BUSINESS FOR BUSY MOMS

Building a Business
by Phylicia L. Henry 
We all started our businesses for different reasons. Maybe you wanted to have financial independence or build a legacy. Perhaps life circumstances or a strong desire to help people in
a certain way pushed you into entrepreneurship. Whatever it was, do you believe that it was orchestrated by God and ultimately a blessing?

Yes? Good. 

So what do we do when the blessing becomes a burden? Or when we find ourselves in bondage to the blessing?

Putting in long hours becomes the norm and burnout is creeping in. Instead of being led by God we rely more on the voice of social media “gurus” and coaches. The business is sitting on the throne in our hearts, while God waits for our attention. We become slaves to our businesses as we do all the things, in pursuit of some goal, and then we get burnt out again. And the cycle continue.

So how do we get off of this hamster wheel and find the freedom in business that God desires for us? Let’s look at a few actions that we can take.

Get Filled and Realign with God – If we are identifying with feelings of weariness and exhaustion, this can be an indication that we have been pouring out and not getting refilled. We may be out of alignment and disconnected from our source of strength.

28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30 NIV)

Christ promises us rest and light burdens, not heavy ones. If we are experiencing anything contrary to His promises, we have to be intentional about getting back in alignment with God’s plan. Consider reserving time to get in the presence of God. Put it on the calendar if necessary, but make it a priority. Put Him first.

If you’ve found yourself putting your business before God, you can always turn things around.

19 Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord, (Acts 3:19 NIV)

Boundaries are limits that provide both support and protection for you as an entrepreneur.

Once you have identified your boundaries, you  then have to communicate    your boundaries.

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Get some Boundaries – Burnout usually occurs because we have said yes to way more than we should have. One too many meetings and two too many favors have us overworked and overwhelmed. Listen, it’s ok to say no. Implement boundaries so you can have the capacity to show up and serve in a way that is pleasing to God and a good representation of the Kingdom.

Boundaries are limits that provide both support and protection for you as an entrepreneur.

For this to work, you must first identify your boundaries. What are those limits that you and those interacting with you cannot go beyond? Boundaries as an entrepreneur could look like enforcing office hours with your clients, making yourself accessible only during certain times. It could look like, choosing not to work on weekends, so you can spend time with your family. Or it could be letting a client know when a request is out of the initial scope of work.

Once you have identified your boundaries,  you then have to communicate your boundaries. Communicating your boundaries sets the standard for what is acceptable and what is not. It teaches others how to interact with and treat you; and it sets expectations for how the relationship will function.

Finally, after communication, you will need to stick to your boundaries. This can sometimes be challenging for us as women and mothers, because our hearts are so big. There will always be something or someone who will test the boundary or want to be the exception. You know, that one client who still wants to text your personal cell instead of calling the office line. Or that person who still wants you to just throw in a “quick” favor, like you always used to. But you have to let your yes be your yes, and your no be your no.

Get rid of some of your Tasks – Oftentimes as entrepreneurs, we find ourselves handling far too many tasks in our businesses. There may be a lack of resources that feeds this reality. However, when everything in your business relies on and revolves around you, it is a springboard that will bounce you into bondage. So, how do we responsibly get rid of some of our tasks?

First, evaluate all of the things you are actually doing in your business. Set aside time to list out every task that you are responsible for, but avoid listing large tasks. For example, if you have a task of publishing a YouTube video, break this down into all of the steps that it actually takes to publish the video. 

Next you want to go through your list and determine if the task is something you should automate, delegate or do yourself. Automation allows a tool or software to complete a task to replace human effort. The best tasks to automate in your business are those that repeat themselves; and the best way to position your business for automation is to have clearly defined systems and processes. You will be surprised just how much of your business CAN be automated!

Now, instead of automation, it may be appropriate to delegate the oversight or completion of certain tasks to someone else. Delegated tasks are usually below or outside your level of expertise. Moses’ father-in-law understood the power of delegation and that without it, burnout would be inevitable.

 

17 Moses’ father-in-law replied, “What you are doing is not good. 18 You and these people who come to you will only wear yourselves out. The work is too heavy for you; you cannot handle it alone. 19 Listen now to me and I will give you some advice, and may God be with you. You must be the people’s representative before God and bring their disputes to him. 20 Teach them his decrees and instructions, and show them the way they are to live and how they are to behave. 21 But select capable men from all the people—men who fear God, trustworthy men who hate dishonest gain—and appoint them as officials over thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens. 22 Have them serve as judges for the people at all times, but have them bring every difficult case to you; the simple cases they can decide themselves. That will make your load lighter, because they will share it with you. (Exodus 18:17-22 NIV)

Christ did not free us from sin, so we could be entangled and bound in business. Our businesses should be a place where God is able to use us for His glory. It should be a conduit through which blessings for ourselves and others can be experienced. Let’s get freehand be good stewards in the gift of entrepreneurship.

 

Let’s talk again, Phylicia

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For over 10 years, Phylicia L. Henry, MBA has been behind the scenes of businesses and ministries, keeping things organized. In 2016, she left her job and stepped out on faith to pursue entrepreneurship full-time. Currently, she divides her time between “momming” and running her business, PLH Consulting, where she helps moms in business implement systems so they can reduce working hours & spend more time with the kids without compromising their client experience.

Find her here on instagram