Top 6 Tips for Single Parents Running a Small Business

Last Updated: 

October 1, 2024

Single parents are some of the most hardworking people in the world. They juggle multiple responsibilities, manage finances, and handle childcare all on their own. While it may seem like running a business as a single parent is next to impossible, there are ways to manage your time and resources so that you can successfully run your business. Below are some tips for single-parent small business owners:

Key Takeaways for Single Parents Running Their Businesses:

  1. Create a support system: Running a small business as a single parent can be challenging, so it's important to create a support system that can help you manage your responsibilities both at home and at work.
  2. Prioritise your time: As a single parent, your time is precious, so it's important to prioritise your tasks and focus on the things that will have the biggest impact on your business and your family.
  3. Set realistic goals: Setting realistic goals that are achievable within your time and resource constraints can help you stay motivated and focused.
  4. Delegate when possible: Delegating tasks to employees, contractors, or family members can help you free up time and energy to focus on the things that matter most.
  5. Use technology to your advantage: There are many tools and apps available that can help you manage your business and your personal life more efficiently, from project management software to scheduling apps.
  6. Take care of yourself: Running a small business can be stressful, so it's important to take care of your physical and mental health. Make time for exercise, self-care, and activities that bring you joy.
  7. Be open and honest with your children: It's important to communicate openly and honestly with your children about your business and your responsibilities. This can help them feel more involved and supportive of your endeavours.
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Find a business partner or hire help--especially if you have children

If you have children and are running a small business, it's important to find help. You might be able to do some of the work yourself, but if not you need someone who knows what they're doing and can take on the responsibility of running the business while you focus on taking care of your kids. You may also want someone who has experience in this particular industry (or at least one similar). If that's not possible--maybe because there aren't many people around with those qualifications--consider hiring an outsider: someone who doesn't know anything about your industry but does know how to do whatever tasks need doing.

Another option is outsourcing; this means getting someone else from somewhere else (often overseas) who isn't familiar with either your company or its industry but is willing/able nonetheless.* This method has been shown time and again over recent years as being effective for businesses large and small alike.* However, before making any decisions about outsourcing please contact us first so we can discuss whether it's right for YOU!

Adopt a purpose-driven mindset

A purpose-driven mindset is the belief that you have a calling to do what you do. It's not just about making money or providing for your family--it's about using your business to make the world a better place.

A single parent can think of their small business this way: if it helps them provide for their family, then great! But if it also helps others in their community and beyond achieve financial freedom, even better! A purpose-driven mindset allows single parents to invest time and energy into finding ways to use their skill sets as an entrepreneur in service of others rather than simply focusing on making money for themselves.

Prepare and plan in advance to avoid burnout

  • Plan your work and work your plan. Prioritise tasks, so that you can achieve your goals on time.
  • Take breaks! You're not going to burn out if you take regular breaks from your work--in fact, it's more likely that not taking breaks will lead to burnout.
  • Be kind to yourself: if something isn't working or isn't going well for you today, don't beat yourself up about it; just try again tomorrow with a fresh perspective!

Be open and honest with your children

As a single parent running a small business, it is important to be open and honest with your children. Children need to know that you are working hard for them, that you are still there for them, and that you love them. You also want to make sure that they understand that being a parent takes up most of your time.

Document every step, even if it means keeping a journal of your thoughts and ideas.

It's easy to get lost in the weeds when you're running a small business, especially if you're also raising kids. But it's important to document your progress and keep track of what needs to be done next.

Documenting the steps along the way will help you stay focused on building toward your goals, even when life gets busy. This can mean using an app like Evernote or Google Docs--or simply writing down ideas in a notebook (I recommend Moleskine).

Here are some other things that might be helpful: writing down what resources or tools would be helpful as well as ways they could make things easier; keeping track of accomplishments and successes; setting aside time every day or week for reflection so that you don't lose sight of where things stand overall

Take time for yourself and be kind to yourself.

  • Don't feel guilty about taking time for yourself. Childcare services like kindergarten in Townsville can help to look after your child while you take a breather.
  • Be kind to yourself, especially if you're doing a good job and the business is successful. It's easy to compare yourself with other people and think that they are doing better than you are, but it doesn't matter what they are doing or how much money they make--you're only responsible for your own actions, so don't compare yourself at all!
  • Don't compare yourself to your old self (or anyone else). You'll probably find out that things aren't as bad as they seem when you look back on them later in life, which means there's no need for comparison now either!

Being a single parent isn't easy, but it can be done.

You are not alone.

There is support available, and you can find time to work on your business.

It's important to take care of yourself, but don't forget that it's also crucial for you to balance your personal life with your business.

FAQs from Single Parents running small businesses

What technologies can be utilised for single-parent business owners?

Technology is a great help for single parents running a small business. It can be used to run the business remotely, communicate with customers and suppliers and stay organised. Technology also enables you to keep track of finances so that you have an accurate picture of where your money is going at all times.

How can single-parent business owners take care of their health?

As a single parent, you have many responsibilities and obligations that can often leave you feeling overwhelmed. It's important to take care of yourself so that you can be the best parent possible for your children. Here are some tips for taking care of your health:

  • Take time for yourself every day. This could mean setting aside 30 minutes in the morning before anyone else wakes up or taking an hour after work each evening to do something just for yourself (like watching TV). Try not to feel guilty about doing this--it's important!
  • Get enough sleep in order to function well throughout the day and into the night when everyone else needs help getting ready for bed or going through their nightly routines. You may need more sleep than others because of all those extra responsibilities on top of running a small business at home during off hours!
  • Eat well by eating balanced meals throughout every day instead of skipping meals or only eating junk food when things get busy around here :-) We've found some great recipes online that are easy enough even though we're both working full-time jobs outside our homes now too so hopefully these will work out well :)

How to find resources and support?

  • Ask friends and family for help. A lot of people don't want to ask their parents, siblings or relatives for assistance, but if you can get them involved in your business it will be a huge boost to your success. Your friends and family may even be able to help out with things like social media management, marketing campaigns and so on.
  • Join a support group. There are many online communities where single parents can connect with one another as well as find advice from professionals who understand what they're going through! One example is Single Moms Inc., a group dedicated specifically toward helping moms run small businesses while raising children alone (they also offer free live webinars every month). Another great option is The Single Parent Entrepreneur Community - this site provides tons of resources including networking events where members can meet each other face-to-face!

What are good time management practices?

As a single parent, you have to manage your time wisely. You don't want to be working on something at home and then get called into work. The best thing you can do is create a schedule that works for you and stick with it as much as possible. If this means setting aside certain times of the day so that nobody can interrupt your work, then that's what needs to happen!

It's also important not only to set goals but also keep track of how much time has passed since achieving those goals so that if anything goes wrong or takes longer than expected, there isn't any confusion about when the deadline was supposed to be met in order for everything else after it (including payment) will fall into place smoothly without any issues arising from poor planning skills or lack thereof."

Conclusion

Running a small business is hard work, but it can be done. There are many resources available for single parents who want to start their own business. You can find help from family members, friends or even coworkers who have been there before; they may even have some good tips on how they managed their time while juggling other responsibilities at home!

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