According to a recent study, 1 in 3 female entrepreneurs are parents – and 31% have school-age children. This means that, despite popular misconception, it is entirely possible to run your own business while also being as present as possible for your children! 

However, that’s not to say that you don’t have your work cut out for you. After all, both parenting and running a business can be incredibly time-consuming, and it can be difficult to strike up a balance that works. 

With that in mind, here are some simple strategies that you can rely on to make it work! 

Ask for help when you need it. Whether you hire a business coach to find ways to streamline business operations or ask a friend or family member to help out with childcare during a particularly busy period, there’s no shame in asking for help when you need it. Remember, you’re only human, and there’s only so much you can do on your own! 

Set strict working hours. One of the easiest ways to strike up the perfect balance when running a business as a mom is to set yourself strict working hours. This reduces the chances of you working late into the night, freeing up time in your day to spend with those you love. Ideally, you should stick to conventional working hours (9-5) or around your children’s schedule. Either way, this is a great way to ensure that you have a better handle on your time while also preventing burnout and exhaustion. 

Find easy ways to promote your brand. In order for your business to grow, you need to find a way to attract more customers. However, this can be a particularly time-consuming task, no matter what industry you work within. As such, you should always keep an eye out for easy (and quick) ways to promote your brand. For example, you should always make sure that you have a business card to hand when out and about. After all, you never know when you may run into a potential customer! 

Write daily to-do lists. Writing daily to-do lists is another great way to strike up the perfect balance when caring for your growing children and running a business, as it allows you to use every hour you have at your disposal more efficiently. Furthermore, “studies have shown that people perform better when they have written down what they need to do.” As such, you should start each day by writing down a list of everything you need to do, prioritising tasks that may be time-sensitive. You may find it useful to write two separate lists, one with business-related tasks (send invoices, post on social media, etc.) and another with family/home tasks (prepare lunches, check homework). 

Give yourself a break when you need one. Between looking after your children and running your company, it can be hard to make time in your routine for YOU. However, this is necessary. Remember, you cannot pour from an empty cup, so you also need to make sure that you are taking care of your own needs! Even as little as twenty minutes of self care a day can make a real difference.