Episode 75 - 9 Tips on Growing Your Business as a Mom and Becoming SUPER Productive in the Limited Time You Have!

9 Tips on Growing Your Business as a Mom and Becoming SUPER Productive in the Limited Time You Have!

Hey mama, feeling like 24 hours just aren’t enough? Danielle shares tips to help you mompreneurs make the most of your day!

LISTEN TO THE EPISODE HERE:

Danielle shares her experience of Navigating Motherhood and Growing her business. She wanted to give you an update and tips on balancing life, being a mom and the business!

Regardless of whether you are a Mom or not, we hope this episode is helpful for you as Danielle shares 9 Tips on Growing a Business as a Mom and how to be SUPER Productive in the limited time you have!

Danielle speaks directly to the Mamas today, but even if you are not a Mom, just pretend she’s talking to you as well because no matter what life situation you are in right now, you probably are always looking to be more productive or efficient in the time you do have!

The Clarity That Comes with Being a Mompreneur 

Becoming a mother as a solo entrepreneur can feel very make-or-break! Here’s the truth: you don’t have to put your business on the back burner when you become a mom. You also don’t have to run your own business at the cost or expense of your family! Being a mompreneur can actually make you MORE effective in your business, if you’re able to set yourself up for success. 

9 Tips on growing your Business as a Mom (or someone with Part-Time Hours!)

1. Plan Your Schedule: 

This is productivity 101 and seems so simple BUT crucial. Here’s the thing, when you don’t plan ahead, you are just letting the day/week/month control you, rather than the other way around. There are always things that happen that are OUT of our control, and that’s OKAY, but we can plan ahead, while still giving ourselves that flexibility for if things go sideways right? Be sure to plan ahead with your family/spouse/partner so you can all be on the same page. 

2. Time Blocking: 

Time blocks are chunks of time that are dedicated to different things and a way to make sure you know exactly what you are doing in each block of time in your day - Time blocking for your work hours and Life Admin, Mom things, etc. 

We have a “Creating your ideal workweek” training inside of Action Takers Club, and this really dives deep into helping you create a schedule that works for YOU and your specific circumstances. 

3. Prioritize your Profitable Tasks: 

Ask yourself “What tasks are actually moving my business forward?” It’s important to prioritize as often we work on things that are not actually that important and we end up wasting time scrolling social media or checking our inbox every 10 min! 

4. Utilize Nap Time: 

Use Nap-time LIKE A BOSS! Danielle learned this from another Podcast - Systemize your Life with Chelsi Jo, and she talks about how to use Nap-times as a work block.. 

The key thing here is the preparation ahead of time - taking tips 1-3 seriously is SO key because then you know exactly what you are doing and when! Then, set yourself up for success by opening up your laptop and getting any tools you need “notebook, pens, planner” etc ready. It might also help to keep your phone in another room and utilize that time when your baby is napping as a workblock. (EPISODE 51)

5. Power Hour: 

Having a power hour is AMAZING! Schedule an intentional hour for work. Can you book time early in the morning before the kiddos wake up or before your spouse goes to work? Maybe it’s the evening after they go to bed OR Get one hour of work in while your partner/family or a friend watches your little one?

Power hours need to be planned in advance and you need to be clear on what you will do in that hour of work. Have a goal of what you need to get done in that hour. It’s amazing what you can get done when your time is limited.

6. Outsource: 

What are some tasks can you outsource in your business? Where can you get support? Maybe it’s time for you to outsource your bookkeeping & accounting. Or maybe you want to outsource your social media or get help with admin.

What about in your life? Could you get help from a family member or part-time nanny to help with your kid/ or kids while you work? 

7. Get involved with a Supportive Community:  

Join a community where you can be supported as a working mom! Check out our Action Takers Club and Mastermind - there are many people in our community that are Moms or are very supportive of other Moms! It’s great to know you are not alone in this journey and get support and encouragement from other people who are in the same position as you! 

8. Take time for yourself: 

As a working momma, you might forget to take care of your own needs. Schedule it in. Make it a priority. Ask yourself what you need to fill your cup - is it time with friends or time alone, like reading or taking a bath in the evening? If you struggle with feeling “selfish”, remember that when you are able to fill your own cup, you have the capacity to be a better Mom and Business owner too! 

