Brandmerry Blog Archives
Tips for Running a Business as a Mom
Tips for Running a Business as a Mom
My intention for you today is that you walk away with some cool strategies and tips that you can use, but also that you know it is possible to not only grow a business, but to successfully run a business as a mom, especially if you have young children. I'm going to give you my tips so that you can show up as a woman, as a business owner, and still have time for your little family.
Before I dive into those tips, I want to tell you about a really cool upcoming masterclass I'm hosting on five simple steps to creating authentic brand that allows you to grow your community with ease and leads to more clients. You can sign up here: brandmerry.com/authenticbrand
A little backstory before we dive into these tips because I think it's really important that if you are a mom, you are watching this, and you know that I get you, that I'm not just coming in and sharing these tips, and I don't actually know what it's like to be a mom, because even though my son's not running around right now, he is very much a piece of my brand and my business. I actually decided to create an online business just one month after my son was born. I spent the next six months trying to figure out what that looked like.
I would wake up early and work before my 9:00 to 5:00. I would brainstorm ideas in the middle of the night during a feeding. I would work a little bit late after driving home in traffic. I really just dove into my business as a way for me to leave my 9:00 to 5:00 so I could create a life of freedom that allowed me to be home with my son.
I've been there, I've done it, and in just one year of creating my business, I actually created a six-figure business, and it's continuing to grow. The entire time that I'm doing it, I'm able to be there with my son, to work alongside my side and have the beautiful freedom that I've always wanted as a mom, so I get it. It wasn't always easy-breezy. There were some hard times, and I'm excited to share with you my top tips today.
1. Scheduling your time
Now, I know this might seem like something you hear all the time. I totally get it, but it's so important. When you're running a business, it's really easy, we're creating a business from home, it's really easy for you to put it on the back burner, for you to say, "Oh, I'm not going to do that because I need to do laundry," or, "I need to clean the kitchen," or, "I need to do X, Y, and Z," but I want you to really get in the habit of creating your business even if you're in the beginning stages and just researching ideas, valuing that time and giving that time the scheduled time it deserves. Whether that's an hour a day or four hours a day, really saying, "Between this chunk and this chunk, I'm dedicated to my business."
Now, I will give you a complete disclaimer that I have worked alongside my son since day one, so I also know that sometimes you have to stand up and go grab a snack or a kid climbs on your lap. I totally get it, but if I set my intention that during that time that's when I'm working on my business, my son has actually learned that. My son says, "Mommy's working," and that's great. That's amazing. We're still in the same room together, but he knows, hey, I'm going to play with my train tracks while mom is writing an email. It's really great to set those boundaries early on, not only with yourself, but with your family.
2. Be Present and Compassionate with Yourself
I always recommend this, when you aren't working on your business that you are present with your family. I'll be 100% transparent with you. This was hard in the beginning because my business was like a second baby to me, so I really had to be aware that when I wasn't, during my scheduled time with my business, my phone was away and I was present with my family. That helps a ton when it comes to those times when you might feel a little guilty, I totally get it, and just knowing that you are giving so much love.
Also, being compassionate with yourself and knowing that you are a woman, that you have many passions, you have many loves. Being a mother is one of those pieces, but you also want to create a thriving business. Compassion with yourself and knowing that, "I'm working on my business now, and I'll be with my child in just a little bit," or, "I'm going to be very present with my son or my child now, and I'll be able to work on my business tomorrow." Really honoring yourself, honoring your desires, and knowing that you can do and have it all.
3. Bulk Scheduling
Number one, we talked about scheduling your time, really carving out chunks of time for you to work on your business. Number three is my favorite thing to do. It has saved me time and time again in my business, and it is bulk-scheduling. If you're an online entrepreneur, 9 times out of 10, you're probably showing up in social media, maybe emailing your list, making YouTube videos like this, and it's really awesome and helpful for you if you can carve out a chunk of time, maybe kid-free if that's available to you, to get all of those done in one setting.
For instance, today, I recorded four YouTube videos back to back while my husband plays with my son in another room, and I'm good for two freaking months. It's really, really amazing. Any way you can bulk-schedule your content, whether that's bulk-writing emails, blog posts, writing and scheduling your social media posts, recording YouTube videos, anything that you can do in big chunks of time will free you up to spend wonderful time with your family and honor yourself as the woman and mother that you are.
4. Include Your Family in your Business and Brand
I did this really early on, and I'm so thankful for it. While I know it's not an option for everybody watching, it has been really powerful for me, and so I want to share with you how I've done that.
For instance, when I started my business, live video was so stressful because I had a new baby, and I couldn't go live in the middle of the day if he was crying, or so I thought. One day, I got the idea to put him in his little carrier and just set up my tripod and do my live video. It has been one of my favorite live videos to date. I even saw many clients who said, "I saw you with a baby on your back and knew it was possible."
