Balancing Parenting With Growing a Business

If you’re a parent who is aspiring to become a business entrepreneur, you will likely be asking yourself – how exactly will you balance all of your family and professional commitments?

Indeed, growing a business while also looking after your family is somewhat of a juggling act, and you’ll need to put specific strategies in place to ensure you can manage your home and business workload.

Parenting and growing a business? Here’s how to win at both!

Higher Education Options for Parents: Obtaining a Business Qualification As a Mature Age Student

The first step to becoming a successful entrepreneur is obtaining a tertiary qualification in business. As a busy Australian mum or dad, for example, you can complete an online mba in Australia. Also known as a Master of Business Administration, as part of an online mba course, you will learn how to manage, operate and develop your own business venture.

You will also acquire time management, planning and organisation skills. Undoubtedly, these skills are essential to running your own business as a parent, and to help you manage your existing family commitments while growing your business venture. 

As any working parent will know, time is the most valuable resource there is! Sometimes, it feels like we never have enough of it. That is why studying online is the best way to obtain a business qualification as a mature age student.

Importantly, as a parent, you can make online study work for you. If you still have the energy in the evenings after the kids have gone to bed, late-night study sessions might be best for you. Or, you could make daytime study a thing once you’ve sent your little ones off to school for the day. The flexibility of online learning means that you can study at any time of day or night – whenever suits you best!

Work/Life Balance: How to Juggle Your Family and Business Commitments

There are several ways in which you can balance being a parent with being an entrepreneur. So, how can you become the best ‘Parentpreneur’ you can be? Some excellent working-parent strategies to maintain your sanity include: 

Creating and Enforcing Strong Boundaries Between Your Personal and Professional Lives

A key to being a successful ‘parentpreneur’ is to set clear and distinct boundaries between your work and home life. Of course, as your own boss, it can be difficult to make this distinction. Your business is, of course, your world – and it can be hard to know how to switch off. When you do ‘clock off’ for the day, though, make concerted efforts to be present for your family. Your family time is important, as is creating memories with your kids. A good technique to manage this is to set specific blocks of time in which you are ‘at work’, and other blocks when you can switch off and revert to your personal time.

Organise, Plan and Manage Your Time Effectively

Time management is essential for any business owner, but especially for working parents. Consider using a time planning application such as Structured or Asana. Essentially designed as project management tools, these are also extremely helpful for busy parentpreneurs who need to fit it all in! From family commitments to work responsibilities, by visually notating your tasks at hand, you will feel more efficient and in control of your workload.

Know When to Stop Working, and Prioritise Your Family 

When planning your schedule for the day or week, ensure that you are also scheduling in time to prioritise your family. Most importantly, make sure to enjoy this time off, and try not to focus or think about work when you are with your kids. Of course, this is easier said than done! But, by dedicating and assigning specific times of day for work, and scheduling set times to play, you can reduce any guilt you might feel about not being chained to your desk at all times.

Fill Up Your Own Cup, Too!

Sometimes, as busy working parents, we can forget how important it is to look after ourselves, too! However, to show up as your best self – both for your business and for your family – it is essential to take good care of yourself as well. Make time to schedule activities that fill your cup. Go for a massage, or take a relaxing meditation class, for example. It is also important to ensure that you are prioritising your health and fitness with a balanced diet, and regular exercise.

Making it Work: The Top Parent-Friendly Business Ventures

The good news is, in our digital age, remote working arrangements are making it easier than ever for parents to run their own businesses. Of course, some of the best parent-friendly business ventures are jobs you can perform virtually. These include:

eCommerce Businesses 

As a parentpreneur, your end goal may well be to create a ‘passive’ income. One of the best ways to do this is to set up an online eCommerce store. eCommerce dropshipping, for instance, has become increasingly popular for busy parents. But what exactly is dropshipping? Essentially, it involves selling goods online directly from a supplier. This means you will never need to physically see, store, or send out eCommerce products or goods yourself! Dropshipping is a great time-saving hack to make money on the side as a busy parentpreneur.

Digital Marketing  and Social Media Management

Another remote business idea for busy parents is to dabble in digital marketing and social media management. If you have a computer, laptop or electronic device, you have all you need to be able to post digitally. Of course, you also need to develop a specific skill set related to digital marketing. For this, it is advisable to do a course that will teach you the techniques involved. The best news? You can often complete digital and social media marketing courses online.

SEO Copywriting and Content Creation

Lastly, a great remote job for parents is to create content for SEO. Also known as Search Engine Optimisation, SEO is the way of the future! With so many opportunities to make money in SEO, this option is a no-brainer for any parent who is aspiring to start their own digital business on the side. Of course, you do need to have a certain knack for copywriting and content creation skills! But, these can be developed over time. 

Balancing parenting with growing a business is not easy! But, by choosing a business venture that is compatible with family life, as well as developing strategies that help you juggle your parenting and professional commitments, you can become a successful parentpreneur. Just make sure to take time out for yourself when you need it. To show up as the best working parent you can be, you need to fill your own cup, too!