Making Work at Home Work with a Family
Successfully Growing a Family and a Business Under One Roof
Do you run a business and manage a family from your home? If so, you’re not alone. Nearly three million women currently juggle the titles of both “mom” and “entrepreneur” simultaneously. If you’re one of these women, you know it can be difficult. The following tips will help make the journey easier, both for you and your family.
Know why you are working
There’s a big difference between working to put food on the table vs. working for the “extras” such as summer camp or a vacation. Both are legitimate but it’s essential to be honest about your motivation. Knowing what drives you will help you keep your priorities in order. When my children were young, I worked for the extras. However, instead of stopping when I earned enough to help with vacation costs I kept right on going, becoming a workaholic in the process. It didn’t serve me or my family. When I recognized my error, I was able to cut back on work in order to create a healthier balance. Now that my children are school-age and I’m working to help cover orthodontia, tuition and retirement, I’ve increased my hours accordingly.
Know how much is enough
Once you understand why you are working, it’s easier to figure out how much is enough—income, that is. Early in my work at home career I was determined to make as “much as possible.” But making “as much as possible” required me to work “as much as possible.” With two young children underfoot, that meant stealing away to my office whenever I could—even at the expense of exercise, sleep, and most sadly, my marital relationship. In looking back, I realize “as much as possible” was a bottomless pit. There would always be more money to make or more work to do. By striving for “as much as possible,” I sentenced myself to a life of endless work. Though I claimed my family was important, “as much as possible” had taken over. Something had to give.
Now I set an income goal each year. Using computer software I can easily determine if I’m close to my goal. If not, I may make another phone call or two. If I’m ahead of my goal, I relax. Doing business this way is much less stressful than striving after “as much as possible.”
Arrange for regular childcare
Working with young children around is stressful, distracting, and frustrating. So why did I do it? Because I wanted to be near my children. Eventually, however, I realized that the quality of my time with them was suffering because I was always focused on when I could get to my office to work. To solve the problem, I hired neighborhood kids to come to my house for a couple of hours after school so I could have focused work time. My kids loved the attention, the sitters enjoyed the money, and I enjoyed the peace and quiet! As my children matured, there was a period when I paid them to play quietly together so I could work. Now, they are old enough to occupy themselves, but I’m still careful not to fall back into my workaholic ways.
Enjoy the journey
It’s not easy to work from home. When I start to feel overwhelmed and stressed, I choose to focus my energy on the privilege it is to do work I love with the flexibility I have. This helps reground me. I also remind myself that life is too short to be miserable. I re-pledge to continue being both “mom” and “CEO” only for as long as I enjoy it. When the joy is gone, I know it will be time to do something else. Until then, I’m committed to learning new ways to successfully grow both a family and a business under one roof.
