Janelle Jones is a marketing strategist who runs a children’s events company.
She also teaches her children, who are five and nine years old.
She has changed her view of business success from financial aspects to flexibility.
This article is based on a conversation with Janelle Jones, founder of 4Kiddos. It has been edited for length and clarity.
I have always known that I wanted to homeschool my children and have been planning it since before they were even born. I owned a rental apartment that I rented out through Airbnb, which gave me more flexibility to dedicate my days to classes.
Unfortunately, my plan was derailed when my homeowners association changed its rules regarding short-term rentals. I continued working as a marketing consultant while homeschooling my children. On top of that, earlier this year I started a children’s events company.
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Being a mom, running two businesses while homeschooling two kids isn’t easy. What keeps me up at night isn’t groceries or mortgage: it’s childcare. Like other female entrepreneurs, I constantly weigh the cost of every professional opportunity against the amount of time I have to spend caring for my children.
On a typical day, I wake up and work from 6 a.m. to 8 a.m. This is my time to check emails, make to-do lists, and mentally prepare for my day as a teacher, entrepreneur, and mom.
Then I wake up my daughter (my son gets up early) and switch to the role of mother and teacher. We spend the morning doing homeschooling tasks. Towards mid-morning we try to take a walk in nature or go on an educational excursion.
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After lunch, the children rest and have some time alone. I don’t care what they do as long as they’re in their rooms. My son enjoys writing during this time while my daughter hosts dance parties. Meanwhile, I have customer discussions and meetings in my home office. I make it clear to the children that I want to do my work undisturbed during these hours.
After the kids are in bed, I go back to work – about 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. Then I do my most intensive tasks: writing, planning, and strategizing that keep the business running.
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Finding childcare is not always easy
This system works, but it is not easy. If a client call or meeting occurs outside of normal hours, I often leave the children in front of the television. I often wonder whether it’s worth hiring a babysitter to get more work done.
Unfortunately, that’s easier said than done. It takes a special person to take care of my son. He is very intelligent, constantly asks questions and doesn’t always behave perfectly. So even if I wanted to raise money, it wouldn’t be an easy solution.
Still, I budget $150 a week for a few hours of childcare, either through a babysitter I know or an emergency babysitting service. My work sometimes requires me to meet clients in person – then I get outside help. I also take advantage of local camps during school holidays to give myself more focused work time every few months.
Sometimes I turn down work because of child care
Occasionally I turn down work because it’s not worth adding to my mental load – even if it pays well. I’m currently reducing collaboration with a particular client. I just can’t justify how much of my capacity it takes up.
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I’m an emotional person, and that often determines whether a customer is worth the effort. If I enjoy the work and see that we can grow together, I am more willing to cover the cost of child care. If not, I don’t hesitate to let the customer go.
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The freedom to travel makes all the effort worth it
For me, running a company means more than financial success. I want freedom. Of course money can give freedom – but so can time.
My dream is to travel around the world with my children. My company and its teaching can function “on the go”. Two years ago we spent a month in India; We have also been to Europe and Mexico. I dream of a trip to Thailand. If I manage to go abroad for a month every year, I consider myself successful.
Read the original article on Business Insider US.