In that moment, I knew, me showing up authentically, me showing up as a mom, including my son in a live video, whether he's on my back or on my lap, having him in my branded photos, talking about him openly in my brand really allowed me to make a deeper connection with the women that I wanted to work with and remove the stressor of trying to come off as this perfect person which never happens, kid or not.
That's a really great tip I have for all of you. Any way that you can, and at the comfort level that you feel comfortable with, include your family, your children in your branding process. It not only makes you more real in the online space, but also makes you more relatable.
I totally get it. You're a mom. You're a mom who's running a business, and sometimes, it can be really crazy and a little bit hectic, and know that you are so not alone. In fact, my private community Authentic Brand Builders, we have tons of moms who are running businesses, and we're often talking about what that looks like. I think it's really important to be compassionate with yourself, to make your business a priority, and know that you are really doing and running your business so that you can be the best woman and mom to your children.
You can watch the whole video for a more in-depth version of this and several bonus tips below!
Head over to Youtube and be sure to like and comment on the video while you are over there to help more people see this information ↠ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p0tEyhEwMGI&t=44s
And as always please share and comment on this blog post, I love connecting with you!
Michelle Knight is a Branding and Business coach for female entrepreneurs who are struggling to gain visibility and traction to take their business to the next level. She works with her clients to dive deep into their story so they can create a brand and message that positions them as an expert and allows them to create their desired income to free up time in their schedule for what matters most. Learn more >>
Why I made the switch from Buffer to SmarterQueue
WHY I MADE THE SWITCH FROM BUFFER TO SMARTERQUEUE
I've been called a content machine by multiple people and it is something I'm damn proud of, but I have to be honest I have a secret weapon that helps me get everything I create out into the world and not just one single time.
I mean if you are going to take the time to create a blog post, record a Youtube video or write a super amazing post for social media, that does REALLY well, doesn't it make sense to keep that content visible to your audience?
I was spending time writing blogs for my website and after posting them on multiple platforms on Friday, the post would go and die unless by chance my SEO at the time kicked in and someone saw it (this was before my eyes were opened to the power of Pinterest btw).
Now I let my content run on automate thanks to SmarterQueue who makes it easier than ever and for a fraction of the price of Meet Edgar.
Below I'm sharing the top features I love about SmarterQueue and how you can use them for your biz.
**Disclaimer: The links in this post are affiliate links meaning I will receive a little bonus if you decide to sign up for the service. As a thank you by clicking the link you will receive an extended 30 day trial to test it out for yourself!
#1 Categories are my JAM!
I love the category feature in SmarterQueue. It allows you to create a calendar which features categories (this is drag and drop by the way - my fav) so you can have different types of content recycling on your page at any given time. Here's a video from SmarterQueue where they explain this time-saving feature.
#2 Add images, video and gifs to your posts
This was huge for me because I love to add personality to everything I'm posting online, especially when it comes to Facebook where an image can grab the attention of your audience. SmarterQueue makes it super easy to add an image, search of gifs or even add a video to your prescheduled post.
#3 Recycle your content
This is hands down my favorite feature of SmarterQueue because it allows me to increase the lifespan of my content. With SmarterQueue you can create a category like videos or blog posts and then add an RSS feed to that category. For instance, the Brandmerry Blog category includes all my blog posts which are then recycled in the queue based on my schedule and are shown month after month to my growing audience.
How I use SmarterQueue in my business:
- Schedule my blog posts and recurring posts to my Facebook business page
- Schedule recurring prompts to my private community Authentic Brand Builders
- Scheduling one time posts to my Fb business page, private community and Instagram
Michelle Knight is a Branding and Business coach for female entrepreneurs who are struggling to gain visibility and traction to take their business to the next level. She works with her clients to dive deep into their story so they can create a brand and message that positions them as an expert and allows them to create their desired income to free up time in their schedule for what matters most. Learn more >>
5 DAILY TASKS THAT WILL ALLOW YOU TO GET MORE DONE & REACH YOUR GOALS
5 daily tasks that will allow you to get more done and reach your goals
Last week, I shared a video on my Facebook page about what my day to day schedule looks like (hint: there isn't much of a structure) and what I focus on every single day, yes it is the same, that allows me to hit my business and life goals!
If you want to check out the full video and subscribe to my YouTube channel, go here >> https://youtu.be/bkawBBsKWuw
But, I thought it would be super helpful to lay out the 5 daily tasks below so you can get inspired to create your Daily 5!
5 Daily Tasks That Allow Me to Get More Done and Constantly Move Towards Reaching My Goals
1) Personal Care
Every single day I do something for my mind and/or body so that I can be on my absolute A Game when it comes to growing and running my business. Most days I do a short 10-minute meditation to feel grounded in my energy, a workout (cause that sh*t is important), read my beliefs, visualize my goals and fuel my body. Often times we forget about taking care of ourselves while we are out building our empire, but this is a step that can't be skipped!
