If you are a mum already working from home or contemplating starting your own home-based business, you are most likely thinking about the best way to bring together your roles as a mum and a business owner. Finding the best way to get all the tasks done efficiently and becoming successful in a business while being work at home mums can be challenging. This challenge cannot be resolved without one key thing: being organised.
Before I started my home business, I already felt busy looking after my two young children full-time. When I started working from home, ‘busy’ became ‘overwhelmed’. I since realised that I had in fact increased my workload just by being disorganised, and found that the work was manageable after I became organised, which is a simple idea worth sharing with other work at home mums.
To achieve a better balance between being a mum and a home business owner, and to ensure success in both roles, here is what work at home mums can do:
1. Have a Comprehensive Schedule.
This is the one thing I have become dependent on! Having working hours is not enough for work at home mums. I have a schedule which includes the type of tasks I will perform in each time slot (e.g. marketing activities, checking emails, website updates, education, making calls, writing articles, etc). This way, you don’t get to the end of the week realising that you didn’t accomplish all your tasks. It also prevents you from always prioritising the things you enjoy doing (there will always be tasks you don’t enjoy doing but need to get done!). Pick the right time of the day to assign mentally demanding tasks. I also prefer to work harder on earlier days in the week so that I can reduce my workload towards the end of the week when I am more tired. I like to keep flexibility with the ‘mum’ and house tasks, but if you find it difficult to manage, you might consider including them in your schedule (e.g. grocery shopping, family time, meal time, laundry, cleaning). Finally, review your schedule at the end of every week to make sure that you accomplished your goals and that the schedule itself is adequate.
2. When You Work, Work!
It is hard for work at home mums to focus on their work when their children are requiring their attention. When I try to work and pay attention to my children at the same time, neither my work nor my children get what they need, and it takes twice as long to do my work because of all the interruptions. Of course, sometimes it cannot be avoided and you will find yourself wearing both hats at once. During those times, choose smaller tasks that are not too mentally demanding. Set up your children with a snack, special toys, music or a video. If they are old enough, explain what you need from them, how long you will be working, and even promise them a special game or treat for after you have finished working if they have played nicely.
3. Keep It Tidy.
No more piling up and scattering! Your valuable time is wasted when you are searching for your resources. Keep your work-related items together, organised, sorted and tidy. Take the time to build the filing and tracking systems you need. This way you will access what you need immediately and work efficiently. Work at home mums can even allocate a time in their weekly schedule to tidy up their office to make sure it gets done.
4. Make Time For You.
As work at home mums, most of our time is taken up looking after the house and the family and managing the business. Is there any time left for you? I make sure there is, and I allocate time in advance in my schedule to look after myself and my well-being. Whatever you like doing for yourself (reading, sport, meditation, having a bath, going out, etc), make provision for it in your weekly schedule, and take the time to re-fuel, enjoy yourself and relax.
5. Get Some Help.
Consider enlisting the help of your partner and other family members for house chores or minding your children. Perhaps your partner can help out by making dinner a few nights per week while you work, or the grandparents can make regular weekly visits to look after the kids for a few hours? Work at home mums need all the help they can get! Of course, if paid help is an option for you, think about getting someone to help you with the time consuming housework!
So here are my 5 tips for work at home mums: make a detailed schedule and stick to it as much as you can, devote yourself to working during your working hours, be organised and tidy in your office, make time for yourself, and get the extra help you need.
