business life are
smooth sailing, so pursuing them
simultaneously is undoubtedly going to
involve a high workload, and a fair share of
chaos. While chaos is difficult to prepare for,
selfassuredness and confidence are drivers
for powering through it and avoiding its
detrimental effects.
Chaotic environments may make it harder
to appreciate and enjoy your achievements,
but remembering that your hard work is
paying off will help to alleviate some of the
stress and keep you focused on your goal.
Be Unique
This may be a common mantra in the
business world, but it matters more than ever
when you have a lot going on in your life, and
it can be easy to forget to project your
uniqueness in such a busy setting.
Make sure you take time to reflect on your
USPs and what separates you from the
competition, and don’t forget to keep close
tabs on your competitors so that you are
never in the dark about your own position in
the market.
Use Support
Your support network are there to help you
succeed, so don’t feel bad about making use of
it when you need to.
It doesn’t detract from your capacity in
business in fact, it reflects an ability to
delegate and work through problems.
See about prospective babysitters within
your family or friends circle when you need
to attend a meeting, or outsource your
marketing if need be. Whatever kind of
support it is that you require to make it work,
seek it out, and don’t feel guilty.
Be Accountable
Many working parents strive towards a
desirable worklife balance, and despite best
efforts, it can be easy to sway, lending more
effort and time to one than the other.
This will inevitably cause some slipups,
and this is quite common in the business
world. The balance is difficult to achieve, but
nobody benefit from trying to assign blame to
such situations. Remain accountable for any
imbalances that may crop up, and do your
best to even them out again.
Be Inspirational
Guilt is rampant in working parents, who
often feel there aren’t enough hours in the
day to run a successful business and be
attentive to their family.
But it is often forgotten that children seeing
their parents committing themselves to and
working hard toward a selfset goal is hugely
beneficial, setting a good example and
providing inspiration.
Through strong work ethic and
resourcefulness, working mothers can inspire
their children to think outside of the box and
take control of things for themselves.
Love Your Business
worked so hard for is not a sign of a
successful entrepreneur. Passion and a sense
of purpose must be your driving force in
business. Without it, your company as a
whole will lack character and is likely to
deteriorate.
The difficult times you face will feel
worthwhile if you love your business, and the
good times will feel all the more rewarding. If
your business is the best possible use for your
various skills and expertise, you will feel
motivated to make it work, and your support
network will be happy to see and help you
succeed.
MOREINFORMATION
IQ Cards are a fundraising company that
provide schools and establishments with
the necessary tools to fundraise via selling
high-quality and unique gifts designed by
pupils. As part of the established on-
demand print and digital solutions
provider The IQ Digital House, ensures
that all requirements and products are
produced to the highest standards,
delivered on time and at great value
prices. Several of the IQ cards team are
mothers and PTA members themselves
appreciating and understanding school
protocols extremely well. They are the
preferred supplier for PTA UK. For more
information please visit:
www.iqcards.co.uk/
Feeling disdain for the business you have
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