Work-Life Balance in a Family Business

Managing a family is a big responsibility. Owning a business is a big job. Running a family business can make life downright tricky. Maintaining true work-life balance is crucial for us as we try to make the most of our family, our business, and our life.

The Set-Up

My husband, Steven, and I each run a family business. No, not the same one. He runs his dad’s trucking company; I run my grandpa’s financial services firm. Both are local, which is a huge help. Both also allow us to bring our little boy with us when we need to, so we get to spend a lot of time with him. Our three-year- old knows how to pay truck drivers and answer phone calls. He also enjoys sitting as his desk and drawing maps to route drivers (last week he wanted to send one driver to 12 locations at the same time) or doing taxes (he takes all my red pens and draws on whatever paper is handy).

The Schedule

Trying to pin down a schedule for us is about like playing darts with spaghetti. We work around each other, our employees, our clients. On top of all that, Steven cringes at the thought of schedules and plans.

That being said, we try to give some stability and consistency to our days, mostly for the sake of our kids. During the week, Steven and I each try to be in the office all morning. We sit at our desks and knock out paperwork, answer phone calls, catch up with our staff, and take care of any other business that needs our attention. We usually have lunch together, and then that’s when it gets a little crazy. I rarely know what an afternoon will bring. We are both basically on call the rest of the day, but there is so much that we can get done with our phones that we just don’t have to sit behind a desk all the time.

The Freedom

I usually spend 20 scheduled hours or so in the office each week focusing on tasks that are office-specific, like client meetings. When I work from home, I have so much more flexibility. I can respond to emails while the kids play or have a Zoom meeting on my back porch. I didn’t miss my kids’ first words, first steps. We go to story time at the library and have picnics at the playground on nice days. I can have coffee dates with Steven first thing every morning and do a load of laundry before dinner time. We have had the flexibility to do “part-time” youth ministry for the past eight years and now to transition from that into volunteer work.

The Constraints

Our lives are filled to the brim. This past week has been especially crazy busy. Right now it’s Wednesday evening, and I’m sitting on the bed in my little boy’s room, watching him play tractors on the floor while Steven installs new cordless blinds in the windows.

And I’m working. I’m writing about work-life balance and wondering if I have any, or if I just work at work and then work at home.

Before I took over the operations and finances of my grandpa’s business, I worked a normal forty hours in the office and then was done. Now I feel like I never quit, never stop thinking it.

Even on holidays, we sit around the dinner table with our co-workers, and conversations teeter between how the cousins’ baseball teams are doing and whether or not we are going to switch tax software this year or which truck needs to go to the mechanic.

The Balance

I know that we are blessed to have the jobs we do. We work with people we love, and we have more flexibility in our work than most people do. That just brings some challenges with it. If we want to have any hope of a work-life balance when our work encompasses so much of our life, including the people we are closest to, we have to be very intentional.

5 Tips for Work-Life Balance

1. Be very aware of distractions

Figure out what gets you off track and then avoid it! This could be anything from Facebook to household chores. Steven found that he spent less time scrolling through Facebook just by moving the app icon to the last screen on his phone. I make to-do lists to help keep me on track. If it’s not on the list, I don’t do it.

2. Put fun/family activities on the calendar

This is not Steven’s favorite method since he likes to be spontaneous, but this is the only way my type-A self can fully focus on my family and put work away for awhile. We have done everything from playgrounds to weekend getaways. Steven’s job relies heavily on phone calls (routing drivers, arranging pick-ups and deliveries), so I especially appreciate when he is willing to put his phone away, even if it’s just during dinner.

3. Wake up early

Even if you aren’t a morning person, each day starts with a lot more sanity if you wake up before your kids do. This is when I read, pray, drink coffee, and write out my schedule for the day. It lets me start my day intentionally and quietly, instead of rushed and on someone else’s terms.

4. Be focused at the office

Multi-tasking can be a good thing, but it often leaves me with several partially-finished projects and a spinning head. I’m learning to focus on one project, client, or co-worker at a time. Seeing each project through to completion gives me a sense of accomplishment, and that motivates me to get started on the next thing.

5. Utilize your resources

I am trying to modernize and restructure our business, so I have been spending a ton of time trying to figure out what technologies and services would really make our office run more efficiently and effectively. I am also trying to train our staff in all the areas of our business so that everyone is better able to step in and cover for each other, which is crucial in a small company. If there is a way to do something more efficiently and still do it well, go for it!

Keep Learning

We are always trying to be open to new ideas.

*Update 7/20/22: Read this article for more insight on why I love running my own business.

What are some of the ways you maintain work-life balance? Leave a comment and let me know!