Managing My Business and My Family - How Does a WAHM do it all?

There are many clear benefits to choosing the life of a WAHM (Work At Home Mum), including choosing your own hours, being your own boss and making your own money. The flexibility this provides is often a key motivator, and what many women we talk to are seeking when considering options for their working life. Do you wonder though, if it takes some special kind of super women to manage the challenges of being self-employed and a family too, if there are special skills you need, or if, perhaps, it's something you could do too?

While being a business owner is not right for everyone, super powers are not a requirement (well no more than you already have as a mother!). WAHM's have simply made a choice to run their own businesses and have created a lifestyle that allows them to do this. If you want to run your own business enough, you can do it too. In this post we will share with you our top tips on managing both business and family so that if you decide to take this route in life you are prepared and ready for the adventure.

Be in Love with your business

When you run your own business, you have to be self-motivated. Your success depends on your willingness to work and drive your business forward. There will be no manager breathing down your neck, you have to take that responsibility on yourself.

This independence is what attracts a lot of women to the self-employed lifestyle in the first place but to make sure that you stay motivated you need to make sure from the beginning that you are going into a business that you love.

These days there are many different types of businesses that WAHM’s can create from crafting, to blogging to baby classes, the choice is vast but if you don’t feel passionate about what you are doing then it will soon lose its sparkle and this will impact on your motivation.

Consider what you love doing, what brings you joy, what you would like to do more of. Are you sociable or introvert? Are you creative? Are you a good listener? Are you comfortable in a room of new people?

Remember you don’t have to know everything, with many self employed options such as the franchise model, you get access to training, support and marketing materials so you don’t have to worry about every aspect of running a business but you simply have to make sure that the business you set up is something that you will enjoy on a daily basis!

Be organised

Regardless of what work you choose to go into, organisation as a working mum really can be your superpower. When you see a woman that seems to have it all together you can bet that she has good systems and habits in place, for both her business and family life, to support her. We all have the same amount of hours in the day but an organised WAHM makes the most of them.

This might include, getting the children’s uniform and lunch ready the night before, keeping a digital diary, planning work a month ahead, using technology and automation, getting up 15 minutes earlier in the morning to plan their day, leaving enough time in between appointments to avoid rushing, or having a work space that really works for you, like this one that was shared with us by a WAHM,

Image courtesy of www.pinkspaghetti.co.uk.

There are many ways to create organised systems in your home and work life and what you do will depend on your personal circumstance and business but taking active and consistent steps to stay organised will reduce stress on a daily basis and allow you to get more done (giving the appearance of super woman)!

Be Mindful of you

If organisation is a WAHM superpower then burnout is the kryptonite. It is far too easy for women to take on too much, this applies to both the responsibilities in the home and within a business. Taking care of your own wellbeing allows you to be strong and capable enough to take care of others.

There are of course some non-negotiables when it comes to taking care of yourself and this includes eating well, sleeping (if your children will let you) and exercise. Taking care of your physical health will in turn support your mental health too.

What self-care looks like for each woman is different, you might benefit from yoga, meditation or walking. Maybe you need a long hot bath every week or a meal with your partner without the kids once a month.

Image from www. parade.com

You know what feels good for you and as a self-employed woman you have the power to incorporate some of these things into your daily life. It might be tempting to look at the to do list and panic but working yourself into the ground will have a detrimental impact on your own life and your business. Take a break, you deserve it.

Be Supported

No woman is an island and no successful WAHM does it alone. You might be very supported by family and friends but regardless it is helpful to seek companionship with other women in business who are going through the same as you. There is power in the shared experience and value to be taken from giving support as well as accepting it.

Here at Tots Play, our franchisees get an incredible support network with over 40 franchisees helping and guiding each other as well as first class training and personal development.

If you are considering franchising as your route to becoming a WAHM, do take a look at our guide to becoming a super successful franchisee, for lots more hints and tips. You can find if HERE.

And if you think Tots Play could be the business that you love then why not click HERE to request our free, comprehensive, franchise information pack to find out more of what it's all about. We would love to help you on your journey.

We also have a Facebook group for those Thinking About a Tots Play Franchise, and would love to welcome you there. You can find it HERE.

Managing a business and a family successfully can be done, and can be fun and rewarding too. So if you think becoming a WAHM would be a good solution for your family, are prepared to work hard and have a can-do attitude then what's stopping you? Take the first step today - you'll be glad you did.

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