Back to school season has arrived. And while I am not hitting the books this September, I do 
need to prepare for getting back to work.
If you’ve visited this blog in the past six months, you’ll know that I had a baby boy in January and have been enjoying some extremely wonderful and valuable time with my little one. But starting this fall, it’s time to get serious about re-building my business to begin, as a new mom, the next phase in my career. While it may take some time to get into the swing of things (my goal is to be back to races by early 2014), I plan to spend the next few months getting ready to hit the ground running.
To begin, I thought it necessary to share how I plan to kick-start my journey. Below is what I’m working on to ensure a smooth transition.
Step 1: Secure child care
I feel fortunate in that I have the benefit of working from home. However, it would be impossible to be efficient without having some help to watch my son at least part-time to start. It’s a tough decision, as I love spending time with the little dude so much. That’s why I’m currently exploring the option of a nanny share. I feel like I could dedicate an entire blog to all of the things I am learning about child care in Toronto. One thing is for sure – it ain’t cheap. So I need to put together a budget and plan for covering costs.
Step 2: Ramp-up promotions
I have not been blogging as much as I’d like to lately. But that will need to change in the coming months. I also intend to resume writing for third party blogs and publications again later this fall – ramping up by January 2014. I’ll also be making some much needed changes to my website and some of my other promotional outlets. Plus, with all of the new content I will be producing, my social media participation will increase as well.
Step 3: Network and reach out to current and prospective clients
One thing that I learned from the first time I started my business is that it’s so important to network and let everyone know what you are doing. That is why I’ll be getting out to events, coffee meetings and reaching out to clients. In addition, I’ll be looking to form new partnerships and try to find ways to save time and share resources where it makes sense.
Step 4: Make it work for me and my family
This could just as easily be the first step. My new mantra is “make it work for us.” My husband and I have put a budget together and have agreed on how we see the next twelve months working for our family. It means I might have to make some tough choices from time to time. But in my mind, that’s what running a business is about.
I’d love your input. Are you a mom and do you run your own small business? How do you make it work for your family?