Do womenpreneurs really have maternity leave? While the law specifically points out working women to have maternity leave, womenpreneurs do not enjoy the same. It is almost virtually impossible to take a time-off after giving birth as it can be catastrophic to the business—financially and logistically.
How many women in business have continued working even while being wheeled into labor rooms? Or have jumped back right to answering business queries a few hours after delivery? While maternity leave may sound next-to-impossible to womenpreneurs, there are actually some options in place to ensure that you do not sacrifice health and well-being while keeping the business afloat. To give you an idea, here are some key points shared by womenpreneurs across industries on how they survived the ordeal of pre- and post- partum challenges while running a business.
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Set-up a strong support system. There are many ways to ensure that you do not lose out on your business while enjoying time off it all in a matter of two to three months (or, if you are lucky, even more!). To some support could be by way of delegating tasks to a business manager leaving you only to tackle the most serious matters, ones that will mean life or death for your business. Technology made this possible.
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Save up for the rainy days. Some usually set aside money on their elective disability insurance benefit which various states like New Jersey and California provide to self-employed people like sole proprietorship, freelancers and the likes. This usually covers time during and post- pregnancy. Others normally prepare for the long haul ahead or as a contingency plan to save as much as they can. They cut back on vacation plans, eating out and other aspects to cut on cost.
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Steer clear of new clients. For womenpreneurs in the service industry, this could be a time to focus on your current roster of clients. You would not want to be all over the place when the time comes for you to rest after giving birth.
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Outsource certain tasks. There are reliable third party service providers out there which can be of help. SiMar Inc., for instance, offer content management and comprehensive digital solutions to aid in certain aspects of a business. Tap colleagues in the industry who can also help lighten the load.
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Delegate accordingly. Employees usually feel pride and honor to be entrusted with gargantuan responsibility and often, give it their best shot. Motivate them. Build a culture of accountability. This helps foster trust and growth in the company.
Maternity leave to womenpreneurs is a challenging process. Even with all the help a new mom gets, she will always find a way to exercise her entrepreneurial rights. A business is her baby, after all. But every once in a while, it is highly recommended to rest and to think of nothing but your own self. This will not only keep your health in check, it will also help keep your sanity.
