Our last post covered 25 ways to help you if you’re juggling your photography business whilst raising a family. Find out 25 more ways to help get you from stressed to successful here.
26. A few late nights – Personally, I am a night owl so I would rather squeeze in some late nights here and there when necessary, than force early mornings. Do what works for you – just be prepared and happy to work the extra hours when you really need to.
27.Engage your family or friendship support team – vital when you’re trying to juggle everything. A sympathetic and encouraging ear helps a lot!
28. Don’t be proud (ask others for practical help) – especially in terms of babysitting duties. Some of us are often way too proud to ask close family members or friends for help. Get rid of pride!
29. Smart apps – more detail to follow in another post, but in particular Evernote has been a blessing to me! It helps me stay on track and with number 30 below-
30. Staying organised – time is at a premium when you work at home with children. The less time you spend hunting for lipstick / laptop chargers / socks the better. I use Pinterest for inspirational ways to organise everything. I also use my own planners to ensure I stay on track with both my business admin + my personal goals.
31. A specific workspace. Creating a proper workspace, no matter how small, is essential for productive working, even if it’s just the same place that you go to every time you work. It helps to signify ‘ok brain, it’s work time’.
32. Positive quotes– Having beautiful quotes around the office and the house continually make me feel motivated and inspired. Keep an eye on the FPA this weekend.. we have something pretty coming for you!
33. Stay healthy – are you guilty of not looking after yourself enough? Of over-indulgence? I find my energy levels slump when I have bread, sugar, and not enough fruit and veggies. Plus, I get a mental boost from knowing I have eaten well – as though I am doing well, am on track to success and want to continue in this way with my work too. Schedule in some green juice or smoothie recipes asap!
34. Caffeine! Ah, many of you will disagree with me on this tip; it’s hardly in line with the previous one! I should probably give it up- perhaps I will do after toddlerhood is over. Again, you must do what works for you and caffeine does give me a boost when I need to work late – usually because I have had the day off playing with the girls.
34. Quit worrying about things you can’t change. (I have a massive shark phobia. Also a big cat phobia. Pointless and ridiculous and a complete waste of time. Thankfully I no longer feel the need to sit and google ‘likeliness of being eaten by a shark’ for hours upon end, as I have learnt not to procrastinate. But before this I would actually spend entire DAYS googling shark attacks). So I am slightly crazy and probably borderline obsessive about some things right? I know!
But so many of us spend time worrying about our competition, and feeling like we are not good enough. Get off facebook and make sure you are using that time proactively instead. I highly advise a clearly defined schedule to help keep you on track – as well as the 3-task-trick mentioned previously.
35. Get rid of pride. The amount of business owners I work with who are too proud to admit that they don’t know it all and need help!! I don’t know why so many of us think we don’t need to invest in education and training. We do!! Every time I make a sale I spend X amount on books, courses, mentoring, etc. There is always something new to learn and always new ways to improve. Swallow your pride and reach out.
36. Business allies. Ahh I love my allies! There is nothing better than having friends in business who you can reach out to and who you know will help support and boost one another. Find friends who you connect with in the industry and build real friendships – not for networking or business purposes, but to be one another’s support teams. You know how hard the eachother works. And yes, I think I have probably gone HELP! IT’S SO HARD RUNNING A BUSINESS WITH BABIES SOMETIMES! to all of them, and all of them have provided support and encouragement. Priceless. I hope I do the same for them too.
37. Online groups. Like the above, but online 🙂 I am a member of a few brilliant and supportive facebook groups, one of which is a fully paid membership-only site. I can’t even describe what this group does for me. Everyone shares ideas, reviews, constructive criticism, ideas, support, encouragement. We give each other discounts + recommendations. We share information and a million and one other things. They are all inspiring, informative and encouraging places to be- I highly recommend you find a supportive online group too. { + If you want to join the FPA #CaptureSuccess support group, click here for more info}.
38. Knowing Your Target Client– helps you avoid wasting your time marketing to people who are not your client. So many hours can be wasted designing marketing campaigns, attending wedding fairs etc, which simply don’t work- which could be avoided if you know exactly who you are marketing to.
39. Work smarter not harder.
40. Unplug. Keep some time as sacred family time, so you’re not ‘always’ working, and not doing either being Mummy or Business -Owner very effectively. Having sacred time and turning off all technology helps you to ditch the working parent guilt and enjoy being a parent without distraction.
41. Use email templates to save time. For example, I create email templates for my pricing enquiries, (I use gmail) though I will always add a few words in addition as I like to be personal.
42. Turn off notifications. Every time you stop to chat on whatsapp or reply to an email or see who has commented on your photo, you aren’t being productive and focussing on the task at hand, and what you are actually trying to achieve becomes an ongoing task that drags on and on. Turn them off and stay on track.
43. Ditch the guilt! I’m sure I’ve said this before but I can’t say it enough. Stop feeling guilty! Easier said than done, I know, but it is such a negative and unproductive emotion.
44. Set up childcare swap sessions with friends
45. Find a play facility close to you that has wi-fi so the babies can play, and you can work and enjoy a latte!
46. Become an early riser. Getting up even half an hour before everyone else gives you chance to plan your day, ensuring you are proactive and organised rather than reactive. Get up an hour earlier and you might even squeeze in a larger task or two as well!
47. Make habits. Experts say it takes 21 days to form a habit, so getting up early etc, carving out set work times, etc, won’t be easy to begin with. Set regular routines and habits and keep at it until they become second nature. Then the juggling act becomes much easier!
48. Remember that they are only young once. Nothing is more important than that quality time together. I’ve seen my girls take their first steps and say their first words. I am there to hold them when they cry and pick them up when they fall. I read them stories, we bake cakes and paint. It’s hard running a business as a parent, but I would never ever change it. Cherish your time and these precious moments together.
49. Create ‘busy bags‘ for babies and toddlers. Look these up online if you have no clue what I am talking about- they are amazing and keep little ones occupied for ages, I made tons of these when Istria was a baby.
50. Celebrate and reward your success. I always treat myself when I reach a major work goal. We are often so busy working and taking care of everyone else we forget to gift ourselves. Real gifts, something that we treasure, not just a quick squiz through a few shops online- buy something that feels like a real luxurious treat- something you’ll remember during the next difficult period.
51. I couldn’t not add this one- KEEP GOING. Remember nothing worth having comes easily.
And one more – 52. Use a goal planner to make sure that you are on track for getting your business to where you want it to go – whether that is financial freedom, a bigger house, being your own boss or being able to work from home- having it all clearly planned + mapped out in an organised structure will get you to where you want to go. Use our free #CaptureSuccess worksheets to help you map yours.
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