Before I became a mom, I had been a small business owner for almost 12 years, so I was accustomed to running my design studio in an organized, methodical way. When my baby boy arrived (3 weeks early, I might add) things quickly changed in both my home and business life.
Now a mama of two, I realize that my children have taught me much about running a small business successfully.
When I first had my son, I desperately wanted to be a babywearing mama. After multiple attempts (and baby carriers), I realized: This boy doesn’t like being in a baby carrier.
I know I’m guilty of approaching my business with preconceived notions, only to be disappointed when they aren’t working. It’s okay to change your focus, client base or marketing strategy if it isn’t getting the results you want — in fact, it’s a very good thing.
Learning to adapt has been one of the important lessons I’ve learned. Whether it’s an unexpected bout of sleep deprivation or forgetting to pack a diaper, you have to adapt to whatever situation presents itself.
Being flexible makes it easier to ride the wave of work and client billings (or lack thereof), and unexpected situations instead of getting thrown off-course.
Being a creative person with myriad ideas to keep me busy, having a baby prompted me to examine my priorities. Now, I carefully pick and choose which side projects to focus on and which business events to attend.
Even if you don’t have a child, this is good advice to take. Instead of hitting every possible business or industry event, choose one or two that will get you the results you want.
You can’t rush a newborn baby — whether it’s eating or sleeping, you’re always on their schedule. And yes, sometimes that means sitting in a rocking chair for hours on end.
Patience is a skill all small business owners can benefit from. Networking and marketing can lead to great opportunities — but it doesn’t always happen overnight.
Being an overachiever by nature, I have a hard time asking for help when my first baby was born. The week after he was born, I thought I could do it all: take care of him around the clock and follow up with clients (he arrived early, so I wasn’t prepared for maternity leave.) I quickly realized it wasn’t humanly possible — or healthy — and it was time to ask for help.
As small business owners, most of us have a “can-do” attitude that makes it hard to ask for help. But accepting that you need help and reaching out for it is an important skill to learn. Better to swallow your pride than disappoint a client.
It took me a while, but I realized I’m a better mom when I regularly take time for myself. Whether it’s taking a nap or reading a magazine, that personal time helps me regain energy and inspiration.
It’s easy — especially in the startup phase — to put all your time and energy into your business, which can quickly lead to burnout and physical ailments. At the very least, take a moment to stop and breathe each day.
Babies get bored easily. Just when “Old McDonald” seems to do the trick, they change their mind. You have to think on your feet to keep a baby’s attention (read: keep them from crying or destroying something.)
Perhaps you’re bored with your current workload. Take the opportunity to change things up. Reach out to new prospects or research a new market. You just might discover something new that you love. But don’t get too comfortable…
Read the other posts in this series:
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