I’ve found that, when it comes to parenting, we’re always comparing ourselves to others – to those shiny-toothed success stories on Instagram. It’s the exact same in business.

So, trying to be a good parent and a great business owner? Many will say that it’s a pipe dream… but is it? I’ve been able to build a financially successful business in between drop-offs and pick-ups and it’s been down to my focus on persistence, productivity, profit, persuasion and practical parenting.

I’ve learnt a lot being a business owner and a parent, so here are a couple of tips that have helped me immensely.

FIND YOUR WHY There’s no doubt that running a business as a parent is hard, and you know what makes it harder? You! You fret about your goals, beat yourself up about your lack of productivity and torture yourself with parental guilt.

The truth is that most people choose to start their own business for one reason: flexibility.
This comes in three forms:
1. Time: The ability to work when and how you want.
2. Money: The opportunity to dial the income flow up and down as required.
3. Creative: The autonomy to decide what you do each and every day.

We all have the same number of hours in a day as Beyoncé, so why aren’t we all mega celebrities? Well, because Beyoncé has an army of helpers to do her hair, wipe her bottom and stack the dishwasher.

You may dream of having the standard 38 hours a week to work, but that’s unlikely to happen. One kid will always get sick and the washing machine will suddenly crap itself just as your deadline approaches, but you do have those 38 hours. It’s just not in the same week.

FOCUS ON FINANCE There is absolutely no point pulling a financial goal out of your arse. Instead, you need to base your goals on fact. We’ve been sold the dream that we can earn millions in a few hours a week but the reality is, most of us are still exchanging our time for money and we need to be honest about that.

Sit down and work out what you need each month to cover:
Essentials: Your basic food, comfort and survival needs that may or may not include Netflix.
Nice to haves: What do you need to take life beyond bearable; add up your little luxuries.
Savings and security: What do you need to add on top of the above to pay off debt and save for your future?

LEARN TO COMMUNICATE There’s a common phrase that goes, “what you don’t ask you don’t get,” and I find this so important for business-owning parents. So many of us suffer in silence and are too embarrassed to ask for help, as if admitting we can’t ‘do it all’ makes us all miserable failures. But here’s the thing: we can’t do it all – at least not alone.

It wasn’t until I started involving other people in my business that it really took off. I don’t mean hiring a huge number of staff, but rather starting small and testing the waters with a nervous toe.

Here are a few ideas.
1. Do a kid swap: Ask a local mum to take your kids one day a week or one school pick-up a week and you do the same in return. Those few hours of freedom will be so precious.
2. Offer contras: If money is tight, offer to exchange services with another business owner. Treat it like a real job with a scope of works and a budget, so that you both manage expectations.
3. Find a community: While there may not be local meet-ups, an online community can help you feel less alone (and be a great source of work, ideas and support). I literally started my memberships just to find other like-minded souls and they have saved me on many a dark day.

INSOURCING If you’re nervous about outsourcing jobs in your home or business, then consider insourcing. Insourcing involves getting your kids – and partner if you have one – involved in the household chores as much as possible. They won’t do the jobs as perfectly as you do them, but it’s one less thing on your to-do list and over time they will improve.

Here are my tips:
1. Pick age-appropriate tasks: Don’t be asking your three-year-old to whip up an omelette. Rather, start small and go from there. My son, when he was six, wrote out envelopes for my business, and now at 13 he manages my social media and even edits my videos!
2. Create a schedule of jobs: Kids forget things, so make it easier for them. My son has a list of morning chores: feed the dog, empty the dishwasher, sweep kitchen and pack lunch. This saves me about 20 minutes a day and that sure adds up over the weeks and months.
3. Create standard operating procedures: You know how in cafes they have lists of how to clean up at the end of a day? Create some for your home.

Running a business while also trying to raise a family is tough, there’s no denying that. Can I have it all? Yes. But not today. Will I have some weeks where I’m not doing a great job as a parent or business owner? Absolutely. But I’m playing the long game. I’ve created a business that will grow with me as my son grows and still be there when he’s gone and living his own life.

And that, for me, is worth all the tough days.

Kate Toon’s latest book, Six Figures in School Hours: How to Run a Successful Business and Still Be a Good Parent is out now from all good booksellers. For more small-business stories like this, visit frankie.com.au/strictly-business, or sign up to our monthly e-newsletter. Have a small-business story you’d like to share? Pitch it to us.