As mums we are usually nothing short of obsessed with the safety of our kids, but I don’t often see safety discussed in the business mums’ community. Perhaps we assume we’ve already taken care of safety because we’re working from home? Anyway, I thought it might be good to share some tips here…
– I’m going to start with a really obvious one…make sure you have an up-to-date and complete first aid kit. It’s surprisingly easy to forget this and find you’ve got nothing but Peppa Pig plasters in the cupboard. Er, yes I’m off to update my own now!
– Make sure children don’t get hold of any materials or equipment they shouldn’t have access to. For example, if f you’re running a craft business, take care with small objects such as beads or tools such as sewing machines. In fact, I know of some mums running jewellery businesses who have a strict ‘toddlers and beads don’t mix’ policy, so the crafting only begins when the kids are asleep. There are plenty of other tasks that can be done while the kids are playing, like answering emails.
– If possible, have your own work space. Many of us don’t have the luxury of having our own office or studio, so your work space might be the kitchen table that has to be cleared away at the end of your ‘working day’. Which might be just before the school run or midnight!
– If you’re working on a laptop while supervising kids playing, be careful of trailing cables and tripping over piles of books or files. Of course, there can be hazards about even if you’re not a crafter. Although the kids can have trip hazards too, which you’ll already know about if your kids are into lego. Ouch.
– Make sure the kids can’t get up to too much mischief If you’re distracted by a phone call. My three-year-old managed to get our front door open and accept a parcel from the postman while I wasn’t looking. By the time I got to the front door I found a rather surprised postie looking at me and a small boy with a parcel in his hands! I’m just glad I found that my little one showed me he knew how to open the door at a time when he wasn’t in any danger. I now hang the keys on a high hook.
– Of course it’s not just cuts and bumps we need to worry about these days. There’s more to safety than just making sure you have all the first aid supplies you need, you now need to think about online safety too. Be careful about how much information you share about your children online, as once it’s out there on the internet you no longer have control over how that information used and by whom. If you’re uncomfortable about putting the address of your family home on your website, then think about getting a virtual office instead. It’s now cheap and easy to get a dedicated business phone line – see do I need a business phone line? for more info.
So there you go, some tips for keeping your budding entrepreneurs safe while you’re working! Do you have any tips to add?