There are many articles that deal with work life balance and how hard it is to juggle work, kids and relationships when running a business, but there are few articles that mention the theory that far from compromising your commitment to your career, having a family can unearth the motivation to start a new business, or to grow an existing one. This is certainly true of the majority of Mompreneurs that have put themselves forward to be recognised in our competition.
Somehow, having kids seems to shift goals to being about a good income, financial freedom and the ability to spend time with family and this is a great motivator. Other benefits are that when you become a parent, your social circle often widens and this exposure to other communities can also result in getting connected with interesting people – meeting valuable contacts, a potential mentor – or even a future collaborator.
Somehow being a parent seems to allow entrepreneurs to:
Celebrate the small victories
Being a parent is challenging. You feel worn down with all of the work that goes in to trying to raise your kids to be good, whole, kind, successful people. But somehow, every day as a parent you get that smile or thanks that makes it all worthwhile. This helps parent entrepreneurs to make sure that every day they find a win. The wins make the tough moments irrelevant.
Go with your instinct
Any parent will tell you that most parenting is done by going with the gut. There is no Parenting for Dummies guide book – each child, parent and situation is unique and needs to be dealt with as and when it arises – you really have to trust your gut.
This is an incredibly valuable asset to have when you are in business. Whether you call it your gut, instincts or the unconscious, trust that feeling and go with it.
Routine and ritual
Parents will tell you that there is lots of routine and ritual in a family community and this is what keeps everything running smoothly. Business is exactly the same. Routine and ritual can be hugely beneficial when running a business.
It’s not all plain sailing
When you are a parent, it is not all plain sailing – there will be problems to deal with. Similarly, in the business world bad things will happen. Clients will leave, staff will rebel and the markets won’t do what you hope they would. The responsibility lies with you to clean up the mess and move on.
Just like being a parent, running a business is tough but rewarding. It requires sacrifice, hard work and tenacity. You need to remember to celebrate the wins, make some routine and follow your gut. Use your experience as a parent to help make your business a success.