9. Give yourself GRACE: 

It’s never going to be perfect! Give yourself LOTS of grace! You are an amazing mama! You are doing such a great job! You got this!

We are here to support you! 

Our Top Business Resources to Support Female Entrepreneurs:

  • Free Masterclass “How to Scale a Profitable Business without working around the clock”

  • Action Takers Club: Our Signature Business Course + Community to Support you in Scaling a Profitable Business

  • Ready to Take Your Business to the Next Level in an Intimate Group of other Successful Entrepreneurs? Learn about our Mastermind

  • One on One Business Coaching and Strategy Consulting with Danielle Wiebe

TRANSCRIPT

[00:00:00] Danielle: Welcome back to the podcast. I am so excited you're here I am danielle Wiebe your host, and in today's episode, I'm gonna be sharing my experience of navigating motherhood and growing my business. Rosie, my daughter just turned one, which I honestly cannot believe how fast it is going. She is starting to walk and talk and I mean, talk like babble and it is just so crazy that it has already been a year since I gave birth.

[00:00:31] Like, I can't even comprehend that, and I know probably a lot of the other moms that are listening to me right now can relate to that, just how quickly it goes. And people tell you that it goes quickly, but you just have no idea until you experience it. So I just wanted to share this episode because becoming a mom has been one of the most amazing experiences, but I also want to give an update on what it's like balancing being a mom balancing life and also business.

[00:00:59] So [00:01:00] regardless of whether you are a mom or not, I hope this episode is super helpful for you and I'm gonna be sharing kind of what my schedule looks like and just some tips on, how to focus and how to be able to get the most out of the limited time that you do have.

[00:01:14] So I'm gonna be speaking directly to the mamas today, but even if you're not a mom, just pretend that I'm talking to you as well, because no matter what life situation that you are in right now, You're probably always looking to be more productive or efficient in the time that you have. So just listen with an open mind and I'm sure there's some things that even if you're not a mom, you can absolutely implement these things into your business to have a more productive schedule.

[00:01:38] So just tune in and listen in because you're gonna get so much juicy things out of this episode, regardless of what life stage you're at before we jump in, though, I wanted to remind you that applications for our mastermind are now open, which is so exciting. So if you have been wanting to join a group of other successful entrepreneurs, that you can be [00:02:00] a sounding board for your ideas, those who will raise the bar for you and help you think of new ways to monetize.

[00:02:07] If you're looking to add a passive income stream to your business, or just keep the momentum and energy going, and you also wanna gain clarity on what you need to focus on next in your business to make the biggest impact and benefit from the experience and influence and connections and education of the other mastermind members and you just wanna be supported in that way, then I would encourage you to get your application in.

[00:02:33] You can go to businessbabescollective.com/mastermind. We have a very, very limited amount of spots left and something really, really exciting that we haven't actually done yet is we are gonna be actually hosting an in person V I P mastermind day, this summer, which is gonna be so incredibly amazing. I can't wait to share more details with you very soon, but this is just [00:03:00] for our mastermind members. So it's gonna be really intimate and we're gonna be diving deep into helping you increase your profit in your business, map out your goals, and also map out your goals of your business, but also your life, in a way that is in line with your values and gives you flexibility and time freedom.

[00:03:19] So I am so excited for this V I P day that I'm gonna be planning for you guys, but in order to be able to go, you have to be a member of the mastermind. So again, you can go to businessbabescollective.com/mastermind to apply. And I can't wait to hop on a call with you and get to know you get to know about your goals and how we can support you best as a community. So without further ado, let's go ahead and get started on our episode today.

[00:03:47] Welcome to the business babes collective podcast, I'm your host, Danielle Wiebe. In this podcast, you'll learn tangible business tips and strategies on how to grow successfully and sustainably. We'll [00:04:00] also interview seasoned entrepreneurs, so you can listen in on their stories and see behind the scenes of what it took to grow and scale their businesses. Let's dive in as we discussed the wild, exciting, crazy, challenging, rollercoaster ride of entrepreneurship.

