This guest post was provided by Gwen Payne of Invisible Moms.
If you have a baby on the way, it may be difficult to start a business. However, you can still reach your goals if you have sufficient planning and prioritization. Balancing competing obligations is important to your success. Being a parent is a full-time experience, so is running your business. It’s possible to combine the two if you plan well and are disciplined in your approach. The Multitasking Mom shares guidelines you can embrace that will help you run your business smoothly without deviating from your parental duties.
Set Realistic Expectations
For your new endeavor, set realistic goals. Create a business plan with reasonable timeframes to achieve your objectives. By choosing unrealistic goals, you will set yourself up to fail. Keep in mind your body and mind will require a lot of energy and time, so you may not have much time for your business. Basically, you need to plan accordingly.
Set Up Space in Your Office for the Baby
Parenting a baby is a task that requires you to be available a lot of the time, especially if you just had the baby. If you must continue running the business, you can set up an area for the baby inside your office. Find a quiet place you can set up a nursery.
Depending on the child's age, you can make the space a playroom that your kid can use. It should be a place that guarantees their safety and also makes it easy to monitor their activities.
For your movement around the office while also taking care of the baby, consider wearing comfortable apparel that makes it easy to execute your double-duty as an entrepreneur and a mom. There are many types of clothing that will play this role perfectly, including a comfortable maternity dress.
Hire a Babysitter
One of the ways you can create more time for your business while taking care of your baby is by hiring a babysitter. Finding a reliable babysitter can be a lengthy process, but you can ask for referrals from your friends. Approach a child’s daycare and other places you trust, or contact a babysitting agency.
Also, you can post the job ad online. For all these options, conduct strict vetting to ensure you’re dealing with people who will treat your child with care. Check for reviews and interview the agencies to know what to expect.
Form a Limited Liability Company
Launching your business as a Limited Liability Company (LLC) offers you flexible management options, reduces liability, and increases tax advantages. The process to set up an LLC requires little paperwork and few legal fees if you’re setting the business up with a formation service.
This process is straightforward, but make sure to follow the regulations in your state. You can easily create a doing business as (DBA) name online in a few steps. Learn your state’s DBA requirements and choose a name different from your corporate name and search for availability. If it’s available, register your DBA and publish the name. Next, you need to write your LLC’s articles of organization or formation. Also, compose an operating agreement for your business.
Delegate Tasks
You don’t have to do all things in your business and household. Delegating duties in your business or household will free up time to help you achieve your goals.
Delegation makes it easy to allocate time efficiently and takes you closer to your goals. This is crucial if you have a new baby. You can hire a bookkeeper, employ a virtual assistant, enlist lawn professionals, or use a maid service.
Conclusion
Being passionate about your business and baby is possible if you understand how to plan and allocate time. When you start your business, have in mind you also need to create time for your baby. You can delegate a few of the tasks to make time for your baby or the business.
Gwen Payne is a stay-at-home mom with an entrepreneurial spirit. Over the years, she has mastered raising her two daughters while side-hustling to success through small ventures based on her various passions -- from dog walking to writing to ecommerce. With Invisiblemoms.com she hopes to show other stay-at-home parents how they can achieve their business-owning dreams.
