4 Effective Tips for Working Moms Running a Business at Home

November 30, 2022

Background image overlay of dark-haired woman holding coffee cup and title 4 effective work-at-home tips for the mompreneur. stefaniegass.com/blog

When you’re trying to build your business; whether you’re a stay-at-home mom, work-from-home mom, or a homeschooling mom, it can seem like a never-ending battle when you have kids around you all day. Join me as I share my four best tips for running a business at home…with kids.

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4 Steps to Running A Business at Home With Kids

Question: For those of us moms who are with our children all day, how do we find the time to further our podcasts with coaching calls or discovery calls when we just don’t have any time away from our children? Do we schedule these for evenings and weekends? What’s your best advice?

I remember those days! It wasn’t long ago that I had two boys under four and I was trying to get this podcast going and grow my business. I also had many recurring coaching clients and was trying to create a course. All at the same time.

Gold splatter background with quote Growing a business can be a hard season, and having kids at home makes it an even bigger challenge. -Stefanie Gass

There are a lot of strategies I have found that work, but most importantly, I have learned a lot about how to juggle kids and work from home by creating systems. These help me create streamlined organizations within my business and my home. In my relationships with my children and my family, these systems have created pockets of time for me to work my business.

I learned this from my friend Chelsi Jo Moore, and she has created a free workshop for you guys if you find you still need help after this episode. Stop feeling pulled in all directions, stop drowning in the dishes. Stop drowning in the laundry. When I started using her systems, I started seeing so much more cohesiveness, efficiency, and productivity in my home which created a ton more time for me to run my business from home. Grab your seat here.

1. Use a Home Management System

Look at your life holistically and ask yourself, “What is keeping me from having time?”
When do you keep up with your home?
When do you homeschool your kids, if applicable?
When do you have time for yourself?
When are your mental and spiritual breaks?
When do you rest?
When do you have pockets of time for your business?
This is NOT my area to teach, but it is Chelsi’s, so head to her free workshop.

2. When Running a Business at Home, You need Time Blocks

This is another one of Chelsi Jo’s specialties.
Time-blocking is where we carve out those little pockets of time for each area of your life.
You are setting aside specific days and times for the different things you do. There’s a block for homeschooling if you do that. There’s a block for your morning routine.
Reverse-engineer it. Look at your calendar after those other things are blocked and see where those pockets of time are.
One example could be nap time. Or another could be after the kids go to bed. Maybe it’s that one or two days a week the kids go do an activity outside of the house.
For 90% of you, you’re going to have these pockets, but if you can’t find any during the week, how are you going to structure your weekends so you have some time to work on your business?
Sit down and do an inventory of your schedule. Use the approach of, “I am also called to work my business.” Where is it going to go? How is it going to fit?
I like to sit down on a Sunday and look at my schedule, my husband’s schedule, and everything else going on this week. It is relatively flexible, but still time-blocked.

3. You Need to Ask for Help

I remember feeling like I had to manage my home, take care of the kids, and run my business, and I really wasn’t making any money yet. I felt guilty asking for help because I wasn’t earning any money. However, in order to make money with a podcast, you actually have to have hours to podcast.
I got out of my own way and started asking for help. Can you have a sitter come to the house one day a week? Is there someone else nearby who can swap a day or two each week with you? Can your spouse help in the evenings or on weekends?
Think of who can help you – paid, unpaid, or trade.
Start with trusted friends or family. Think about people you know from church or a homeschool group.

Teal background and gold splatter with quote If you have a hard time asking for help, think about who is placing that guilt on you. It might just be you guilting yourself. -Stefanie Gass

4. If You Are Struggling With Running a Business at Home With Kids, Include Them!

This is for when you can’t figure out the pockets; there’s no time-blocking availability. There’s no help and no home management working at the moment.
Play business! Whatever task you need to accomplish, set them up with something similar. This is perfect for that project stuff where you just have to bust it out and don’t necessarily need quiet to do it.
I don’t advocate doing this with your kids all the time, but some pockets of time are beneficial. Teach your kids what you’re doing. Talk about it. Show them.
That being said, less is more. One to two hours per week is best.

Navy blue and gold splatter background with quote Seasons are seasons, and we have to do what we have to do to make things work. -Stefanie Gass

There are my four best tips for getting things done when running a business at home. Test them. Try them out. What are your best tips? Please share in our Facebook Community.

Don’t forget about Chelsi Jo’s free workshop to get clarity on those first two tips.

Do you have a question? Go to stefaniegass.com/contact to leave your question. I’d love to answer your question live.

I pray this blesses you!

Xo,

Stef

P.S. Also, listen to podcast episode 539 for the full training on Struggling to Find Time for Your Online Business With Kids Home? 4 Tips for Running a Business at Home as a WAHM