3 Essential Boundaries for Mom Entrepreneurs and Their Husbands,
In a world where work-life balance is a constantly-teetering scale, mom entrepreneurs are often guilty of choosing "work" over "home." They feel that it's better for their families if they maintain the same intensity and drivenness in the workplace as they do at home. This can come with a great many emotional, physical, and psychological consequences. We all know that running your own business takes its tolls on your family and personal life. However, there are some boundaries you can set for yourself to help keep things in order.
The first key boundary is identifying when it's time to shut off computer or put away phone and engage with your family. You are your kids' primary role model, and watching you work obsessively is not going to help them learn to balance and prioritize. When you have your next serious conversation with your kids about their futures, are you going to tell them about how you gave up time for them or how much time you dedicated to clients?
The second boundary is making sure that the clock never stops ticking. In many mom's businesses this means working evenings, weekends and overnight. Unless you're getting some benefit from working outside of the standard business hours (i.e., higher returns), this is a huge mistake. You are literally telling your kids that after a certain point, they don't matter. Have you told your husband that he is second priority?
The third boundary is creating a clear distinction between personal and company finances (i.e., your personal and the business bank accounts). You may have spent the past ten years at the office or building up your business, but talk to financial advisors and tax professionals about ways to get you out from under this burden. You've already done that job before, so make sure you are also enjoying the benefits of being in business for yourself. That means spending time with your family and not working as much as when you had a job corporate job with someone else's company vision.
As a mom entrepreneur it is difficult to concentrate on your family when you're living, breathing and dreaming business 24/7. It's even more difficult to set the right boundaries when you are still learning how to balance your wants and needs with those of the people you love. If you don't take care of yourself, neither will your business. Remember that it's better to be profitable and happy than broke and unhappy (which can happen if your family life is crashing down around you). Stop working so much and making sacrifices now so that your kids won't later have issues with time management or compromising on their own personal goals.
Making time for yourself and your family is equally important as making money. This is especially true for moms who feel the pressure to grow their business at all costs. You may be working 100-hour weeks and sacrificing everything else in life, but if you're not happy with what you're selling, it won't matter how much money you make or how big your company gets. Although many moms are willing to sacrifice their personal lives because of the financial rewards they get from business, you will be in a much better position to reach goals in other areas of your life if you work on your relationship with your kids and husband first.
Author: Laura Bell
Her blog is The Mom Entrepreneur (http://themomentrepreneur.com)
She is a proud father and husband who manages a successful business as a mom of three. Contact her at [email protected] . She blogs about struggles, success, and the joys of being a mom entrepreneur on her own blog http://www.TheMomEntrepreneur.com and with Jezebel http://www.jezebel.com/the-momentrepreneur
"3 Essential Boundaries for Mom Entrepreneurs and Their Husbands" was originally published at TheMomEntrepreneur (http://themomentrepreneur.com) on October 31, 2012 " /> . Reprinted here with permission from the author.
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1,021 Views October 31, 2012 | Categories: Uncategorized | Tags: Boundaries, Business, Children, Family, Husband, Laura Bell | 1 Comment »
"When Mom Works Too Much" by Laura Bell - http://themomentrepreneur.com/?p=23@TheMomentEntrepreneur® November 1, 2012 - "When Mom Works Too Much", http://themomentrepreneur.com/?p=23@TheMomentEntrepreneur® When Mom Works Too Much September 30, 2012
"3 Essential Boundaries For Mom Entrepreneurs And Their Husbands"
In a world where work-life balance is a constantly-teetering scale, mom entrepreneurs are often guilty of choosing "work" over "home." They feel that it's better for their families if they maintain the same intensity and drivenness in the workplace as they do at home. This can come with a great many emotional, physical, and psychological consequences. We all know that running your own business takes its tolls on your family and personal life. However, there are some boundaries you can set for yourself to help keep things in order.
The first key boundary is identifying when it's time to shut off computer or put away phone and engage with your family. You are your kids' primary role model, and watching you work obsessively is not going to help them learn to balance and prioritize. When you have your next serious conversation with your kids about their futures, are you going to tell them about how you gave up time for them or how much time you dedicated to clients?
The second boundary is making sure that the clock never stops ticking. In many mom's businesses this means working evenings, weekends and overnight. Unless you're getting some benefit from working outside of the standard business hours (i.e., higher returns), this is a huge mistake. You are literally telling your kids that after a certain point, they don't matter. Have you told your husband that he is second priority?
The third boundary is creating a clear distinction between personal and company finances (i.e., your personal and the business bank accounts). You may have spent the past ten years at the office or building up your business, but talk to financial advisors and tax professionals about ways to get you out from under this burden. You've already done that job before, so make sure you are also enjoying the benefits of being in business for yourself. That means spending time with your family and not working as much as when you had a job corporate job with someone else's company vision.
As a mom entrepreneur it is difficult to concentrate on your family when you're living, breathing and dreaming business 24/7. It's even more difficult to set the right boundaries when you are still learning how to balance your wants and needs with those of the people you love. If you don't take care of yourself, neither will your business. Remember that it's better to be profitable and happy than broke and unhappy (which can happen if your family life is crashing down around you). Stop working so much and making sacrifices now so that your kids won't later have issues with time management or compromising on their own personal goals.
Making time for yourself and your family is equally important as making money.
Conclusion: What happens if you don't set boundaries? You are your kids' primary role model, and watching you work obsessively is not going to help them learn to balance and prioritize. When you have your next serious conversation with your kids about their futures, are you going to tell them about how you gave up time for them or how much time you dedicated to clients?
If my husband were constantly busy with work and either away from home or unavailable for the family, I would be devastated -- not only for myself but also because it would affect the rest of the family. I am lucky that my husband supports me in this endeavor, such that we both have time for our children and family.