In April 2020, as the UK entered its first lockdown, I gave birth to my son Oliver. With no human interaction, no baby groups, and no midwife clinics, I found my village online, using apps and tech to navigate the new world of motherhood.
Five months later, with baby Oliver in a sling, I started my own business from my kitchen table. Now, with a successful consultancy business and a move to France under my belt, I want to share wit you my business productivity tips for juggling a business and a baby.
Productivity Tip 1: Use the Huckleberry Sleep App
Getting your baby to nap at regular times of the day is key to smoother scheduling for the whole family. The Huckleberry Sleep App combines paediatric sleep advice with AI to perfectly plan your baby’s nap times according to their age and sleep patterns. You can plan your work and your own rest if you know when your baby will be asleep.
Remember not to pack your diary too full of work- you’ll need plenty of white space to shuffle plans around without causing stress and prioritise your little one.
Productivity Tip 2: Use ClickUp
When you’re juggling a business and a baby, you have to hold a lot of information to remember. When I started using ClickUp my productivity shot up through the roof. ClickUp allows you to free up some headspace and add tasks and deadlines. This platform has a phone app for on-the-go notes and to-do lists. You can view upcoming tasks as a calendar view, in a list, or on task cards on a board- whatever you prefer.
I took it one step further and added my husband to ClickUp so we can manage family tasks such as Oliver’s vaccinations and remembering to order the supermarket delivery each week- all things easily forgotten when you’re both busy.
Each task has an assignee and date, so no business or personal task can slip through the net, and no one can say, “I thought you were doing that!”
You can learn how to set up ClickUp for yourself here
Productivity tip 3. Use Voxer for Voice Notes and File Sharing
With a new baby on your hip, you’ll rarely have both hands free to write long messages to clients or your team. Voxer is a walkie-talkie app for voice notes, photos, file sharing, and normal text messages. A great way to keep your private and business lives separate but stay connected and productive while you’re pushing the pram around the park.
A top productivity tip: Keep Whatsapp for your friends and family – Voxer is for work only. Then turn off your notifications in the evening.
Productivity tip 4: Use Zapier to Automate Your Apps and Platforms
Zapier connects and automates all of your apps and platforms to save you a tonne of time. For example:
✅You receive a new lead via a contact form, and Zapier adds the details to your ClickUp task board to review the next day.
✅A client books a call with you, and Zapier sends them your client welcome pack by email.
✅A client signs a contract, and Zapier sets up a new folder in your Google Drive with their name on it ready for you to get started.
As a new Mum growing a business, you need to remove any manual task that could be automated to free up your time and be productive – you’ll need every minute!
In conclusion, being a working mum can be challenging, but with the right tools and mindset, it’s possible to strike a better work/life balance.
By following these productivity tips, you can manage your time more effectively, freeing up precious moments with your little one.
Remember, it’s okay to ask for help and take breaks when you need them. You got this, mama!
