Finding Balance: Starting a Business and Having a Baby can be tough but doable.
Starting a new business when you’re also having a baby can feel a lot like you’re birthing twins: two babies whose growth and development you care greatly about. But don’t get fooled into thinking you’re alone in your endeavour, or that it can’t be done. By being realistic about your available time, tapping into available resources, and planning some key steps in advance, you can help both your babies successfully grow and thrive.
Use Available Resources
Parenting ideally always takes a village, but when balancing care for your new baby alongside a new business venture it becomes an absolute necessity. Bringing in the help of a nanny, parents, and your spouse can make a big difference in how well the tasks of each day get carried out. Having your spouse or partner clean or do dishes so you can nurse or pump for the day can be a huge help, as can having your parents or in-laws come by for a set number of hours each week to provide some childcare.
Set a Specific Routine — and Work Space
Routines are important for your baby, your business, and you. That’s why, in the beginning especially, setting a routine (ideally one in a visual format that you can see every day) is going to be foundational for any plan of action you create. Include information like visits from in-laws or the nanny, laundry days, grocery deliveries, or shopping. Part of setting a routine also includes sectioning off some time for relaxation and rejuvenation, more important now than ever, since caring for a baby — and a business — requires periods of self-care.
Setting up your workspace, organizing it for optimal productivity, can also set the stage for an easier transition. This might mean strategically setting up your desk near the baby’s jumperoo or playpen, incorporating some storage for baby toys in the vicinity of your own office storage.
Know the Steps of Starting a New Business
Planning and making key financial and legal decisions all factor into the steps in starting a new business. They include:
- Writing a business plan
- Funding your business
- Registering your business
- Opening bank accounts, applying for licenses or permits
When choosing a business structure, options include an LLC, a DBA, or a C-corp. A DBA meaning ‘doing business as’ is a good option in that it lets you use a shortened version or acronym of your current name or create a completely different name when branching out into new services. A DBA is not, however, a business structure, and it doesn’t provide the asset protection that an LLC or a C-corp would.
Balancing Baby and Business: Daunting, But Possible
More women than ever before are starting businesses at the same time as they embark on the journey of motherhood. Though challenging, the process is more than doable when you plan, organize, and rely on your available resources.
To get your mindset right and put your business on the path to success, visit Winner’s Edge.
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