Some of the tips on maternity leave for women entrepreneurs include making a plan of action before hand, delegating work to the staff, putting in quality checks, letting you staff take over the work slowly, taking measures to control spam, alerting clients, setting up alerts through emails, creating connection times and getting adequate sleep.
Women are fast breaking the glass ceiling and joining every industry. As the number of young female entrepreneurs is rising, women business owners are fighting more odds than the normal woman when it comes to maternity leave. Having a baby makes it almost impossible for an entrepreneur to get her head around her business. Sometimes, when you become an entrepreneur, the safety net quickly vanishes and you’re left all alone as people think you are a superwoman who can handle it all. That’s why female business owners barely take a break after giving birth, as they simply can’t afford to be away from their company for an extended period of time.
Source: Herald Sun
Tips On Maternity Leave For Women Entrepreneurs
However, there are ways to prepare beforehand, so that you can spend quality time with your new bundle of joy without putting your business at risk. Here are 10 tips on maternity leave for women entrepreneurs.
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Make a plan of action
Before the sleepless nights start, it’s always best to create an action plan for the next one year. The next 9 months or more are going to be crucial not just for the mother, but for the baby too. So, you need to be around for your little one. Create a plan of action for your business, so that it can run without your constant presence.
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Delegate
Communicate that you’ve been working on a plan of action. This will help build confidence in your employees. Find someone who can oversee operations while you’re away, identify individuals to allocate your daily tasks and cross train your staff so that they can handle every aspect of the business.
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Quality checks
It’s always crucial to check if the people who have been allocated tasks are on the right track. So, about 4-6 weeks before your delivery, start focusing on quality control by cross checking the people’s work, how they handle queries and the way they handle orders and customers. You do not want a mess when you are back after.
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Unwind slowly
After delegating your work, slowly take breaks and let the people in-charge take over. If you are a control freak, this is a good time to let go and observe and find out who is working efficiently and properly.
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Spam patrol
Scrutinize each and every email that you get during your last trimester. Watch the volume and unsubscribe to everything you can. Arrange your folder to “promotional” or “newsletter” for the lists you want to stay on, but do not want to check until you really want to. Basically clear, label and plan your inbox smartly.
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Alert clients
By the last month of your pregnancy, alert your clients that you will be away for a few months, but they have nothing to worry about. Give them a direct contact to whom they can feel connected in your absence. Also inform them when will you be available and what mode of contact you will be using.
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Set up alerts
Setting up out of office alerts in your email and changing outgoing messages on your phone are useful to inform clients of your absence. Also creating a calendar widget to your website will help client’s book appointments for when you return.
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Create connection times
After your baby comes, in order to avoid being caught up answering phone or checking email, create connection times. Fix a particular time in the day and let people know that you will be available during that period to answer phone calls and check mails.
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Get adequate sleep
The brain never really shuts off if you are a businesswoman and as a successful entrepreneur, you just can’t just draw the shutters on your business. However, after your baby is born, you’ll be on 24-hour call as a new mom. Take breaks to sleep, even if it’s in the middle of the day. Look to work only when you’re feeling alert and productive.
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Disconnect
As a new mom, you need that extra time with your baby, for your baby and for yourself. It’s better to disconnect from anything and everything for a couple of weeks and just enjoy the joys of motherhood.
There is no doubt that it is tough for women entrepreneurs to strike a balance between work and life. And, things tend to get more difficult when motherhood comes. However, by planning ahead and making the right moves, you can make this transition period a fruitful yet happy one.
