If you have a baby on the way, congratulations! Welcoming your little bundle of joy is truly one of the most exciting and fulfilling moments in life. And if you’re starting a new business too – a double congratulations is in order. Entrepreneurship is another phase of life that will leave you with an unparalleled zest for life. But both experiences are full-time jobs. You may even think they are mutually exclusive due to the demands on your time, effort, and mental capacity they can take up, but that’s not the case. Today, Joanna Andres Photography shares some tips for success when juggling a new baby and a new business.
Create Healthy Routines
We mean it. According to the Illinois Department of Public Health, over 67% of new parents deal with postpartum depression and anxiety. The stresses of business are no less and are typically associated with fatigue and burnout. Form simple (and time-saving) habits that help you combat your new life experiences. Practicing mindfulness and gratitude will be a must for boosting mental health. Prepare your meals on the weekend for the days ahead, so you ensure you’re getting optimal nourishment instead of skipping meals. And lastly – prioritize movement, even if it’s an easy walk down the street. Your body (and mind) will thank you for it.
You may find it easier to handle the daily hustle by creating schedules in 24-hour chunks; this way, you’ll know exactly what you need to accomplish over the next day (barring surprises, of course). “It feels bad to not have structure and boundaries,” Perri Shaw Borish explained to Huffpost. “It’s important to sit down every night and plan for the next day.”
Keep Baby Near
Parenting is a pretty hands-on task, and you’ll likely need to be around to tend to the baby’s needs. But entrepreneurship is a train that doesn’t stop. Easy solution: set up a small nursery section inside your home office! Be sure to keep toys, nursing supplies, and changing materials handy, so you’re not running around looking for items.
Delegate, Delegate, Delegate
You may feel compelled to do everything yourself. Instead, practice prioritizing the essential tasks and delegating the other duties. You’ll be able to divide your time efficiently, save time, and, most importantly – reach your goals. For example, hire a bookkeeper to look at accounting for you. Struggling to keep the house clean? Use a maid service! Guilty about being unable to keep the baby occupied? Hire a babysitter! You can find a babysitter near you by posting a listing on a social platform or looking at service sites like Sittercity or Care.com.
Business Checklist
Wondering about the first steps in your business journey? Following are a few business essentials every new entrepreneur needs to get started.
- Name: While every business needs a name, every business also needs to get said name registered. A ‘doing business as’ (DBA) name for your new company is an excellent option as it will make it easier to branch out if you decide to expand your services down the line or sell under a different name. Register for an EIN (Employer Identification Number), and you’ll be able to market your services under a different name if a domain for your business isn’t available yet.
- Financial plan: Before you get production and operations started, you’ll need to create a financial plan. This will help you stick to your budget, not to mention, will come in handy if you need to pitch to investors down the line. Having a financial plan can also help prevent you from becoming overwhelmed by this aspect of running a business, which can have a negative impact on your mental health. “If there’s financial stress and it’s chronic, constant, over a long period of time, that can be really damaging on your psyche or physical health,” Perri Shaw Borish told CNBC.
- Advertise: The next step is to market your business as much as possible. Good advertising will help you reach new audiences, generate organic traffic and leads, and create conversions. You could hire a company to take care of your marketing needs or learn the basics of SEO for a more DIY approach.
- Accounting: Obviously, you need someone reliable and knowledgeable to handle your accounting – not to mention payroll. You can outsource this if you need to, but in the long run, it’s worth your time to pursue an accounting degree so you can handle these yourself (or delegate that to someone else that you trust).
It may seem daunting to start a home-based business with a baby on the way. But this is a gentle reminder that you can strike a balance between work and home life. Juggling these two demanding experiences comes down to planning and prioritization. Balance will be the name of the game to climb the ladder to parental and entrepreneurial success.
Joanna Andres Photography specializes in newborn, baby, child and family photography in Columbus, Ohio, Central Ohio, and the surrounding areas. Call (614) 306-4306 to reserve a session.