2) Grow My List/ Community
Whether I'm posting or engaging in another FB group, sharing a YouTube video, promoting my free offer, etc... I made sure not to miss a single day in growing my community. Your community is ESSENTIAL in running a business and, as you will see in task #3, where the trust between client and mentor begins to grow. Make it a goal to do something that gets the word out about your FB group, email list, newsletter, free offer, etc... so you can start building those deep relationships!
3) Nurture My List/ Community
This step is HUGE! I see time and time again that entrepreneurs spend so much time in energy in growing their list and zero time nurturing it. If you are sitting there not making the money you desire in your business, check yourself on how often you are engaging with the people who WANT to hear from you. Every single day I either email my list, go live, share in my community, post on social media or do individual outreach - whatever I feel called in that moment will remind my community I'm here to support them! Join my community here >>
4) Make a Sale
Look, we have to make money! That's basically the bottom line and although no one wants to talk about selling or pitching or whatever it is you want to call it - IT IS IMPORTANT! You can only continue to do what you are doing and making your impact in the world, if you are financially supported. Every day I do something that will lead to a sale. Now don't get me wrong, I'm not selling every single day, but I'm coming up with a way to make money, whether that is a new program, a product, a special offer or reaching out to a past prospect. Make it your goal every day to grow your business, by making money!
5) Research
I freaking LOVE research! I can get lost in doing hours and hours of research on a particular topic, so when I was picking the Daily 5, I knew I needed to include it. I want to constantly be growing in my business and in order to do that I need to stay up-to-date on new offering, strategies, mindset routines, etc... I often drive my research topic by what my community and clients need most so I know I'm first and foremost serving them.
Don't forget this list should be customizable to YOU, but I highly recommend choosing your Daily 5 and sticking to it. The best part, no matter how crazy life might get, you know if you complete your Daily 5 you will reach your goals!
Just a quick reminder you can watch the full video, where I shared a little more about my personal schedule here: https://youtu.be/bkawBBsKWuw
Michelle Knight is a Branding and Business coach for female entrepreneurs who are struggling to gain visibility and traction to take their business to the next level. She works with her clients to dive deep into their story so they can create a brand and message that positions them as an expert and allows them to create their desired income to free up time in their schedule for what matters most. Learn more >>
PART ONE: My Top Tools for My Business That Allow Me to Automate More and Work Less
PART ONE: MY TOP TOOLS FOR MY BUSINESS THAT ALLOW ME TO AUTOMATE MORE AND WORK LESS
I'm all about being able to work from wherever - in fact since launching my business I've been able to travel to Europe and California all while still being able to run my business from afar.
In fact location freedom is just the third part of the Freedom Trifecta (copyright coming soon ;)) When you have all these pieces: Time Freedom, Location Freedom and Financial Freedom, you are golden.
One of the key pieces to achieve location freedom is automation! When we were on vacation in California this past month, I was able to take coaching clients, but also know that my emails, blog posts and social postings were on automate and ready to get in the hands of my community.
So, today I'm sharing part one of my favorite automation tools with all of you.
**Disclaimer: I've marked the tools that I am an affiliate for with a little *, so I can be super transparent with all of you. However, I totally use these tools for my own business and love them, hence why I'm an affiliate.
Ok, now on to the tools!
17 hats* - New automation, invoicing, contracts, questionnaires and bookkeeping
I use 17 hats for multiple parts of my business, but hands down my favorites are bookkeeping and questionnaires. Bookkeeping has made my life super easy, because all my accounts a streamlined with 17hats, allowing me to just run a report at the end of the quarter to see profit and loss. I utilize the questionnaires for weekly check-ins with my clients AND to capture new leads and automatically add them to my database.
Zoom* - Client calls (both 1:1 and group), trainings and discover calls
Zoom is a multi-leveled tool for my business, but I absolutely love it for my coaching calls. You can set up a meeting in Zoom (whether one time or on a set schedule) and set the recording automatic for your meetings, cause I'm constantly forgetting. I also love it for webinars!
Buffer - Social media posting to private group, business page, personal accounts and Twitter
A no-brainer and a free option as well, but super important for automating social media. I love Buffer because it is easy, affordable if you want to upgrade and allows me to schedule my posts across all platforms, including my private community Authentic Brand Builders, giving me more time to engage in other groups on Facebook and increase my visibility.
Convertkit* - Email marketing, funnels and opt-in lead pages
When I started my business I used Mailchimp as my CRM and I recommend it to my new clients if they aren't ready to invest in their email marketing platform just yet. However, I switched over the Convertkit when I wanted a platform that allowed me more tools to tag my clients, automate my business and create landing pages. Rather than having to invest in a separate platform for capturing leads, Convertkit allows you to do it all in one space (and save some serious money in the process).
Ready for Part Two? Check it out HERE >>
Michelle Knight is a Branding and Business coach for female entrepreneurs who are struggling to gain visibility and traction to take their business to the next level. She works with her clients to dive deep into their story so they can create a brand and message that positions them as an expert and allows them to create their desired income to free up time in their schedule for what matters most. Learn more >>