Managing a job while having children is a difficult task for many individuals, especially those operating their own companies. At any time, juggling work and family duties may be challenging, but as summer holidays draw near, ‘parentpreneurs’ will need to improve their time management skills.
Without a doubt, there will be concessions to be made regardless of how we feel about them.
Being a family-oriented entrepreneur often means having to choose between the two things you cherish most in life: your family and your company. It means skipping birthday celebrations to present a pitch or missing bedtime tales to meet a deadline. At other times, it may entail cancelling what may be your most crucial meeting of the year to take your kid to A&E. Whatever occurs, you may feel like you’ve disappointed someone, but don’t let it bother you. It takes time to raise children and establish a company. Your children will ultimately comprehend that you make sacrifices to provide for them if you periodically drop the ball. Similarly, if you keep your workers close, they will understand how important your children are to you.
Take care of your connections.
Commitments to your children and career will leave little time for anybody else, whether friends or a love companion. It is easy to overlook your loved ones because of stress or just a lack of time.
“Unfortunately, there is no qualification that can equip you to be a parent or an entrepreneur.”
Time with your partner will be reduced, but there is still a simple solution: make time. Taking a few hours with your partner to converse and relax together might save a lot of unnecessary disputes and tension. For example, many confrontations might have been avoided if I had just stated how I felt when I had children and a business.
You’re in charge.
Despite the obligations and the compromises that come with being your employer, you will discover that you have a certain level of independence. Unlike a 9-5 job where you must adhere to an employment contract and report to a boss, you may plan your day as you like as a company owner. This may be freeing, as it eliminates the need to apologise for leaving the workplace to care for your children.
On the other hand, even when you’re not in the office, you must always be accessible. Being an entrepreneur means that your brain never shuts off, as well as the emails never stop arriving. Unlike in a traditional office job, you are ultimately responsible for all of your employees.
No qualification can adequately prepare you.
Unfortunately, there are no qualifications available to prepare you for a career as an entrepreneur or parent. As every parent knows, the minute you bring your first kid home from the hospital, your whole life changes, and you can never completely prepare for the cultural shock. Similarly, once you begin to invest in your company, there is no going back. You can only learn quickly, accept the sacrifices, and develop a strong sense of self.
Allow yourself to swallow your pride.
You’d be a fool to attempt to be a ‘parentpreneur’ on your own. Starting a company with little children is very difficult, and you’ll need the aid of others – extended family, friends, and coworkers – to prevent jeopardising your children and your business.
Yes, you are the company’s ‘creator’ and ‘parent,’ but you cannot be present at all times. You don’t have to suffer in quiet, and you can’t afford to alienate your coworkers or family members.
Furthermore, the increased responsibility you provide your employees will help them develop and prosper. For example, eight of my employees joined me when I sold my previous firm to start Fleximize with my business partner. I realise how lucky I was because, without these incredible individuals, my firm would not be where it is now, and I would have lost out on so much with my children.
The ability to bounce back is crucial.
Finally, being a parentpreneur entails trusting your judgement and never questioning yourself, even when others do. In the face of criticism, you must remain resilient and realise that a bad circumstance does not have to last forever. You can manage both own as well as others’ expectations if you keep track of your priorities and manage your time well. Then, if done properly, operating a profitable company and raising a healthy family doesn’t have to be mutually exclusive. Instead, you’ll discover that the two may work together to create a wonderfully rewarding existence.
We were firmly established by the summer of 2011. We now work with 78 caregivers and offer around 2,600 hours of care each week, over eight years later.
We had our first kid less than 18 months after starting the company. Our second kid, a little girl, was born in 2015, and our youngest joined the family barely a year ago. So starting, sustaining, and expanding a company, particularly in the care industry, maybe hard – we did it while raising three little children!
“I’ve always worked hard and believed that my job should not suffer as a result of having children.”
All of this is feasible because of the rigid routines we’ve established as a family. We meticulously arrange our days and communicate as a pair to know who is there and when. In addition, my husband, a property developer, has stepped away from the care company, which means I’ve taken over all management aspects, including recruiting, training, client involvement, and day-to-day operations.
With the help of my family and two older children in school and childcare, I can work four days a week. I like my work, and as a managing director, I see the value of delegating. That said, I never remove my finger from the pulse! When I’m at work, I use every free minute to fill my calendar, and I never allow a job from one day to carry over to the next.
To other parents, my suggestion is to recognise your driving power and utilise it as motivation. My children deserve the best, and I want them to be happy above everything else. Working hard is the only way I’ll be able to provide them with the finest life possible, and I won’t stop until I know they’re safe. It helps because I’m determined — I won’t give up easily! I’ve always worked hard and believed that my job should not suffer due to having children. That makes me even more driven to achieve!
