This post is a bit of a departure from my usual real estate topics, but I wanted to share an article I wrote recently for a group of real estate moms about how to cope with running a business while your kids are running around underfoot. I thought many of my readers who are likewise entrepreneurs might find it useful. Enjoy!
Things can get a little crazy around our house, with both my husband and myself being self-employed. When we first started our businesses we didn’t have much daycare, so we had to get pretty creative to get our work done. Here are a few of the strategies we’ve cooked up to try to help our kids enjoy the journey as much as we do. Hopefully other entrepreneur parents will find them helpful as well…
- Always be on the look out for tools that will help you stay organized and save precious time. Currently, I’m working on transitioning my entire database into a fully-loaded (and real estate specific) contact management system. It’s time consuming now, but will save me big in the long run and keep me in better contact with my clients. Anything that gives you more time for yourself and your kids is a good thing. Use it.
- Plan ahead. Personally, I hate making business calls if my kids are anywhere nearby where they might make a peep. As much as is humanly possible, I try to save all my business calls for naptime or quiet time. Since I have only so much time, I have to make sure I’m ready to hit the ground running when the kids do go down for a nap. So I keep a notebook handy to make a list of all the calls I want to make and things I need to do as soon as I get the chance. That way, I don’t spend the first ten minutes of naptime trying to figure out the best use of my time. I already know.
- Let your kids work with you. I set up a little desk and chair for my son right next to mine. I keep it stocked with paper and crayons so he can sit and “work” while Mommy inputs a new listing.
- Be prepared. Things rarely go as planned in business, and you need a back-up strategy to deal with kids when Mommy’s client needs something NOW! How about keeping a secret stash of extra fun (ie, guaranteed to entertain for at least a little while) toys to pull out when you need them the most? Target’s Dollar Spot had done wonders for me creating a stash of fun, cheap toys guaranteed to entertain in a pinch.
- If you can, try to commit to some amount of time to work each night after the kids go to bed. That way, you won’t be so stressed out during the day trying to get everything done, and you’ll be more relaxed the rest of the evening because you know you’ve gotten at least the essentials covered for the day.
- Most importantly… say it with me now… DELEGATE!!! I can’t stress this one enough. Hire a virtual assistant if you can. Better yet, hire a professional organizer to help you get everything optimized (and childproofed!) so your work is where you need it to be. Pay your neighbor’s teenager to make promo items, stuff envelopes, etc. Whatever you can give to someone else to take care of, do so. Because you’ll never say “I wish I’d spent more time stuffing envelopes,” but you might say “I wish I’d spent more time playing with my kids.”
Now go play with your kids.