[00:04:17] I really felt overwhelmed at the thought of motherhood and running a business, because even before I had my daughter, I always felt like I didn't have enough time. I always felt like I needed more time to work on my business. And if I'm being totally honest and transparent, I felt really worried that my business was going to totally fall apart or fail once I became a mom and you know, trying to balance both of the things.

[00:04:44] And so I think I really wanted to share this episode with you because I think a lot of people, you know, the thought of becoming a mom, that's something that is on their heart, something that they wanna do, but they're not really sure how are they gonna make it all work? How are they gonna be able to balance both [00:05:00] things? And is that going to be able to be a success? And so obviously, although, you know, motherhood comes with its own challenges and it's definitely not perfect, but there's some things about becoming a mom that has actually helped me, first of all, get so much clarity on what I actually want out of my business.

[00:05:23] It's also helped me to prioritize the things that are most important, and it's given me an amazing perspective on what success actually looks like and what that means to me and why I'm even doing my business in the first place. So it's given me more purpose, more meaning, and also just more focus in what I'm working on and also why, like, why am I doing this? And so that really has been a huge game changer for me, becoming a mom and I've talked to other moms as well, who have said the exact same thing that they've just, you know, been forced to really figure out what is [00:06:00] important to them.

[00:06:00] What does success look like to them? What kind of lifestyle do they want? And then how do they wanna structure their business around that so that they can create a business that actually works with their lifestyle instead of trying to, you know, fit their life around their business, which is normally what we do, right? As entrepreneurs is that we push everything else to the back burner and we put our business on the front burner. And so I think it's really important to talk about this because obviously this is a business podcast. It's all about how to grow a successful, sustainable profitable business. But I don't think that needs to be at the cost and that at the expense of your family and of wanting to become a mom.

[00:06:43] And so that's why I think this episode was so important for me to record, because I just wanted to share what I have personally learned, the tips that I wanna share with you today. And then also just share kind of my experience. So I'm only one year into this motherhood thing. So I wanted to share [00:07:00] what I've learned, but again, this is my perspective and I know everyone's situation is so incredibly different.

[00:07:06] I know people with, you know, four or five kids who are also running a business and they're doing it differently than I am with one. And so I just wanna share from my perspective and the tips that I have learned, but again, really, you have to think of these tips as if you can take one thing or you take one of my nine tips that I'm gonna be sharing with you today and implement just that one thing, I think it's gonna make a huge difference for you.

[00:07:31] So let's go ahead and talk about these nine things. So number one is plan your schedule. So this is kind of productivity one on one, right? Like it seems super simple. It seems super elementary, but if I'm being honest, and you know, I encourage you to be honest too, is, are you actually doing this? Are you actually planning your schedule? Are you writing things down? Are you planning in advance? Before I became a mom, I really was kind of lazy when it came to planning [00:08:00] ahead, this really changed for me when I became pregnant, I decided, okay, I gotta get my stuff together.

[00:08:06] And if I'm gonna be able to do both motherhood and entrepreneurship, I need to get really serious about this. So here's the thing when you don't plan ahead, you are going to let your day or your week or your month control you rather than the other way around. Now, there's always things that are gonna happen outside of your control, life happens, schedules, change, whatever that looks like. So things are gonna get shifted around and that's totally okay. That is life. But if we can plan ahead and we can also give ourselves that flexibility and put in gray space that gives us kind of that flexibility within our schedule, then when things go sideways, we actually kind of have a backup plan as well, if that makes sense.

[00:08:50] So planning ahead, and what I would really highly suggest is planning with a spouse or partner as well, can be really, really effective because [00:09:00] you guys can talk about maybe it's on a Friday or Saturday or Sunday, or sometime over the weekend, or maybe it's a Monday, where you sit down and you actually look at your week schedule ahead of time and you figure out, okay, what does this next week look like? What are we doing? What do the evenings look like? All of that. And you can actually just be on the same page.

[00:09:19] Okay. So number two is time blocking. So if you haven't heard of time blocking before, basically what this means is knowing exactly what you're doing in each block of time, in your day. So you're gonna block out your day in chunks of time. So that could be any length of time you want. It could be a one hour block. It could be two hours, three hours. Five hours if you really want it to, but basically it's a time block. And within that block, you're gonna be planning what are you gonna do within that block of time? So it could be your work hours, your life admin, things that you're gonna be doing, you know, grocery shopping, et cetera.

