Juggling Business & Motherhood

Becoming a business owner and juggling being a mother certainly isn't for the faint hearted! For those that know this jugging act already, i commend you! Managing the household, kids, dinner, lunches, washing, dishes, housework, school drop offs, activities, sleepovers, homework, bed times and so much more that comes with being a parent. Add to that being a single mum theres all the income for the household on one person, add mowing the lawn, servicing the car, fixing everything, being a back up to the kids tantrums or antics.. theres no one else but you. That is a hard ticket but many of us do it daily. And it is hard!  

When going in to business, most of us go with our heart, we follow a passion, a creative flow, a talent. We don't really think about the time it takes away or what it takes to "do " business, we just adapt and do and keep going till it either gets to hard, we get larger and expand, or we plateu and level up with our expectations of ourselves and make the business manageable by ourselves. A woman in business, we have huge pressure on ourselves to do more, be more, keep up, follow trends, keep everyone around us happy. That what we do, in family, in friendship and what we try to do in business which turns into burn out real fast. The reality is, we just cant do it all, and keep up with out huge changes, huge support or alot of dollars! If at all!

Things i've learned in business id like to share with you, tips and tricks, awareness of the challenges if you are new to business, and strategies to tackle the sometimes overwhelming tasks that business can bring to your life.

Learn what your why is, so you don't get lost in the who and how:

I get in a tizz every few months at least, stocking new things, getting myself worked up trying to keep up with others doing similar yet different businesses. I lose focus pretty quick due to my business having such a large market, men women kids, country modern, boutique, country.. i have a shop and online, so i stock way more then i need to but i get a little over zealous at times to impress or keep my customer base happy, i'm guilty as charged! What i do to refocus myself is remember these few things;

WHY: Why did i start this business? Why do i love my product, passions, talent so much? Why did i want to share it with people initially?

WHO: Did i initially set out to market, and how has that grown, changed? Who am i trying to impress? 

HOW: How do i go about adapting to these changes and reevaluate if i need to actually change, or stay true to my initial focus. How do i keep true to my brand, my business 

WHAT: Makes me genuinely happy in my business, what serves my passions and my future vision for my business? What products actually suit my style, my brand, my vision for my future scope? What is my vision ? Write it down often...

It's very easy to get caught up in todays hypes on social media, whether it's tiktok, instagram facebook. Its easy to think that your not doing enough, that your not trendy enough or doing "reels" like everyone else.. What people will do today to get likes and followers is beyond the imagination, and beyond what any normal person would do to make a buck! I still cant bring myself to do stupid things on tiktok or create reels to impress people whether they are customers or followers. its not my style and i refuse to do it. I am still making tonnes of sales, and keeping my integrity Thats my choice and i am unconcerned about how that affects my business in the short term. Im here for the long haul, short term trends do not phase me! However i think up new ways and consistent realistic approaches to get messages or product to my followers and potential customers without annoying them with ads, silly reels or annoying emails. Did you know if your relevant, on topic, do your stuff really well, and capture it really well, you can sell just as much? Try it. People aren't dumb, some follow the trends, but don't judge yourself based on the quantity of likes and follows you get. There is no match for real, genuine, honest to god business etiquette. Let's not forget that!

I find getting back to basics is THE BEST leveller and refocusing tool. We get over complicated in our approach trying to fill gaps, fill voids in our market, keep customers happy, stock what someone wanted then they never come back for it.. We just need to do us, do what suits us, follow our vibe and build our tribe! We need to just believe in our initial visions more and our first take on our vision for our business. Get back to you, as the you in your business is your biggest asset!

When juggling being a parent on top of all these expectations, our reality check is, OUR KIDS AND FAMILY ARE OUR WHY.. Not impressing your customers and friends, not keeping up withe businesses competing with you on social media. Not the ranting negativity that social media can sometimes attract. We did it for them, and us and to give us more time to do the things we love. So choose them! Take that time, take a break even! I fight the urge to work 24/7, just because i can doesn't mean i should! 

Burn out is a real thing, parents get it without business so make sure you are taking time out fo you. My balancing act is far from perfect, somedays ill do 16 hours straight. I totally get focused on the end result, but the beauty and badie of business is it WILL NEVER ALL BE DONE OR CAUGHT UP. Never. like never ever ever! So, stop setting yourself this sensationally unachievable goal to "finish when its all done" "Ill just stop once this is all done" "Ill go on holidays once i catch up on the books" "ill just send this email first then spend time with my daughter" "If i just do this now, i can make time for my girl later" it will NEVER BE ALL DONE. is what ive come to the conclusion of! We must level up to ourselves and learn to be comfortable with stopping even though we aren't all up to date. Its just not possible at times! It will be waiting fo you when you come back i can promise you that! Same as the washing! Oh i wish there was a washing fairy!

My biggest lesson in business has been that, i will get to it tomorrow, but that they wont be little forever. I created this business DUSTY CREEK so i could raise my daughter myself. That i didnt need a man, and that i could make my hours of work and income suit us and our needs. To spend every waking hour rushing, working, hustling and not being able to be there for her moments of growth and change would completely defy the point.

We are in business for short or long, but our familes are forever. Dont feel guilty for putting them first. For choosing time over money and love over fame. They will thank you for it! Your business will be there when you come back, and your true tribe and following will understand no matter what. And they are the people you want in your tribe anyways!