Mixing Babies and Business
Start a New Business Anytime
The best time to start a new business is when you have a good idea and are in the right place at the right time. And though being home with a baby may not feel like the best time, in many ways, it can actually be a perfect time.
You have a newborn you don't want to leave, you have an opportunity to work from your own home office, and you have a great idea for a business. All you need are a few pointers on how to make that happen.
cryan.com is a website that brings you lots of great information about a variety of topics. Check out hundreds of blog posts to keep you informed and up to date.
Pace Yourself
Those first weeks home with your newborn should be spent healing, adjusting, and bonding. But there are still a few beginning steps you can work on in that time that won't feel too stressful.
Brainstorm your business idea on paper and pencil or even when you're rocking your infant to sleep. Write down everything you come up with, then begin narrowing each idea down until you have one that you feel is both something you'd enjoy doing and can execute from your own home office with the resources you have on hand.
Write a business plan next. This will take several weeks since it involves some research. Your business plan will be your roadmap or blueprint for how you'll bring your business idea to life. You'll include things like how you plan to market your business, where you'll get the funding, and what your long-and-short-term goals are. You can find online templates that can guide you through how to create one and how to make it look professional if you plan to present it to investors.
Mixing Baby and Business
Not only does your home office have to work for you, like ergonomic chairs and proper lighting, but it also needs to work for your baby. When child-proofing your home office, clear out everything from the room so that it is clean and safe, and get rid of any sharp objects or anything that can fall over. Remove anything fragile or breakable (especially if there are other small children in the home). Ensure there is no open flame in the room (e.g., candles or fireplace). And once your baby starts to crawl, make sure there is enough space for them to move around and play safely in the room.
Baby monitors will be one of your most important pieces of office tech. High-definition video monitoring is now the standard, and many are now app-enabled or have Wi-Fi capabilities. Also popular is a digital video camera system that uses your existing wireless network, allowing you to use your computer or smartphone as the receiver. And some models even have an adjustable sensor that monitors the temperature in your baby's room.
You'll want to dress professionally since you'll probably have people in from time to time, appear in video conference calls, or just because looking professional makes you *feel* like a professional. And then there are times when just a classic t-shirt is what you need. Fortunately, you can look great while still being able to breastfeed or pump with stylish and comfortable maternity clothing and easy-to-use and supportive nursing bras.
Helpful Business Tips
With all the worries that naturally come with being a new mother, it's best if you can reduce the number of business worries you could face. Fortunately, there are several steps you can take that will alleviate some of those for you.
How you structure your business can be important since forming it as an LLC, for instance, reduces your personal liability since it keeps your personal and business assets separate. It's also easy to do it yourself, so you don't have to hire an attorney, and there is less paperwork and a lower tax burden, too.
And take advantage of free and easy-to-use business apps like invoice generators that keep track of payments and receipts for you, PDF conversion tools that allow you to convert all your business and marketing files into PDF form for easy sharing, and Facebook ad maker apps that help you market on the biggest social media site in the world.
From baby-proofing your office and using smart business practices like an LLC business structure and fee apps to practical and stylish clothing and state-of-the-art baby monitors, your dream of combining motherhood with a successful business is well within your reach.