Running a business when pregnant/with a newborn-how did you do it?

[miss_rhi]

Hi ladies! Just wanting to know how you have all gone about running your business when you are pregnant/with a newborn? My partner & I are trying at the moment & I can't help but think about what I will do if I actually have a baby..... I work full time and run my business from home after hours, and obviously will quit full time work once I have a child to run my beauty business full time, but what did you do leading up to and immediately after having a baby? Did you work up until you go into labour, or your due date? How long did you have off? Did you completely stop work and refer your clients elsewhere? When did you start working again? I am worried that I will lose clients when I stop work to have a baby and will have to build my business all over again!

Please share your stories!!! xox

 

[eternalscot]

Never missed a client was two weeks overdue got induced came home did some clients. Then the hospital decided to then keep me in and I was so bored, (I am single). Baby born 10lb by c section put in high decency then my ex came to annoy me so I discharged myself. I went back to work six days after giving birth, I was weak. However, you will have clients and friend pestering you to see the baby morning til night so you may as well get paid for there company. One of my busiest months was the month I gave birth. My mother helped a lot and I sent my son to a private nursery at three months. If money was no object I would of gone to mother and baby group and got into all thats indulged stuff. I live amongs ex layers and doctors and other professional woman they all got this post natal depression. I never, I suspect I was too busy working to think about all that. It's possible not to miss a client and it helps if you have a mother at the end of a piece of string ( as I do), cleaner and all your shopping delivered, perfectly doable. It is probably easier with a supportive husband too. Sorry if I sound ungrateful for visitor with a newborn, but it's true everyone visits you with their boyfriend too, so it put your off breastfeeding. I don't think I'm popular but on average I was having five visits a day and they were all wanting coffee and biscuits this went on til 10pm and yes this was mainly clients, everyone thinks there are the only ones, still got wonderful presents! And it was well intentioned.

 

[gemgem55]

I have a beautiful three month old daughter and a very supportive husband!

We had a planned section and therefore I worked right up until she was born, stopped mobile appointments at 4 months pregnant though and converted a room at home. Same as you I have a full time job and do beauty evenings and weekends but hoping to build the business and not go back full time. i was lucky that my clients were happy to come to me

I started doing the I'd treatment when she was 6 weeks old but the big thing I forgot to consider was that she would want feeding - and newborns eat a lot!! I am breastfeeding and we introduced a bottle at 6 weeks so that I could work, it does put the pressure on with having to express milk though!

My hobby is also self employed so we have to be clever with our tidings to ensure our little baba is always looked after

I do sometimes feel guilty not being with her but bills need to be paid and I only do a max of about 10 hours a week at the moment

I've rambled on! But any questions let me know and good luck!!

xx
Sent from my GT-I8160 using SalonGeek

 

[zm85]

I'm 37 weeks pregnant at the moment and worked for as long as I could but cut down my hours from from the beginning as i was mobile and i didn't want to risk carrying the heavier equipment like my beauty couch etc but if I could've had a set up from home i wouldve taken more appointments and continued working up until now but we were also in the process of moving home at the time so when we moved i stopped work, it didnt really make sense to travel to my clients anymore that I moved to a new area altogether. So I will be starting back up next year again from scratch! I have decided that I will either start off mobile again to begin with and/or look at renting from somewhere nearby instead of setting up at home so it doesn't affect baby's routine and that way I can offer appointments in the evening too without it disrupting our home. my husband works away for long periods of time so when he is here he can stay at home with baby on the evenings I work - i haven't thought about or made arrangements for when hes away yet tho! I think you could make it work from home if you have set hours and can work it around your family while still keeping clients happy i wouldnt worry about losing your clients some of mine have even said they would travel to me when I start up again next year! so if you have loyal customers like I did they might in the meantime go elsewhere but will come back to you think of it as a positive you have a chance to really make a go of things while going full time I know when I left my job to pursue beauty full time my business really took off

 

[BeautCuticle]

My husband and I are trying for our 2nd baby, my son is 2 and a half and goes to family members when I'm working and is starting Pre-school next month. I keep thinking if I get pregnant I'll keep working and just work it out! I worry that I would lose clients if I don't.
I know I would be having a section due to complications last time so would need a couple of weeks to recover and obviously no driving for 6 weeks (I'm mobile) just hope my clients I already have don't mind coming to me for a bit!