[00:09:58] And then also the [00:10:00] mom things, right? So taking care of your kids, Doing play time, changing, feeding, all of that kind of stuff. So the time blocks are, are those chunks of time that are dedicated to those different things. Now, this is a huge, huge, huge game changer when it comes to really understanding what is your ideal work week?

[00:10:20] What does that look like? And so we actually have a full video training and modules about this, as well as like a template that you can use inside of action takers club. And it really dives deep into helping you create your ideal schedule that works for you within your specific circumstances. So if you wanted to grab access to that, then jump on into action takers club.

[00:10:42] If you already have access to action takers club, awesome, look for that training and create it yourself. And then if you need extra support, we can definitely hold your hand with that on one of our coaching sessions or within the Facebook group. But if you are just doing this by yourself and you're not within the action takers club and you're not ready to jump in, totally fine, I [00:11:00] would get out an Excel sheet and I would time block in those times in your day, where you're gonna be doing certain things. You can also do this in a paper planner. If you have a planner and you're more of a pen and paper type of person, you can absolutely time block using a paper planner as well.

[00:11:16] Okay. Number three is prioritize your profitable tasks. now, if you've been listening to this podcast , before then you will know this phrase because I use it a lot. What this means is what are the tasks? What are the things that are actually going to be moving your business forward that are actually gonna be bringing in profit and revenue into the business, the things that are most important to focus on.

[00:11:38] It's important to prioritize these things because often what we will do if we're not prioritizing them, is that we're gonna be wasting a lot of time, right? We're gonna be wasting time, whether it be scrolling on social media or checking our inbox, every refreshing our inbox, every 10 minutes, responding to kind of the urgent things that are coming up throughout the day and just letting the day [00:12:00] control us rather than having a workflow, which, you know, we talk about a lot on this podcast, as well, creating a workflow, having it so that you know exactly what you're gonna be working on and also the priority of those tasks from most important to least important.

[00:12:18] I think that, and within a day, especially if you're a mom, especially if you don't have a lot of time, I would say focus on one, two or three things in a day. You can have up to five if you have a little bit more time, let's say you have a good chunk of time that you're gonna be working, then maybe you can go up to five things in a day, but I would start with one, two or three things in your day that you can prioritize in your business and then you can work up to more things as you get more time, whether that be, maybe you start having help, or a part-time nanny, or maybe you have a family member that's gonna be helping you look after your kids for the day, whatever that looks like, then you can start implementing more [00:13:00] things that you can prioritize during that day. Start small and then you can work up from there. That is my suggestion.

[00:13:05] Okay. Number four, I love this one so much, is utilizing nap time. Utilizing nap time, like a boss. I learned this actually from another podcaster person that I listened to. Her name is Chelsea Joe. She has a podcast called systemize your life, and she talks about how to use nap time in as your work blocks. So the key thing here that really stood out to me when she, when she talked about this is preparing ahead of time. And so that's why, you know, we talked what we started with those things on planning your schedule, time, blocking and prioritizing your profitable action steps. That's why those things are so key, because then you know exactly what you're doing during that time.

[00:13:51] And then the other side of that is setting yourself up for success. So, what does that mean? That means having a [00:14:00] space in your house or apartment where your laptop is there. you have all the tools that you need there before you're putting your kid or kids, multiple kids to sleep, right? And so this looks like having a notebook, pens, a planner, a water, or a coffee near you, having those things set up before you put them down so that when you sit down to your work block, you have that full amount of time when they're sleeping to go ahead and get to work.

[00:14:31] And it's really important too, to make sure that you've done the other steps before this, because then you can just utilize your work block, you know, exactly what you're supposed to be working on during that time, you've prioritized your profitable action steps, so you know exactly what you're doing there, and that's gonna help you so much with getting the most out of that time. Now I wanted to encourage you that if you don't really know what your tasks, your profitable tasks are, I want you to [00:15:00] listen to episode 51, which is figuring out what your profitable action steps are.

[00:15:07] So there's five questions that you're gonna ask yourself to understand what the profitable tasks are that we're gonna, that are going to help you scale your business. So listen to that episode. So if you're a little bit lost, you're like, I don't even know really what my profitable tasks are in my business, then make sure you listen to that episode after this, once you can really nail that down. So you can be the most productive with the time that you have.

