6 Tips for Balancing a New Baby and New Business
A blog by Guest Blogger Jenna Sherman
A new baby alone brings plenty of life changes. But when you add a new business into the mix, you might feel overwhelmed.
Fortunately, if you’re a new parent and a new business owner, these tips can help you establish a healthy work-life balance while your baby and business grow.
1. Establish Your Routine
A flexible routine is a must when you’re balancing a new baby and a new business. Find the routine that works for you. With a newborn or infant, you might choose to work around your baby’s schedule, ensuring you’re available when the baby is awake and hungry and working when the baby sleeps. Keep in mind that your baby’s schedule will change as they grow, so you’ll have to adapt your routine every few months.
2. Explore Child Care Options
Consider full- or part-time childcare to help you focus on your business during working hours. You might choose an in-home care option, such as a nanny, when your baby is young. Having a nanny scheduled allows you to establish dedicated work hours to focus on the launch of your business. When choosing a childcare option, consider the price, schedule, and location, among other factors.
3. Write a Business Plan
A business plan is a document that outlines the key components of your business, including your business model, product or service, target market, growth strategy, and financial projections. It is an essential tool for any startup or small business, as it can help you to secure funding, attract investors, and get your business off the ground. To learn more about writing a business plan and starting your own company, refer to this ZenBusiness page on starting a new business.
4. Network With Other Professionals
As a business owner, it’s wise to connect with other local businesses to help yours grow. Plus, connecting with these businesses may allow you to outsource some of your work, freeing up time as you try to balance life with a new baby. For example, if you don’t have the time to build your business’ website or lack the experience, try connecting with a local web designer (or trade services) to lighten your load during this busy time.
5. Create a Multifunctional Space
Whether you’re working remotely full time or simply working behind the scenes from home as your business launches, you need a dedicated space to work. However, you also want this space to be flexible and inclusive, so your baby can join as needed. Consider adding a bassinet, mini-crib, or baby swing to the space to keep your baby close by when you’re working. Baskets or shelves filled with baby gear can allow you to multitask in your home office.
6. Tap Into Smart Business Resources to Market Your Business
Discover resources that help your business grow and save you time, so you can spend plenty of quality time with your baby. Marketing your new business is essential to increasing your visibility and building a customer base.
Having a well-designed logo for your business builds brand awareness, makes a solid first impression, and allows your business to stand out from the competition. If you’re on a tight budget, you can use an online logo maker for logo design made easy. Create a professional-quality logo featuring an icon, text, and colors that align with your business. You can also find programs that help you build email marketing campaigns and even develop a website without any HTML knowledge.
Both Your Baby and Business Can Thrive
By networking, outsourcing work, and maintaining flexibility, you can balance life with a new baby while marketing and forming a new business.
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Jenna Sherman is a mom of three (two girls and a boy). She hopes to help other parents acquire the skills they need to raise future leaders by providing a collection of valuable, up-to-date, authoritative resources.
She created parent-leaders.com as an avenue for parents who want to make sure their children grow up to be strong, independent, successful adults.
Take a minute to visit her blog for other great tips for home and parenting.
I can’t imagine taking on a new business and a new baby. I am overwhelmed just stumbling to the coffee pot in the morning. Good on you!