Many of us want more flexibility, so we seek from home employment or start our own business. We want the ability to work our chosen time, work with our children, and cherish our personal and family needs while we work.
Is that realistic?
There are many scenarios that can disrupt this ultimate work-life balance that we all seem to want.
income.
In many cases, women don’t just want to work. They need to work. Their families rely on their income to support their needs and desires. When a woman decides she wants to start her own business, this can be hampered by the needs of her family. She may not be able to afford to quit her existing job and launch a venture. The family may simply not be able to absorb the difference between startup costs and the pay she may experience.
Many female entrepreneurs start their business while continuing to work fully or part-time. This can cause business to descend from the ground more slowly. It’s also overwhelming for women who have decided to start a business because they actually wanted more flexibility when they were spending more time with their family.
Workload.
Your workload may become unbearable. Women who balance work, business and family tend to feel even more stressed. They are pulled in more directions, making it more difficult to balance their family with work and business responsibilities. Even if you can completely transition into entrepreneurship and leave behind old jobs, there is a huge amount of work to start and run your own business.
Many entrepreneurs took hours to ensure that everything was done. They often have no extra cash flow with the help. This can also take time away from family and personal interests.
Separation.
Another common struggle for people working from home seems to be parting. I think we struggle to carve out work time compared to family time, but they are often not clearly defined. They are blurred together, making it difficult to separate work from home when they are both happening in the same place.
This can cause the incredible workloads we’ve talked about before. However, it can also cause a lack of jobs and a decline in income, as mentioned previously.
So, what should women do? How can I eat and eat cake?
First, set realistic goals.
When deciding to work from home, make a clear plan of how much you will work, what your income expectations are (realistically), and how the needs of your children and family will be taken care of while you are working. Write it down in black and white. That doesn’t mean your plan won’t change, but it’s much easier to follow a outlined plan than a non-existent one.
Secondly, don’t bite more than you can.
Just like work, family and home are tough. We are not superheroes. Our workload and expectations for ourselves cannot be completely banged or set ourselves up to fail from the start. If you are transitioning from not working, start slowly. If you’re starting your own business, creating a powerful business plan and researching steps, you’ll need it to get where you want to be. Again, take steps to get there and get used to the water first.
Third, there is a specified workspace and dedicated work time.
Don’t allow your work to bleed during your family time, and vice versa. This is very challenging, but please do your best. Leave your phone, tablet, computer, etc. in your workspace. Access only if you have planned work hours. Make a parenting plan and avoid repeated interruptions when it’s work time. Please do your best to separate it.
And finally, have fun! Being able to work from home is a privilege and an interest. It’s not always easy, but most things in life aren’t. Organization and planning are your best defense against unfortunate self-employed. How do you manage your work from home? We’d love to hear about it!