[00:15:30] So another thing I wanna say about this about utilizing nap time is, you know, for me, when I first, when I didn't really know about this specific nap time system that I learned from Chelsea is I would just do whatever I wanted within the nap time. So I would do my lunch time during that time, or I would clean, or I would do things around the house. And what I've realized is that I can actually get some of those things done, like cleaning the house or [00:16:00] cooking or organizing while Rosie is awake.

[00:16:02] And so when she was little, that looked like me wearing her while I was doing things or having her in one swingy things as I was kind of doing a few things and she was kind of playing by herself. And now that looks like her playing near where I am when I'm cooking or cleaning or folding, laundry, whatever. And she has her toys and she's happy and then I'm doing whatever I need to do. And then I can always be there, like get interrupted from what I'm doing and be there with her.

[00:16:30] And obviously sometimes, she wants my complete attention and we play together, but there are times when she's now okay to play alone for a little bit or do things herself. And so that is giving, freeing me up a little bit more to be able to do some of the more mindless work things while she's awake.

[00:16:48] Number five is having a power hour. So having a power hour is so amazing. So when can you schedule a time when you can book, either early in the morning [00:17:00] before your kid or your kids wake up, or before your spouse goes to work, or maybe even in the evening after they go to bed or maybe an hour where some family member or a friend or someone can watch your little one.

[00:17:14] So these need to be planned in advance and again, knowing exactly what you're gonna do within that hour of work. So have a goal of what you're gonna get accomplished within that hour, and it's amazing how much you can get done within an hour when there's that time limit like that. It's incredible. What I would really highly recommend is have this as a time where you are absolutely cell phone free. You don't have any distractions around you. You're not gonna get buzzed or you're not gonna have text messages or notifications bombarding you. I highly suggest, you know, having a really focused time within that power hour where you can set yourself up again, similar to nap time, set yourself up for success and know exactly what you're working on within that.

[00:17:59] [00:18:00] Okay. Tip number six is to outsource. So what are some tasks that you can potentially give up in your business and outsource to someone? So that could look like, obviously in your business, so maybe it's time for you to outsource your bookkeeping or accounting, or maybe you wanna outsource social media or get help with your admin, whatever that might be.

[00:18:22] How can you get support in your business and then how about in your life? So could you have someone help, pick a family member or a part-time nanny, maybe, help with your kid or kids while you work. Even if you're working in another room while they watch them and you can get a little bit of work done in that timeframe as well.

[00:18:41] Another thing that I wanna bring up that is often not thought of and not talked about is how can you make your life simpler? So how can you automate or outsource some things that you normally would, would take up some of your time? So that could be grocery shopping, having a food delivery service, uh, maybe [00:19:00] having someone clean your house every week or every two weeks, right? Just getting some more support so that you can then have that time to work on your business.

[00:19:09] Now, if you're saying. Hey, I can't afford that right now, totally makes sense. However, think of it this way. Like, if you could put that much more time into your business, if that was freeing you up to work on your business, what is the, the cost benefit analysis, right? So if you are paying someone to, let's say, babysit your kids for a couple hours, could you make that amount up triple, double, triple, or quadruple that amount within your business. Hopefully you are at a point where you are able to do that. And if you're not, that's totally okay. That is something that I would love to strategize with you on.

[00:19:47] And so that is, you know, a huge reason to either jump into action takers club or the mastermind, or we can work one on one to really figure out, okay, how can you actually leverage your time? So that the [00:20:00] time that you're putting into your business is doubling or tripling or quadrupling the amount that you're spending to outsource either within your business or within your life.

[00:20:10] So that's number six. Number seven is getting involved with the supportive community. So again, joining a community where you can be supported as a working mom. That's why I love our community because we have lots of moms in our community or people that are really supportive of moms. And so knowing that you're not alone, so whether it be our community or someone else's community, So important to have other people that are in a similar stage of life that you're in. And that could be a business community, or maybe it's an in person, community like a church or like a mom's group or people that you can connect with that are in, at the same stage so that you can be supported and you can know and feel that you're not alone in this journey of motherhood.

