Let me begin by apologising to the Dads out there who are responsible for running both their business and their family, for what will seem like a biased article. At the time of writing, however, it remains a fact the majority of family and work life juggling is done by Mums – so, sorry…
In fact, only last month, the Office of National Statistics reported that the number of mothers with dependent children employed in England has surged by more than a million over the past two decades.
One of the main facilitators of growth in Mums in work is the massive helping hand that has come from consecutive governments who have made encouraging women back to work a priority. Eligible Mums can now receive up to 30 hours free childcare per month, which goes a long way to taking the pressure off. Breakfast and afterschool clubs are a massive help, too, as are grandparents who often act as unofficial, unpaid nannies.
Juggling babies between work and carers is a mammoth task – physically and emotionally. Getting through the working day can be fraught and you look forward to that moment when your baby is quietly snuggled up in their cot and you can relax.
But if you’re an entrepreneur and own your own business, the clock never stops.
No matter how level headed or organised you think you are, nothing quite prepares you for the crazy first few weeks following the arrival of a new baby. Your world is turned upside down. So here are some simple tips that may help you save some valuable time and money:
- Make the most of the precious time with your new baby and save work that needs your 100% attention until their bedtime.
- Whether you’re based in the office or at home, think about cutting down on wasted journeys to suppliers. Arrange for suppliers to deliver to you or direct to your clients. If they can’t accommodate you, change suppliers – there are many who will. This will save you lots of time whilst out journeying and a good deal of money on fuel too.
- Use delivery services such as TNT to do your running around for you. Like deliveries from suppliers, many hours can be consumed either by delivering goods by hand or standing in queues at the post office. Plus, they have a range of services and rates to choose from that will ensure your delivery is made on time and on budget.
- For those times when you absolutely must have meetings with clients, choose a venue that also has a crèche. Use companies like Office Crèche, who offer professional meeting rooms for hire and a professionally run crèche for your baby.
- Outsource – don’t waste time trying to do everything. Think about employing a student as an intern to help you do less business related critical tasks. Additionally, get yourself a cleaner. You’ll be amazed at how much time and pressure this release. It doesn’t often pay off for the MD of the business to be doing tasks that can be done easily and cheaply by someone else.