So you’ve got a business and you’ve got a baby. That can be a lot. How do you balance business with a baby when your business is your baby and your baby is your baby too? Your hands are full. They both need time, care, and attention, but there doesn’t seem to be enough hours in a day! So how do people do it? How do you manage life when you’re a stay-at-home mom and an entrepreneur?
Want to know my secret? Time management. When you’re a stay-at-home mom entrepreneur you have to get really good with time management. It’s definitely possible to earn a living while being a full-time caregiver. I’ll show you what I’m doing to balance business with a baby. What I’m sharing is coming from the perspective of being an entrepreneur for a few years before ever becoming a mom. Thankfully, I figured out how to grow my business beforehand, so I’m able to tell you bout the most important tasks to focus on when you’re just getting started and have very little time. What I’m sharing is what worked when I was a stay-at-home mom with a newborn and also what works now with a 2.5 year old. If you’re in the ringer, I want to share that it’s definitely possible.
Here’s how to balance business with a baby when you’re a stay-at-home mom entrepreneur.
The reality of what it’s like being a stay-at-home mom
Your responsibilities
By being a stay-at-home mom, a lot of the household and childcare duties automatically fall on you. An outsider may think you’re just watching tv all day and playing with your baby. However, being on the inside, you know that much of your day revolves around cleaning up after all the messes your sweet little hurricane makes, keeping them alive because apparently they like to put everything in their mouth, breastfeeding every couple of hours (or cooking wholesome meals your little picky eater won’t taste), changing diapers every hour (or potty training your little one – which apparently is a full-time job every 45 mins.), cleaning up accidents, home schooling your kid, making friends for your kid, running errands for your family, grocery shopping, doing laundry, meal prepping, finding time to take care of yourself, and managing any other needs of the home that come up like coloring matching the paint on the wall because your kid got a hold of the markers. It’s a full-time day.
Your sleep
When your baby’s an infant, you have to sleep when the baby sleeps. When they’re older, it’s a choice. Do you nap with them or do you spend that time relaxing, loading the dishwasher, meal prepping, or working on your business? The same is true for during bedtime. Do you relax at that point in the day or do you spend that time with your husband, have me-time, or clean up and do whatever didn’t get done earlier? Being at home having to entertain a little one all day is energy-depleting. Most nights I end up going to bed a couple of hours after we lay the baby down for bed.
Your “me” time
The reality of being a stay-at-home mom, especially when you have to balance busines with a baby is that “me” time is pretty much nonexistent. You have to be intentional about carving out dedicated time for nourishing and taking care of yourself. I like to get in my “me” time first thing in the morning before I engage with anyone else. I also like to get in that time at night before I go to bed, if I can swing it, and at some point in the weekend.
How to balance business with a baby
Make a list of what work you can do with your baby
When you have to balance business with a baby, it’s helpful to write out all the responsibilities on your plate. Are there things you can clean and cook with your baby by your side? Is your baby able to help you pour or stir while you’re cooking? Can you wear your baby while you do the dishes? Can you walk the dog and the baby together? Is your kid old enough to dust? Can you make a game out of letting your kid pick up or wash their toys? Make a list of all the work you have to do, then decide what all you can do with your baby.
Make a list of what work you have to do while baby’s sleep, busy, or away
Looking at the list you just made of things you can do with your baby, you’ll be able to deduce and see what you absolutely need to do when your baby is sleeping, busy, or away. Sometimes you only have the golden hour of their nap time to get things done. When that’s the case, it’s important to focus on crossing off those tasks from your list before you think about relaxing for the day or napping when they nap.
Create a block schedule of home and business activities
When you know what window you have to complete certain things, it makes it easier to know what to focus on during any given time. For example, I know my husband leaves for work at 5:00 am and my daughter usually wakes up around 7:00 am. I could sleep in or I can get up with my husband and take advantage of those 2 hours in the morning doing whatever tasks I can’t do while my baby is awake.
That time in the morning could look like having devotional time for spiritual growth, getting myself ready before my “boss” wakes up, or working on an assignment. I usually reserve the time from 7:00 am to 9:00 am for making breakfast, eating, and getting the both of us ready for the day. 9:00 am – 12 noon is normally spent doing a mommy and me outing or having a playdate. 12 noon – 12:30 pm, we’re back at home eating lunch. By 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm is my daughter’s nap time. I normally spend that time getting work done.
Time management tips for stay-at-home mom entrepreneurs
Focus on revenue-generating activities first
When you have to balance business with a baby, it’s important that whenever you are working to focus on working smart and maximizing whatever time you do have available. This includes asking for the sale every day and marketing your business regularly. I can go more in-depth about what exact things you can do to market yourself. If that’s something you’d like to know, check out the Daily Revenue Generating Activities Checklist!
Work “in” your business
A lot of the times, especially when you’re just starting out, it’s easy to only spend time working “on” your business and not enough time working “in” your business. After you’ve planted seeds by doing revenue generating activities, make sure you have enough time set aside to work “in” your business. Working in your business could look like creating content, servicing your clients, or selling products to name a few.
Allow yourself to be supported whenever possible
As much as we may try, owning a business shouldn’t be a one-man show. Allow yourself to be supported in whatever capacity you’re able to do so. If grandparents are around and want to spend alone time with their grandchildren, take advantage of that priviledge. When your partner helps out with the baby or does certain household chores, take advantage of that. If you have a friend who does branding and you do photography, can you trade services sometimes? Or if you have extra money, can you buy back some of your time by hiring someone to manage your social media while you spend time focusing on the other areas of your life or business that matter most? Think about what you want to get off your plate and what you can start delegating to help you cover more ground while you’re running your household and running your business.
It’s going to be tough, but moms are a special kind of breed. We are powerhouses that can handle the challenge. What’s important is becoming a master at how we divide our time and making sure we’re maimizing off whatever time we do have to focus on our business with a baby.
Wishing you luck!
Related: How To Work From Home With A Baby | How Do Stay-At-Home Moms Get A Break?