The hair and beauty industry is dominated by women. According to the statistics for 2018, presented by the National Hairdressers’ Federation and the National Beauty Federation UK, 84% of people working in the hairdressing and barbering industry and 94% working in the beauty industry are female. It’s no wonder that so many of them are seeking ways to balance being a boss and a mother. Neither of these is a piece of cake on its own... and when combined, they create a concoction that can easily drive you mad.
If you are a mother and run your own beauty business - first and foremost, you have all of our respect, recognition and appreciation you deserve, you truly rock it! Let us share with you a few pieces of advice we learned from other strong boss mums who managed to establish a successful beauty business while raising wonderful little human beings at the same time.
You see them daily on Facebook and Instagram - the Ultimate Business Supermums. They wake up at 5 a.m. to write their “daily goal list”, do yoga and cook gluten-free wholegrain pancakes for the whole family. Then, they go to work, clicking on super high heels, arrive half an hour early and start managing tasks while sipping a detoxifying green drink. They wade through daily duties like a bulldozer, resolving all problems with "just good vibes and a smile." Later on, they post an educational video on salon social media fan pages (that gets two million likes) and come back home just in time to read their kids a brain-stimulating book. Then, they do their cardio workout routine, simultaneously watching webinars on self-development. And yes, you guessed it - they drink eight glasses of water a day.
What you don’t see is the whole backstage of creating a facade of a perfect parenting businesswoman. In most cases, these "success stories" are just as staged as their sugary photos full of smiling kids, well-organised calendars and healthy food. Believe me - after the heavily-filtered photo is taken, they also put their seventh-day hair in a messy bun and dream of five minutes on their own to go to the toilet. Moreover, many of them are actually parenting celebrities with a little army of assistants, photographers and editors, substantial capital allowing them to run their business rather carefreely, paid advertisements here and there and excellent babysitters taking care of their children while they are busy. In such circumstances, it’s much easier to find time to prepare quinoa, avocado, coconut and hummus poke bowl for lunch.
Believe me - you are doing great.
The word “personal” is crucial here. Don’t let other people dictate you your priorities and don’t feel ashamed for setting your goals or focal points indifferent to what most people are used to. Of course, listening to advice coming from trustworthy sources is always a good idea - and you should definitely take a while to analyse your decisions, where they come from, and how they affect both your family and business. However, don’t get caught in a guilt trip. Every family and every business is different - you can create a perfectly healthy work-life rhythm while not following commonly accepted methods and role models at all. “Balanced” doesn’t have to mean a perfectly centred compromise - it’s about finding a composure that works for your own case the best.
In most cases, it’s best to separate your roles of being a business owner and a mother, which doesn’t mean that you should pretend that you don’t have children the moment you walk into your salon - it’s about being able to invest fully in what you are doing at the moment. Write down a few simple rules - like not answering your business phone at home or not distracting yourself with child-related issues (except for emergencies) while you are working. If you are trying to fulfil every single role at the same time, you end up not putting your heart into anything. Both your children and your business deserve a moment of your full attention span!
Most probably, you are already addicted to your online calendar, because without it, you would get lost in your busy schedule in two seconds flat. Go one step further - delegate your salon management tasks that can be automated, thanks to a digital helper.
No matter if you run your business solo or manage an army of employees - Booksy delivers functionalities that fit any business style. The system includes a simple yet intuitive appointment calendar, detailed customer records with appointment history, single and bulk messaging (including automated reminders or birthday wishes), financial statistics, detailed work reports, inventory control, staff schedules management… the list goes on. It also includes online booking that allows you to cut yourself off after working hours, while your clients can book their appointments 24/h. The software is a massive relief for all the bosses who have far too many things on their heads - you have better control over things and less work to do at the same time.
Tip: Want to test-drive the software and see if it fits your needs? Start a free, two-week trial :)
Let me guess - you are a perfectionist that has to control every single detail in person and the mere thought of giving away the tiniest bit of your decision-making power makes you go numb? It’s really not a healthy attitude. Sooner or later, your health (as well as your business and your family) will suffer. You will end up burned out, frustrated and tired, with tasks done halfway and people around you hurt by your lack of trust.
As a business owner, you are in the right - and are supposed to assign your employees tasks accordingly to their position. Then, you have to simply let them do the job without your harmful micromanagement. As a mother, you are in the right - and are supposed to share the responsibility with the second parent. Of course, it’s not always possible, many mums raise their children alone, but in other cases, you should never take every parenting burden on yourself just because you are a woman. Don’t try to “prove a point” by doing everything on your own - many mum bosses do it out of fear that they may be perceived as weak and disorganised. In reality, assigning tasks, demanding partnership and simply asking for help are the most mature and responsible things you can do.
Continuing the previous topic - don’t let yourself get caught into the “it won’t be done right unless I do it myself” trap! Whenever you feel the urge to correct something after someone, take a minute and be honest with yourself - is this really a task done wrong or just a task not done your way? For example, let’s say that you picked your manager to arrange team meetings and now you are irritated because they run them differently than you used to. But if you take a step back, you may notice that the manager has years of experience working with people and the meetings seem to boost the team performance. Or an example from your home - your husband prepares school lunch for your children and seeing upon it, you feel the urge to stop him and take over. But if you take a step back, you may notice that the ingredients he uses, although different, are perfectly nourishing and healthy… and the fact that they are packed a little messily makes no difference to your children!
Many working mums, let alone mums owning a business, face criticism from people who believe that they should prioritise their children more (of course, working dads do not receive such commentary at all, usually it’s just the opposite - they are praised and admired). You are being shamed and pushed into a guilt trip. As a result, you feel the sudden urge to sacrifice your business and/or your well-being in the name of fitting the perfect mother stereotype.
Again - don’t let people dictate your priorities. Remember that being a mother is not your only identity - first of all, you are an individual human being with hobbies, dreams and passions. You should never sacrifice doing things you love just because you have children. Yes, it usually requires compromising and reorganising things, but the first rule is to always do things that are best for you. If you love your job, the better for your family - a happy, fulfilled woman makes a much better mum. It also works the other way around - if you feel like your business consumes you and separates you from your family, let some things go. There is nothing more important than the people you love.
Business-owning mums - let us help organise your busy schedule! With Booksy, you will be able to automate many salon management-related tasks, which will allow you to focus on things that truly require your attention… and will let you go home to your family with a lighter head. Give the system a go today!
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