Yin and Yang: How do you balance work and family?
In business I have learnt that there is not always a wonderful balance and that at times the balance is tilted more towards work. On occasions, it is 100% necessary to tilt towards family, self and other non-work related commitments.
I have found some strategies though that have helped me lean more easily in the directions I am most needed.
One of these strategies was to relocate some areas of my work such as manufacturing, packaging and storage to a location away from my family home. By moving these tasks to a separate location I was forced into better time management through scheduling work days and times which included “OFF” work or “NO work” days.
Another process which has enabled me to juggle family and work balance has been the setting up of auto-response messaging on my business social media, website and email accounts.
My business was created because of my family and as such my auto-response messages informs customers that we are a family managed company and we will attend to their inquiry as soon as possible.
By being frank and honest with customers, I have found that on the very odd occasion when orders have been delayed due to unexpected illnesses or family mishaps, our customers are generally understanding.
The Drive: What challenges have you overcome?
As a start-up business I feel Little Button Essentials is still amidst many challenges and for me, the daunting processes of ongoing business planning and management. These challenges have not come naturally to myself, who prior to starting this business had only ever formally worked as a clinical midwife, lactation consultant and nurse.
Becoming an active member of community organisations, supporting local charitable events and being elected on our local Chamber of Commerce Board has meant that I have been aligned with fellow business owners and organisations who have helped me navigate many challenges, including IP protection, the legal aspects of business as well as product safety and compliance.
For better or worse: What are the pros and cons of running your own business?
When I first began turning my hobby into a business there was no hourly pay rate, little certainty of an income or the financial stability that I had previously experienced in my working career.
The hours of work were, and still are, long with little and on occasions no financial return. My home in the beginning was a place of constant work with little delineation between what was family time and what was work time.
However, by building a solid business foundation with family at its core, I have now reached the point where balance is key to business success.
I can see the benefits of being a business owner can include:
- Flexibility and an ability to adjust my work schedule to attend my children’s dance concerts, and school presentations.
- I have the ability to earn an income when I am away from my home on holidays.
I have chosen to follow my heart into business where everyday I am making a difference through my all natural, low allergy products that not only smell good and feel good, they provide much needed relief to all skin types.
Hopes and dreams: What next?
My dream is for every household across Australia and New Zealand to experience our #Madannahlove.
These creams are a jar of not just wholesome, natural goodness for your skin, they are each uniquely designed to provide relief particularly to sufferers of allergies whom until now have had little choice in what they apply to their skin unless they themselves had time to hand-make their own products.
As the world becomes more familiar with reduce and recycle, we need to also recognize the effect that by applying any mass-produced product to our skin, we are adding to our own toxic loads which can have detrimental effects on our health and the health of our children.
The Madannah Range is the natural, no preservative option for varying skin conditions from babies and beyond.
To learn more, shop the range or get in touch, visit the Little Buttons Essentials website. You can also keep up to date with Little Buttons Essentials on Facebook and Instagram.
