Tuesday 1 April 2014

Getting the balance right...

I am kind of hoping I am not alone on this one. I am working very hard to make sure I get the balance right. That my new little baby - memory maker jars, fits in with my family life and not that I fit family life around that. But the flip side to that, is the frustration!

I have so many ideas of things I want to do marketing, advertising and promotion wise with the business. As well as an ever growing list of things I need to do to build the brand and brand awareness. That's as well as the huge learning curve I am on with SEO (still struggling with this one!), Blogging, being my own boss and so on. One good thing is I am confident in the product. The feedback I get from customers when they buy a memory maker jar as well as the recipient is lovely, so that gives me that confidence. But I am still frustrated!
Frustrated that its just not all happening quickly enough. But quickly enough for who and what? It is a pressure I am putting on myself that I know I don't need to. So the vicious circle starts and I then get annoyed at myself for feeling frustrated. Aaaghhhhh
You see, having a long list of things I need or want to do with the business is not usually me. I get things done. My husband is the king of faffing, and I am the polar opposite, I like to just make a decision and then with me its go go go! But, I am having to be patient and rein myself in. I could sit at the laptop or in our little office at home, all day and every evening. But I won't and I am not. But I also want to, want to crack on and move the business forward at a faster pace, but I am not letting myself. Its a weird feeling, as at times I almost feel like I am having to hold myself back! But I know it is the right thing to do.
I have been a stay at home Mum since February 2007, I have had the odd little job from home; admin for a friend with their own business, a party plan business (Jamie at home) for a while before I fell pregnant again but primarily I have been a stay at home Mum to my two gorgeous girls.
As some of you may know, my youngest (who turns 4 next week) starts school in September, and this feels like a real turning point in all our lives. Not just for my little curly haired crazy daughter, who I can see is ready for school, but for all of us. A big thing for my eldest, as her little sister joins her school, and of course, a big thing for hubby and I. Our baby stage of life will be absolutely over, and I worry that empty nest syndrome will hit me. (If it does, what happens, will I become mega broody?)
I feel genuinely sad that my littlest won't be my little sidekick in the week, feel sad at how quick I know she will grow up in that first year.  But I am trying to be excited about the time I will have. That is the time I feel, that I can then really go for it with memory makers, and work hard on the advertising, marketing, networking etc. That genuinely excites me. So I know I just need to be patient till September. But as my friends and family will tell you, I may ever so occasionally struggle with being patient :0)
I want to make the most of the next few months, and that last summer holidays with my girls before they are both then school children. In fact even writing this and seeing it written has reinforced just how precious these next few months really are, and I know I don't want to spoil that by tying myself up to a computer. I need to just maintain my confidence in the product and keep working away when my youngest is at pre school, (which is what I do now) and relax into the knowledge that come September I will have more time to devote to it.
For all those stay at home Mums out there that are juggling working from home, well hats off to you. Even more so to those who are running their own business. As finding that off switch is hard, being disciplined enough to not just quickly send that email, or pop on the internet for some research is tough. But, I am trying, and I just need to push aside my frustrations. As there is no right or wrong on how fast a business grows (is there?) - Or certain milestones I need to be at by certain times, and maybe for the first 9 months or so the fact that it grows a bit more organically is no bad thing, as I am constantly learning and tweaking things.
 So hey, in fact maybe by working so hard to make sure that the business doesn't intrude into my family life is a positive for the business as well as my lovely little family?
Wow, I have nearly talked myself round full circle! This is what I love about blogging. Only my 3rd post, but I am loving it and finding it like therapy almost!
Hope you are enjoying my ramblings (should a "blogger" call it ramblings or should I be saying something more sophisticated? Don't worry, educating myself on blogger etiquette and all the codes,abbreviations and acronyms is on my list - that is not a joke!).

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