One week after I found I was pregnant, I was part of a company-wide layoff. After 9 years of working in the corporate industry, I pursued my dream of starting a social media agency. I always know I wanted to be my own boss, but had no idea where to start. I only had 9 months to get it going before transitioning into motherhood while being a business owner!
Be Flexible
Understand that your days won’t always go according to plan. Scheduling work during nap time only works when the baby actually naps! At the same time, it’s your business and you have the ability to adjust your schedule as needed. You get to control your business schedule, but you cannot control your baby’s schedule. Know that it is okay if you need to move a deadline or reschedule a client meeting.
Hire Support
Don’t be afraid to ask for help. Learn from my mistakes, I hired someone to help me for a month when the baby was born, and looking back I should have hired help to cover me for another two months, even if I was easing back into working with clients.
Hiring someone to look after your kid(s) is just as important as hiring someone in your business. I scoured nanny websites and job search engines for months — when finally a friend of a friend’s younger sister reached out. Finding a nanny took me 8 months! If you’re thinking about starting a business while pregnant, find daycare or nanny support now. You, as one person, cannot do it all and that’s okay! I cannot stress this enough — have help ready!
Surround yourself with like-minded entrepreneurs
The best decision I made right away was to hire a business coach who introduced me to a group program with other mompreneuers. Being a business owner can be isolating, especially if you are working alone. Surrounding yourself with others who have similar goals in mind to brainstorm new ideas or share wins with each week helps keep you accountable to your business goals and doesn’t make you feel like you’re working alone.
Having a support system to lean on will take you a long way. Find your tribe!
Take Time for Yourself
My son is almost 2 years old now, and it’s taken me this long to understand the concept of “self-care” and making time for yourself. It’s important as a business owner and a mother to take at least 20 minutes out of your day to do something for yourself. Personally, I have found that getting up 30 minutes before everyone else in the house to meditate or go on a run helps clear my mind and always starts the day on a positive note. In fact, on the days where I’m able to take time for myself I am able to let the creativity flow. I see shifts in productivity, which leads to new ideas and offers and, in turn, successful results for clients.
Go for a run, meditate, take a shower. Your clients and your family will be there when you’re done. You will be a better mother and boss because of it.