I have reached out to some good friends who have thriving photography businesses and wonderful families. As we have all been in your shoes we hope to inspire you with these top tips for busy moms running businesses.
Moms and “busy” go hand in hand. When you’re not only raising a family but growing a business, it can feel overwhelming and exhausting. I’ve been in those trenches of the early days trying to figure out how to balance my work and my family, feeling like I was stuck on a hamster wheel getting nowhere with everything.
The first of our tips for busy moms is to “Find your tribe.”
Carrie Pfister of Carrie Lynn Photography (based in western North Carolina) says to find your tribe.
“Find other entrepreneurs who are in a similar situation as you. Having other like-minded individuals to help hold you accountable and bounce ideas off of is so important. For me, speaking regularly with other photographers motivates me to want to work harder to be successful. We understand one another’s struggles and can provide advice and understanding.”
Personally, I couldn’t agree more with Carrie. Having photographer friends has helped me grow so much and made my job even more enjoyable. They get the struggles, triumphs, and daily juggling act of running a photography business while balancing family life.
The next tip is to “Schedule time for yourself first.”
MaryBeth Bryant of MB Bryant Images (based in Spokane, WA) talks about putting yourself and your family first.
“If I had to give one piece of advice for balancing a small business and being a Mom, it would always be to start by scheduling your time first and try your best to stick with it. You may be tempted to start with your business obligations first, but I would recommend starting with yourself. Block off an hour a day to exist without any expectations or restrictions. Time to yourself might be an hour to journal in the morning before kids wake up or an hour to take a walk at night. Next, I block out time for my son, where I commit to tossing my phone in the drawer and being present with him. After making time commitments for myself and my family, I go back and plug in ALL things for my business.
It might sound counterintuitive when starting a business, but I don’t think you can really thrive when you aren’t starting with yourself and your family first. Even if it’s only 30 minutes, commit to yourself first and foremost.”
MaryBeth nails it. She points out how easy it is in business to forget about scheduling time for yourself and your family. If you’re not careful, you will find yourself working constantly and too drained to give anything to yourself and your family. MaryBeth has a great tip on starting with you and them first!
Another of our tips for busy moms is ”Moving your body helps get the juices flowing.”
Stephanie George of SHG Photography reminds us to get our bodies moving when our minds feel stuck.
“When I am feeling blocked, stressed, or anxious I find that going for a walk and getting my body moving helps get the juices flowing. So much about marketing yourself in business is content creation, putting yourself out there, and showing people why they want to work with you. If I go for a walk or run (or move my body in some way) it gets me out of my element (a change of scenery), the open sky and light filled surroundings lift my mood, and the endorphins stimulated in the brain get me “out of my head” and into a more creative mindset. When running a business, your mental health is of utmost importance. You can’t serve others or create something from nothing without being in a happy, peaceful mental state.”
She is right on. If something isn’t working, or I find myself feeling overwhelmed, frustrated or just stuck, getting a workout in (whether it’s a major sweat session or a walk outside with the kids) acts as a complete reset for me.
The final tip is to “Schedule a work weekend away, regularly”
Schedule time a few times a year where you can get away to focus on you and your business. I personally aim for 3-4 times per year. Whether you simply go to a local hotel, head to a family cabin, or drive a little further for space, do it.
The location doesn’t matter as much as the time you take. I spend my weekends away batching a TON of content. I also finish up projects, work on new/big projects and just unplug. all together. This productive time helps me move forward in business. It also gives me time to recharge, refresh and feel like a new mom when I get home.
When you have young children it can feel impossible to leave them for any period of time. I get it. It took me a few years to leave when my oldest kids were young. Yet after just taking the plunge and spending time away, I saw how I was a better, more balanced and present mother. I also was able to hone in and really focus on business tasks that I had been putting off. I found it was 100% worth it and a tradition I now continue regularly.
What makes these weekends even better? I bring a friend. Whether it’s a fellow business owner who you can bounce ideas off of, or a friend who you work well with, having a friend adds to the experience even more.
The underlying theme to these tips for busy moms is that YOU matter, mama!
When I first asked my fellow photographer friends to offer up their #1 tip for moms running a business, I had no idea what I’d get. Isn’t it interesting how each tip isn’t specifically about how they run their business? Instead they are about taking care of their mind, body, and spirit are of vital importance when running a business? I couldn’t agree with them on their tips more, either. When building a business the first thing to go in our lives is usually taking care of ourselves. Yet, that only leads to burnout, exhaustion, resentment, none of which are good for you or your business.
So go back and reread each of these tips. Then see how you can start implementing them into your busy, business running life! I bet you’ll be thanking us soon.
Looking for more tips for running your business? As a business coach for photographers I have put together free resources to help you grow a thriving business without the overwhelm.
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