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Today’s guest post is all about showing you how to balance your life while building your business to include a team. What am I referring to? I will let Barbara talk some more about this.
Here we are in the second decade after the millennium. We are experiencing a shift in how women work. We have women entrepreneurs who are also balancing home life.
Let me help you with what a work-life balance looks like for you. Every entrepreneur needs to think about how they spend their days. Ultimately, creating a work-life team is about you being able to spend more time with your husband and children in a way where you are not stressed.
Work-life balance is all about recognizing you can’t do it all alone. Fortunately, for us, there are many women who are out there every day offering services to help others. Get their jobs done more efficiently. For instance, there are many women who own a variety of service oriented companies.
They allow other entrepreneurial women to decide whether they’re going to have someone else do their print, mailing, or copywriting. This allows you to better plan out what balance looks like for you and your family.
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How to achieve a Work-life balance with a Team!
A work-life team is a group of people coming together to support one another making life easier. Many times they barter services ensuring everybody gets their needs met. Then everybody gets references from people who they are working with as a work-life team.
This is a group of entrepreneurs who you seek out to help each other by doing things they struggle with or do not have time to tackle.
The group of people becomes a team by meeting together regularly to understand how each person fits into each vision.
I recommend you stay at a bartering level to avoid legal and taxation issues.
There are many options for both home and work as team options.
- Copywriter
- Virtual Assistant
- Accounting
- Childcare
- Cleaning service
- Chef
Figuring out who needs to be on your team really means taking a step back and looking at what your needs are. What you can handle and what you would prefer someone else’s support you in doing.
You need to build a Work-life Team.
There are three things you need to consider as you build a work-life team.
- Shared Life Values
- Integrity and References
- Getting Value Beyond Cost
Shared Life Values
Find teammates who share your life values. Your home and business are the foundations of your life. How you build your team is important. You want to find people who are in agreement with you. The best way to figure this out is to ask yourself what are your top five values. As you talk with potential teammates ask them what their top five values are. Finding those folks who agree with you on 4 of the 5 is a good place to start.
Integrity and References
This is probably the one area where most entrepreneurs fail to give it their all. You are building a team to be geared towards supporting you and becoming an integral part of life for you and your family.
Step back and take the time to ask the tough questions. Be thorough. The more time you spend scoping out the members of your team, the fewer issues you will have later. Ask for references and call them.
Ask them to be very specific with you regarding their work ethic, efficiency, and dependability. Sometimes people are reluctant to be open. The one question most people will answer. Given the opportunity– Would you use their services again? A no answer speaks volumes. Take the time to build your team carefully and deliberately. This includes any new members.
Getting Value Beyond Cost
There are things every person needs beyond getting a particular job done. A housekeeper who is kind to your kids is a value beyond the cost of the price of getting the house cleaned.
As you are thinking about the roles other people will play on your team consider what kind of person you need. What kind of attitude, aptitude, and personality type is going to work?
The ultimate reason to build your work-life team is to free yourself up to be more present in both your personal and work life. No person becomes successful on their own.
Search out business directories where you can get in touch with others, use online groups to ask for references or put out a request for help.
When does a team become necessary?
There are four factors which will let you know it is time for a team.
- Your workload has become too much.
- You find yourself working instead of spending time with your family.
- You are tired and stressed.
- You have little time or inclination to take care of yourself.
As you move toward more growth and success, be sure to consider building a work-life team.
Good luck building your team.
Bio: Barbara Harvey is an expert in parenting and early childhood education. She is nationally certified through Temple University and Strengthening Families Worker. She is Executive Director of a parenting development group called Parents, Teachers, and Advocates in Atlanta Georgia. It is her passion to do group and individual sessions with parents that are dedicated to training parents to inspire, motivate, and empower their children to become remarkable adults.
It was nice of you to stop by.
Until then, happy hiring, and best wishes with your business.
Don’t forget to check the sidebar and footer of this website for awesome resources!
Photo Credit: Haute Stock
This is super important. Sometimes I worry about too much work and not being present in my mind when I’m with my baby. Worm-like balance is everything.
I agree with you James!
I realise the importance of a work life Team. 🙂
I know this post is so on point on how to do so.
Such a great post love!! Very informative
Thanks Theresa for the feedback.
Super helpful! Thanks for the tips <3
Your welcome Kim!
A balanced life is definitely a key to happiness. Great tips.
Thanks for dropping by Elise!
I love the idea of a work life team! I especially love what you said about sharing the same values 🙂 I think that’s so important especially when it comes to team work!
Rach
You are right Rach!
I tend to want to do a lot of things alone, but I know teamwork is important for so many reasons. Thanks for your insights!
No problem Aleese!
Sometimes however work life balance is very hard to achieve. And some things are just not possible.
Maybe some things but over time with planning and managing it can be done.
It’ll be hard to find people who share the same values with you so I am willing to compromise for just willingness to show respect. Your post is full of substance. 🙂
Thank you Nina!
I just became team leader. I was looking for some tips. Thanks for sharing the post 🙂
No problem, that’s good in your new position.
I’m a Virtual Assistant, and I have a client with three little kids. Sometimes she talk about how hard to manage her business without us(team) before. Well said balance is the key.
So agree with you Jayar!
I love the thought of doing it as a Team. Slowly, I’m starting to get more help and not do everything on my own.
That is really good to hear Kristina!
This is really great and will use your recommendations.
Awesome Jared!
Currently I need a team to get my running off the ground. I really need to form a team of like minded people. But as you said I need to figure what other needs I have in order to have an accurately configured team of mutual support.
I wish you the best on building your team, Ingrid.
I totally agree with shared values and integrity! So important!
Thank you Sarah!
Absolutely agree with you that teamwork is important to achieve mutual benefits. Everyone loves to go off work early enjoy life 😀 cheers.
Thank you.
Super helpful article. I learned a lot from it. Thanks a lot.
Your welcome.
I think finding team members who share your value is so important – but it’s usually so overlooked. I really appreciated your perspective!
Thank you!
Honestly, I didn’t know until recently that VA was A thing. since the day I started hiring one jeez I can’t say how much it was helpful
Good for you and all the best.
Great post! There was a lot to learn from this post. I don’t need for a team yet but will consult with you when I do,
Thank you!
One of the greatest tricks of life is maintaining the work-life balance. Its sucks you into either direction if we are not at wits about it!
You are right about that!
Work-life balance is always something I make sure to tell potential employers is very important to me! Also, team work makes for dream work! Personally, I’ve found just making lists and setting time-limits to be great ways to make sure I am not over-working and getting to enjoy my time.
That is another way of accomplishing your goals Thomas!
Finding a balance is so hard, I am not at the point where I need to build a team yet but hope to be there soon.
I wish this for you very soon.
Work-life balance is so hard to achieve but after reading this post, I see a ray of hope. It is really important to find a right team with mutual values. It is all about give and take – at workplace or home.
You are so right about that.
Balance life is a great key to achieve your dreams and goals Great post from you.
Thank you.
Your posts are always engaging Juli. I love each and every post you make and the fact that you make it easy for a newbie VA like me. Thanks a whole lot.
Thank you, Sheena, it’s not always easy.
I would rate Integrity and passion the highest…everything else will follow.
That is another way of looking at it!
Such a great post! Very informative, thanks for the tips 🙂
No thank you!
Work.life balance is a must to have a happy life.
Great suggestions….
Enjoyed reading..
Thank you
That is great Krish!