I taught for over 15yrs, 12 of those years close to downtown San Antonio. The job was demanding but ultimately rewarding at the days end for the better part of my career. When my children came along that sense of fulfillment that used to help me through the tough times seemed to dwindle every time I had to drop my children off with their caregivers. Like many solopreneurs I chose to leave my career to have more time and flexibility with my family. The truth of the matter is that leaving my career behind to be a business owner that works from home was one of the hardest things I ever did. The trade off was definitely worth it and I have absolutely no regrets, however the learning curve on this was a tough one. I found that I was so consumed with getting a business up and running that I inadvertently lost sight of the entire reason for me starting the business in the first place. I justified this in my mind by saying it would only be a short while until I had the business up and running and then I would no longer have to be so busy and this could help me reach my goal. Now I look at this and can see the holes in that theory but at the time I was so caught up in reaching my goal, I lost site of what my goal was and the true focus became starting a business, not more time with my family.
How do you strike that balance between running a business and having a family? When I figured this out, the wheels started turning and I was spending more time with the kids and not only did I have the foundation set for one business, I was on the verge of launching two businesses. Here is what I started to do that helped bring balance and some clarity into the mix.
1. I hired a coach. I know, I know I was the first one that said, “No way can I afford to spend money on a coach!” Yes, and this was a very costly assumption on my part. I spent way more time and money trying to figure things out on my own, and had no one to give me the sound business direction I needed. I could have saved a ton by starting here first. Once I chalked it up to another lesson learned, found the RIGHT coach, I was able to accomplish in 3 months what I could not alone in 5 years! Her name is Lara Galloway, the Mom Biz Coach and from experience, she is by far one of the best online today!
2. I hired help! I needed help with childcare, but driving, and dropping kids off for a few hours a day just was not working. It took too much time to get the kids ready and out the door and I spent too much time driving. I signed up for Care.com and found a sitter. Not just any sitter either! She is the Ultimate Mommy Helper. I work in my office 3 days a week, while she does activities and cares for the children downstairs. I’m close by and kids are happy that I’m not taking them anywhere. This worked for me, but it may not work for you. The point is, with children, you need help. If you have a family member or want to trade off time with your spouse, there are lots of options. Care.com does have fees, but reasonable if you use it to find quality care for your children.
3. Getting Organized! Getting my home organized and on track was absolutely one of the most critical changes I made. I made a calendar, and mapped out my time. That was the easy part. The hard part was sticking to my own schedule without getting off task or distracted. Working for yourself can be an adjustment when you first leave, but I had no idea how hard until I made a few thousand mistakes. I read these two books The Power of Full Engagement and When Its All Too Much. Highly recommend these for anyone, both have had a huge impact on my life.
If your business is thriving but you just don’t feel like you can get to everything that needs to be done, considering hiring some help. One of the reasons I decided to start Ms. Hoverfly is because I needed help with my small business several times but I could not afford some of the high end VA services that were available at the time. If your feeling overwhelmed, or not getting enough time with your family. I encourage you to check out my services page. I think you will be pleasantly surprised to see how affordable help can be!
I hope that you found some information here today helpful and if you have any questions you can always find me on Twitter @MsHoverFly or email me atMichelle@MsHoverFly.com.
Ms Hoverfly is a virtual assistant that is passionate about helping solopreneurs thrive. She offer services but more importantly she offers practical character and business ideas to help business owners in a variety of ways. Resources for the entire person and their family not just the business. Ms Hoverfly loves to share new technologies that help small business owners save time and money. Through her weekly podcast Mshoverfly offers the same great advice on the fly; from quick tips to a focused relaxed conversation you will feel like two friends having coffee and helping one another grow.