 

[Roxi]

I had a planned c section so worked until a week before, so 38 weeks. I cut down my hours in the last couple of weeks to 3 days. I stopped altogether for 4 months and then went back part time. I was fully booked right from the beginning, clients only had to go elsewhere once or maybe twice then they came back. I did lose some clients but as I cut my hours down it didn't matter. My husband was also a stay at home dad so it didn't matter what times I worked, so that really helped.

 

[BizGirl]

My first salon was in a small cottage at the back of our house. I was lucky that both my boys (2 yrs apart) were settled babies so I was able to have them in the house while I was working - I seemed to be able to time clients between their sleeps. When I moved my salon into a house, I hired a nanny and she came into the house/salon and looked after the boys onsite and then when they were older, they went to kindy/pre-school. There was quite a bit of running around and juggling work with children but that's the beauty of being self-employed...it works in well.

 

[BizGirl]

My first salon was in a small cottage at the back of our house. I was lucky that both my boys (2 yrs apart) were settled babies so I was able to have them in the house while I was working - I seemed to be able to time clients between their sleeps. When I moved my salon into a house, I hired a nanny and she came into the house/salon and looked after the boys onsite and then when they were older, they went to kindy/pre-school. There was quite a bit of running around and juggling work with children but that's the beauty of being self-employed...it works in well.

...oh, and I worked up until I went into labor and then went back a short while later.

 

[Leely]

I'm 6 months pregnant and I stopped being mobile at 3 months only due to the fact we were moving, we then had to move again 6 weeks later so I stopped working for nearly 3 months. Now we have moved into our new house I have set up a home salon, I have only been back working for about 2-3 weeks so waiting for it to pick up.
My baby is due in November I plan on working as close to when baby is due.as long as everything goes well with labour etc I plan on going back 2nd week of dec as I'm hoping I will be busy . I also have a 17 month old son as well, so most of my appts at the mo are in the evening or weekends when my fiancée can look after our son. .

Xx

 

[skankinchar]

Hey, just thought I'd let you know what my boss did, seen as I've not had a baby yet!

I was left with the day to day running of the salon, and she would come in of an evening and do 2 or 3 clients whilst her partner was at home looking after the little one. This seemed to work really well for her, as she kept all of her clientele. Those clients that couldn't come in when she was available were looked after me.
Good luck with everything x

 

[Kayleighs Nail & Beauty Studio]

im really curious to know how you will women cope with that and being full time wife too :-s

im finding it really hard iv went bk to work 6hrs at the most very hard to switch off n i cudnt stop thinking bout baby

its hard work being self employed a mum and a wife

 

[souz]

you have to be extremely organised and have people that you can rely on, you cant do everything yourself and you cant be there all the time! everyone needs to know how to be able to do everyone elses job should you or someone be off!

My husband had his own business and i worked for him in his office, we have four boys between us and i have always done nails. i had files in my office on how to do just about everything so that if i was off it was there in black and white! if i was going on holiday i worked like mad before and after and even on holiday sometimes!! i did payroll and couldnt expect staff to not get paid!! after we sold the business i was a PA to 6 Directors and travelled around the country. I would leave at 5am and get home at 7pm, then i would aort washing dinner and kids!! i have great parents and a husband and i organise all of them!!


as for losing clients that will depend on how loyal they are and how much time you will have off. there is no right and wrong. after my first i had 2 weeks off and went back full time, after my 2nd alot longer! maybe have a month or so off then just do 2 days aweek for regulars and take it from there.

 

[souz]

shouldve said you need a large diary and everything needs to be written in it!! and if you really want (i had one when kids were smaller) a chart on your fridge with a column for everyone!

have a look at organised-mum.co.uk

 

[MrsHBeauty]

It is so much hard works juggling life with children, husband and working full time and then some (I'm as salon owner).

I have a great family and I couldn't do it without them. My dad, mum and 2 sisters help me out every single week
I have got into a routine now, I finish at 3pm 3 days a week, my husband has Wednesday off to have the kids, and my mum/sister has the kids in a Thursday. Then we're at the weekend when my husband doesn't work.

My youngest was 18 months old when I first opened, she's 3 now and my older two are 6 and 8.

They do clubs afterschool, have friends round, all the "normal" stuff kids do when their mum stays at home. I haven't missed one parents eve, sports day, assembly, fete, cub awards ceremony nothing at all.

Somedays it's gets too much but I have a good cry, feel sorry for myself then get back in with it.

I would not change it for the world. When I stand outside my salon with clients walking in and out, I almost burst with pride, I know it's through my hardwork and dedication (and my amazing staff) that it is going well.

Combining a family, house and owning a salon is tricky but very rewarding, plus I am setting a good example for my children.