[00:20:58] Okay. Number [00:21:00] eight is important and often skipped over, is making time and taking time for yourself. I think it's really easy as a working mom to forget, to take care of your own needs, but I encourage you to schedule it in and really make it a priority. So for me, this looks like time with friends or time alone. I really love to read a book or sometimes take a bath in the evening. And I also just recently, a few months ago, went on a retreat and Rosie at this time was only nine months old. And I remember before I went on the retreat, I was really struggling, and I was thinking to myself, like, I don't know, is this a good idea? Is this selfish that I'm going on this business retreat?

[00:21:43] Honestly, I just knew in my heart that it was something that was really important to me. It was something that I needed to help fill my own cup. And I think it's important to realize that when we are able as moms and as business owners, when we are able to fill our own [00:22:00] cup, we become better moms, better business owners and better for our clients and our customers as well. And so self care taking time for yourself is so, so key.

[00:22:12] And then the last tip number nine is giving yourself grace. So it's never gonna be perfect. Give yourself, lots of grace. And if you're listening to this, I just want you to know, like you are so amazing, mama. Like if you are listening to this podcast, you are building a business and you are investing in your child's future as well. And you're doing both and it's such a beautiful time of life to be in. And I know there's been so many moments where I have doubted myself and definitely that voice creeps in to say like, You know, you're not a good enough mom or you're not a good enough business owner and it comes from both sides.

[00:22:55] And I just want you to let you know that you are doing an amazing job [00:23:00] and you can be a very successful business owner and be an incredible mom. You can invest in your kids' lives and be present for your children and also be able to build a thriving, successful business. There's definitely gonna have to be sacrifices along the way, but if you build your business in a way that allows you to have that flexibility that allows you to have that freedom and that really aligns with your values, you know, that is my goal for you.

[00:23:35] That is something that I've been able to build with my own business, and that's a big reason why I wanted to start this podcast in the first place is really to encourage other women that they can build businesses and they can have successful profitable businesses without having to work around the clock and without sacrificing. Their own values. And so I'm really passionate about that. And that's why I wanted to share this episode with you today.

[00:23:58] It's a little bit different than some [00:24:00] of our other episodes, but I hope that you enjoyed it, whether you are a mom or whether you want to be a mom or whether you don't wanna be a mom, but maybe you just, you know, wanted to listen to this anyways and just hear some of the productivity tips that you can absolutely implement into your own life as well and your own business. So thank you so much for listening, you guys. I'm so glad to have you here. I love that you are enjoying these episodes. You guys, it's so exciting. The, the podcast is growing so quickly, which is amazing. You guys are reviewing the podcast, you're sharing with your friends and I just honestly, like, thank you so much for doing that.

[00:24:40] So if this episode supported you in any way, if you got value from it, if you could just do me a huge favor, if you haven't reviewed the podcast, yet, if you could review the podcast on apple, that would help. So much, it helps us just to get, more traction on the show. So give us a five star review if you [00:25:00] think we deserve it. And then also share just what has been the biggest aha moment for you in listening to this podcast. What has been your favorite episode? Whatever you wanna share with us. And then if you wanna share it with your friends, so posted in your stories, or even just like text this episode to a friend, if it resonated with you, it would honestly mean the world to me.

[00:25:20] And yeah, hopefully we'll see you in the next episode. Again, we are doing episodes on Tuesdays and Thursdays every week. So we'll see you here every Tuesday and Thursday and come apply for our mastermind. That is an incredible, amazing way that me and you can connect with each other. I would love to hear about your business, I would love to hear about your goals and to see if the mastermind is a good fit for you, but regardless I'll gladly share, whether or not is it is for you, I'll be honest with you and I can share the next best steps that I think are for you in order to scale your business to the next level.

[00:25:55] So either way, it's gonna be an incredible, amazing call. It'll be productive for [00:26:00] you. And so you can go to businessbabes collective.com/mastermind to apply. And until next time we will see you in the next episode, this Thursday have an amazing rest of your day.

[00:26:16] If you love this episode, make sure you screenshot, post and tag us on Instagram @businessbabesco. Want to know when the next episode goes live? Subscribe on your podcast app, and while you're there, leave us a review. Until next time, keep dreaming big, setting goals and taking action.

Danielle Wiebe