Juggling A Business With Family Responsibilities
Many women face the struggle of managing a business and managing a family. Well, you don't technically 'manage' a family, but that's what it feels like at times! It puts you in a position where you have to juggle your personal and professional lives. Needless to say, it's a challenge that lots of businesswomen need help with.
Funnily enough, the best way to tackle this conundrum is to approach it with your business mindset. If you had lots of work to do, and you're finding it hard to juggle things like marketing and accounting, what steps would you take? Apply the same thinking when juggling your business and your family!
Delegate
In a business, you delegate tasks to different employees, freeing you of their burden. It lets you concentrate on what matters the most, so you don't feel overwhelmed. This approach works when we enter the balancing act that is your life. Delegate tasks across both areas of your life to grant yourself more freedom.
For instance, get employees to work on some of your business tasks, and enlist the help of family members for your personal life. Something as simple as asking your kids to unload the dishwasher will make a huge difference. Or, get your parents to pick up the kids from work. This sort of delegation means you're not running around desperately trying to remember all of your responsibilities.
Outsource
Similarly, outsourcing helps when you don't have anyone to delegate to. In a business sense, outsourcing has been around for ages and you understand how it works. But, how can you apply this concept to your family life?
It's simple, think about areas of your family life that need lots of attention, but you can't provide it. Two key things spring to mind: looking after kids after school, and caring for elderly family members. With outsourcing, you can hire a nanny or pay for things like live-in care services. Here, other people provide services to ensure your kids are looked after and your elderly parents get the support they need. It frees up some responsibilities, leaving you with less to worry about.
Merging
In business, you sometimes merge two things together. For example, you may merge marketing and sales into one team. Why? So they work synergistically to deliver better results. You can take on a somewhat similar approach to the whole work/life balance.
Consider merging both worlds together if possible. Again, two ideas spring to mind! Firstly, you could bring your kids to work so you still watch over them while you're in the office. Secondly, you could work from home. In both scenarios, you're combining work with being a parent. It can be easier because your mind isn't constantly going back and forth between two places.
The bottom line is that you can definitely achieve a balance in your life. Like all things, juggling your business and family will get easier when you make a few adjustments. Think about the ideas mentioned above if you need inspiration on how to make a change.
