There are days when simply getting the beds made, kids out the door and dog fed
seems nearly impossible. Add running a business on top of running your
household, and it can feel overwhelming. After all, not only do you need to keep
track of your family's every need, but you now have to cater to your customers'
every whim, too.
But women are resilient.
We're used to a constant juggling act in our day-to-day lives. A business on top
of that? Why not?
Maybe that's why women have
had so much success running their own businesses. After all, we're used to
multi-tasking, prioritizing and running in a million directions at once. But
what is the reality of running a successful business and a happy home--and is it
really possible to "do it all"?
In my newly published book,
Secrets of Millionaire Moms, this was one of the key questions I hoped to
answer. I interviewed 17 multimillion-dollar businesswomen who managed to
balance home life and business life, and I discovered a few things along the
way.
Expect more flexibility
but not necessarily more time.
Many women go into business because they don't want to be tied to an employer's
desk for 40 or more hours per week. It's true that running your own company
means you control your schedule, but to be successful, there'll inevitably be
deadlines you're forced to meet--and time spent meeting them.
Fortunately, many women can
run their businesses from home or after hours, which means they can be near
their children while they work. That makes child care issues much more flexible.
And because they call the shots, they can get creative. In the early stages of
her business, for example, Rachel Ashwell of Shabby Chic brought her two babies
with her as she scouted flea markets for furniture to refinish.
Karen Belasco, founder of
Good Fortunes Cookie Company, set up a special room for her young children at
her factory, and with the help of a nanny, they were never far away. Although
these women didn't work fewer hours than they would have in a typical full-time
job, they still enjoyed the flexibility of being their own boss and found
creative ways to balance family and work.
Prioritizing is key.
Inevitably, certain things must fall by the wayside. For each of the women I
interviewed, that thing was different. For some, it was housework. For others,
it was get-togethers with girlfriends or "me" time.
Each woman figured out what
she could drop and what she needed to stay balanced. Some of them wouldn't dream
of giving up daily workouts or a monthly book club, while others maintained time
for charity work or a date night.
And sometimes they just
needed to focus on one thing at a time. Julie Clark, who founded Baby Einstein
and The Safe Side, explains that she had to make a conscious decision to turn
off the computer and cell phone at a certain point of the day, so she could
focus on family.
Be creative with your
time.
If you don't have time to get to the gym but exercise is the only thing that
keeps you sane, especially when you're stressed, have a trainer come to you,
like Teri Gault of the Grocery Game does.
Do whatever works, whether
it's answering e-mails on your Blackberry while waiting to pick up the kids at
school, reviewing financials on the treadmill or keeping up with extended family
by getting everyone together at once instead of seeing them individually. Gault,
whose business is internet-based, also got creative by setting up a mobile
office in an RV so she can work from just about anywhere while the family
travels.
Stay organized.
By keeping one calendar for both family and business, you'll avoid
double-booking and overextending yourself. Be sure to jot down important family
dates on your calendar as soon as you know them--birthday parties, proms,
holiday get-togethers. Then, try to work your business appointments in next.
Obviously, there'll be the
occasional unavoidable conflict--an out-of-town trade show that falls on your
son's birthday or a can't-miss meeting the same day as your daughter's recital.
So you'll need to prioritize issues as they arise and get creative with your
solutions. For instance, have a big birthday celebration before you go or send
someone to the business meeting in your place, if you can. Other strategies:
- Plan free time as you plan work
time.
- Avoid distractions at work so you
work smart, not long.
- Take kids to work and get them
involved in the business.
- Schedule time with your
significant other.
- Get the kids to help out at home.
Ask for help.
It can be difficult to ask for help, but you'll be surprised at who'll lend a
hand. Be sure to turn to your network of friends and family in times of crisis.
Whether you need help packing a huge shipment, emergency child care or
assistance answering phones, there's inevitably someone willing and able to help
you. But first you have to ask.
When Victoria
Knight-McDowell's business, Airborne Health, began taking off, she enlisted the
help of friends, family and even her students (she was still teaching full time
to generate income). They all helped her package a huge promotional piece in
record time--something she and her husband would've never been able to
accomplish alone.
The growing ranks of
successful women entrepreneurs prove it's definitely possible to run a business
and household successfully. It's simply a matter of using your time wisely and
creatively and prioritizing what's ultimately most important in your life.