The Naptime Entrepreneur: Pursuing Your Business in 'Off Hours'
By Maggie Lord, entrepreneur.com, 05-03-2014
Working around a baby’s schedule to build a business sounds crazy,
but it has worked for me. When you have your first child, everyone tells
you to “sleep when the baby sleeps,” but I worked while the baby slept.
Plenty of other entrepreneurs take a similar strategy, working hard
at day jobs and then building their business during nights, weekends and
vacations instead of relaxing and recharging.
My company has grown from a basic wedding blog to a full-fledged brand that continues to grow. RusticWeddingChic
receives 1.5 million visits a month, and I’ve written three books and
built relationships with major national brands as the web’s top resource
for rustic and country weddings.
Related: The Secret to Prioritizing Your Time
Whatever your situation, when building a business with restrictions
on your time, there are a few key principles to keep in mind to build
your business.
When it’s work time, it’s work time. When I was
starting out, I used to try to sneak in an email response on my iPhone
at the playground, but I would either miss important information in the
emails or not fully form my thoughts -- answering an email while
distracted isn’t good business. Most emails can wait until you’re in
business mode and in front of your computer.
Having limited time to work also keeps me focused on doing actual
work-related activities. I don’t shop online, check Facebook or read the
news. I love to bounce around the internet, but when the work clock
starts, I’m all business.
Know your tipping point. As your business grows,
chances are it’s going to demand more of your time. Be aware of your
tipping point -- the moment when you need to hire help or clear more of
your calendar to move your company forward.
For me, that meant hiring a sitter for a few blocks of time per week
so that I could take phone calls with my publisher and get uninterrupted
work time. For you, that might mean cutting back to part-time hours or
consulting in order to open up availability of regular business hours
for your own company.
A burnt-out entrepreneur is a lousy entrepreneur. In
the early days, I spent lots of nights and weekends building my brand,
but today I reserve that time for my family (though the occasional
nighttime work session certainly sneaks in, and I always try to do press
appearances or have partner meetings during vacations). Go hard while
you have to, but know when to scale it back.
I’ve found that time with my family isn’t a distraction; it actually
adds to my success. My husband, who’s also a writer, understands my time
restrictions and the challenges of running a business. Some of the best
ideas I’ve had have come from dinner conversations or walks. Talking
about your business with family and friends can help inspire you while
keeping you connected and balanced.
Work smarter, not longer. You often hear, “Work smarter, not harder,” but I choose to work smarter, not longer. Since starting my business,>>>
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