Next week marks the return of children to school after a week's half-term break. For many home-based parent entrepreneurs, it also signals a change in the way they run their businesses. The sound of the school bell is a welcome relief for mums and dads who struggle to juggle the demands of family life with running a business during the holidays.
Ruth Lopardo, the founder of ethical children's clothing company Love It Love It Love It, admits it's a lot easier to run her business from home when the children are at school. The mum of two children, aged nine and five, says while many parent startups initially think they can find time to do work while the children nap or play, the reality soon begins to bite. You need them out of the house for a solid chunk of time and school is great for that.
"Most small children are at school from about 9am to 3pm and that gives you a meaty chunk of time to get some work done," she explains. "You still have to work in the evenings once they're in bed, but it does mean you have some concentration time during the day and can have meetings."
Ruth adds that children still do require a lot of your time in terms of going to assemblies, recitals and school trips, so flexibility with your work schedule is key.
It's advice echoed by entrepreneur Harriet Kelsall, who started her business HK Jewellery 15 years ago. Now her two children, aged eight and four, are both at school, the daily routine of running a small firm with her husband is a much smoother ride.
But it's the little extra duties which schools expect parents to take on which mum and dadpreneurs should be prepared for. She says: "Suddenly your child comes home and tells you he has to take a cake in tomorrow or has to dress as an Egyptian. It's really hard to keep those things in your head when you're running a business and you live in fear of being the one parent who doesn't know about the non-uniform day.
"You feel like you're not quite keeping up because you stay at home instead of chatting after drop-off time. Those things are surprisingly challenging."
One way to cope with both the demands of school-age children and running a business from home is to keep family and professional life separate. Never attempt to multitask, advises Harriet. Trying to look after a youngster while you're closing a business deal on the phone or working through a mountain of emails is a big mistake and will only lead to tension between you and your child.
"What I try and do is try to keep both worlds really partitioned," she says. "So, I decide now I have three hours with my child and then after that I will do one hour of emails."
Having a strong support network of family and friends is also essential for parent entrepreneurs. Use the time at the school gate to make friends with people who are likely to understand your situation, Harriet adds. And don't be afraid to ask for help - even if it hasn't been offered yet.
Importantly, making your family feel a part of the business will help them understand why sometimes you have to sacrifice time spent with them. Philip Dodson runs @Work Hubs, offering business startups an alternative place to work.
He claims simply talking to his son and daughter, now 15 and 12, and getting them involved in the business has been instrumental in managing the situation. His son has even done a work experience placement with him.
"Sometimes when you're running your own business you can give yourself time off," says Philip. "But at the startup phase you just have no time for anything, whether that's helping with the homework or attending parents' evening. All those kinds of things have to go out the window a little bit."
He adds: "By letting them play a role in the business, I'm still able to spend time with them but they are also able to see what I'm doing."
Content commissioned by Guardian Professional on behalf of Direct Line for Business.
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