Photo by Polina Tankilevitch: https://www.pexels.com/photo/woman-in-pink-and-white-dress-shirt-dressing-baby-3875203/
This is a guest post by Linda Chase. You can find out more about her on the Guest Bloggers page.
As women, we aspire for many things. Taking control of our own financial freedom and starting a family often top this list. Typically, we don’t do them at the same time, but when we do, we put ourselves on the springboard to be in a greater place than we could have imagined. Is it easy? Not a chance. Is it worth it? Completely. Today, Danielle Rivenbark offers up a bit of wit and wisdom to help you manage these two meaningful life events when they happen all at once.
Get Organized
Motherhood is a mess in the most beautiful way. There’s a good chance that you’ll experience what we affectionately know is mommy brain, which the Choosing Therapy blog asserts is caused by real changes in the brain along with a lack of sleep and other mental-fogging factors.
A few ways to get organized include:
Create a Document Management System
When it comes to your business, you’ll need to make sure that you have access to your documents at all times and that you know where these documents are. Sharing files is essential, and PDFs are the easiest type of file to share.
Although many people have Microsoft PowerPoint, Excel, Word, etc., not everyone can open these types of files. Instead, use this tool with docs to convert to a PDF file. PDFs will also come in handy as you can keep a copy of your birth plan on your phone with you at all times.
Now is also a great time to develop a digital invoice system for yourself. Once you dive into your new business, you’ll want to ensure that you are getting paid the right amount on time. Since you will likely be sleep deprived, creating this system now will literally and figuratively pay off in the end.
Prepare Your Baby's Room
Organization does not begin and end at work. If you’re looking for nursery storage ideas to help you keep the clutter contained, KidsActivities.com has plenty of suggestions. If you're bottle feeding, you also want to keep clean bottles and formula in the same space each time you need them. Breastfeeding moms can also stay organized by keeping their essentials next to the nursing space. This might be a bottle of water, Chapstick, and a charger.
Handle Business Tasks Before the Baby Arrives
During the last stages of your pregnancy, you’ll likely feel a push to get things done at home. This is known as nesting, and Brauer explains that this is a perfectly natural instinct that helps you prepare for the changes. But you also have to get ready at work, and a few things you can do on this front are:
Form Your Business Structure
To form a business, individuals must first decide on a business structure, register their business with the authorities, and obtain an EIN. Additionally, it's important to understand the relevant tax and legal responsibilities when starting a business. With a bit of careful planning and preparation, entrepreneurs can successfully navigate the process of forming a business and take advantage of the many opportunities the country has to offer.
Outsource a Few Important Tasks
When you run a business, you’re going to need help. Add the time it takes to raise a brand-new baby, and it’s easy to understand why outsourcing a few tasks will help you stay sane and keep your business running smoothly. Consider hiring an assistant to help keep you organized and manage some of the day-to-day details. First, decide what their role and responsibilities will be. You also want to decide if you want a personal assistant or someone that handles more business support actions.
Know How Best to Market Your Business
Next, look into marketing your products or services. You may be able to effectively manage your social media posting while nursing or holding a sleeping newborn, but successful marketing takes more than a few posts. By creating engaging and informative content, you can build trust and credibility with your audience, which usually leads to increased sales. To learn more about content marketing, consult online resources.
Also start looking for available services to help you with search engine optimization (SEO), which includes keywords added to your digital marketing materials that organically move your website up in people’s search results. Getting help with your SEO can be a very worthwhile investment, especially while you’re getting adjusted to balancing work and motherhood.
Update Your Wardrobe
It’s also important to have comfortable apparel that allows you to pull double-duty as a mom and entrepreneur. Invest in a few pieces that make you feel like yourself, but that also let you nurse easily and care for your little one. An elegant black maternity dress is a good choice, and you can pair it with practical and stylish leggings, undies, and pajamas for a well-rounded postpartum entrepreneurial wardrobe.
Find Your Balance
You’ve already made the decision to become a mom. We congratulate you on this major milestone and look forward to walking with you as you grow into motherhood and entrepreneurship. Remember, each of these is a huge life event that requires things like organizing documents and a helping hand. From forming your business and marketing to keeping your little one's room organized, every step you take today will help you enjoy success and uninterrupted baby snuggles tomorrow.
Danielle Rivenbark is an experienced event planner, wife, and mom of five kids, Click here to support our content.