School Holiday Survival Tips for Small Business Owners
In Queensland, Australia the kids went back to school this week. If you are anything like me, you may be feeling relieved as you pull yourself out of an overwhelmed and hyper state. If you struggle to entertain the kids while still keeping on top of housework, office work and other commitments this blog post is for you.
Many small business owners also have young families and very little family support. The cost of school holiday care is often out of reach or your may feel guilty about putting the kids in care while you 'work from home'. So, many of us are us are left juggling work commitments while trying to care for the kids full-time.
These five actionable tips are drawn from my experiences and lessons learnt:
1. Prepare for the holidays well in advance: Try to get as much work completed before school holidays as possible. The more organised and prepared you are the less you are going to have to juggle while the kids are home.
2. Go Mobile: Sounds like a given in this day and age but you would be surprised how much time you can save by installing all of your essential business applications and documents on your mobile device.
The basic programs I use to get my work done from any location include:
Google Drive
Google Calendar
Outlook Email
Quickbooks Application
Facebook Page Manager
3. Plan your days in advance: Decide on tasks with the highest priority and separate 'must do' tasks such as payroll with tasks that may be finished at a later date; such as filing.
Decide which projects can be pushed back until after school holidays. Make a plan with essential tasks at the top. Wake up early and work your way through the most important tasks first and then try to get the other tasks completed throughout the day. Don't be hard on yourself if you fail to get everything finished. Celebrate the tasks you do finish.
4. Take daily time out for yourself: This is the most essential and important tip of all. Schedule time for yourself every day. Even if you just go for a walk around the block on your own or schedule a quick coffee date with a friend. Fill yourself up so you can give more to your business and children at this busy time.
5. Ask for help: You shouldn't have to struggle through the school holidays alone. Let your partner know you will need additional help. Be specific about things your partner can do to make the holiday period easier for you. Organise with friends to do a 'kid swap', to give both families some kid free time.
I hope you find these tips helpful and easy to apply in your life.
Do you have a school holiday survival tip you would like to add to this list? :-)
