A Mompreneur is a relatively new word that is used to describe women who are balancing the roles of a mom and entrepreneurship. Over the past few years, more and more moms are becoming Mompreneurs.
According to The State of Small Business Survey, the number of women-owned businesses rose by 17% in 2017 alone!
There are currently 10.6 million women-owned businesses in the United States, generating $2.5 trillion in annual revenue, according to the Center for Women’s Business Research.
It is every mom’s dream to give their kids a good and happy life. Balancing the time spent with our families and working to make money is the most difficult thing for every mom.
Follow these strategies to make the most out of your time to work hard, make money and spend the best time with your family.
- Prioritize your daily task
Make a priority list of what must get done for the day, following this list will help you be more efficient throughout your day. This list will help you to stay focused by beginning with the most profitable and essential tasks for your business and getting them done when there are no distractions around you. The rest of the items on your list will be easy and fun to get done. Even if you do not get to them, you will know that the most essential tasks have been completed.
Many moms try to do two or more things at once, thinking that it will save time. Unfortunately, most of our multi-tasking efforts will not be effective time-savers.
- Schedule Everything
Make a daily schedule that covers your daily tasks. Having a routine helps you to make the most of your time. Try to make your schedule consistent on a daily basis, this helps you to get familiar with your task and doing them becomes easier. Having your tasks scheduled helps you to prevent wasting time thinking about what needs to be done or what you should be doing next. Use a written or digital planner and set reminders for each task.
Your schedule should also include time for yourself, kids, and home maintenance. Be sure to build in some margin or break time. Consider spending part of your break time doing something fun with your kids if you work from home and you can also set them up with an activity that will keep them busy and quiet so that you can return to your work. Breaks help re-energizing yourself and you will be able to get back to work with an enhanced level of productivity.
- Set Goals and Have a Plan
Having a plan helps you know what to expect at every point in time. It gives you a finish line for your day. Your plan should include what actions you need to perform, what reactions to make if something unexpected happens, and a backup plan in case you need to revise what to do. As a mom, your plan should include common kid emergencies like a child who gets sick at school. This plan can help you move forward and measure your success.
In addition to planning, you also need to set measurable, achievable, and realistic goals. Set short-term and long term goals to guide you in your daily tasks. Your short-term goals should be geared towards your long-term goals. Share the fulfillment and happiness with your family when you achieve your goals, this will motivate you and your family to give the needed support.
- Use Technology to Your Advantage
There are numerous apps within arm’s reach that you can put to work for you. Use your smartphone to set reminders, alarms, timers, and use calendars to manage your time and get things done fast. Consider using some helpful apps to manage lists, chores, and schedules. You can also share your online calendar with your spouse and older children to keep track of family activities and appointments. Delegating some task to your family makes it fun and interesting at the same time saving you time and money.
Pay bills online, buy gifts and other essentials online to save yourself from store crowds. Save time by researching items online before you head out to the stores. This way you’ll know exactly where to go and what you’re getting.
Many of these apps are free while others require a small fee for premium services. Use these apps on the go to get things done while making coffee or waiting in the carpool lane.
- Separate Business and Motherhood
Try as much as possible to separate your parenting responsibilities from your business responsibilities. If you have an office in your home, keep your work area separate and make sure that you stop working at a specific time of the day to check up on your family. When your work requires that you do some things after hours, try to save them until your children are in bed or do them at the table while they are working on their own homework or are having their own quiet reading time. Use boundaries to help you concentrate on each task to increase your productivity.
As a working mom, you have the opportunity to demonstrate to your children how to successfully manage time. You can also show them how to be productive and enjoy a rewarding career. Hopefully these strategies will help you share interesting, fun and exciting moments with your family whiles building a great business.
