While all small business owners understand the demands of launching and managing a business, many also face the balancing act of growing a business while raising a family. With constant demands on time, finances and attention, it’s inspiring to hear how small business owners that are also parents make it work.
That’s why we talked to Avani Agarwal, co-founder and partner of Stature, an online boutique specializing in garments for women with smaller frames.
Avani and her business partner, Camille Moroz, created Stature for women who are small in stature, want great style and ease and who may not fit off-the-rack “petite” designs. The company launched in 2016, while Avani was raising a young son, pregnant with her daughter and already working full-time for Google (which she still does).
Avani’s insights and tips will resonate for juggling parent-entrepreneurs.
Leverage strengths and share responsibilities—in business and at home
Well before they launched Stature, Avani and Camille figured out how to leverage each other’s professional strengths. As business partners, they now confer on significant things like mapping out the business’s growth, creating marketing ideas and doing product research and development, but trust each other to make day-to-day decisions.
By relying on each other while also giving some autonomy, Avani and Camille make the most of each other’s strengths and time. For example, Camille has more flexibility during the traditional workweek, so she handles many of the tasks that can only be done during regular business hours. Avani, on the other hand, typically works nights and weekends on behind-the-scenes projects.
So, too, does Avani count on partnership at home. Her husband, who also works full-time, is a partner in parenting and housework. And Avani’s son will join her in her office, doing homework or reading while she analyzes business data.
“It’s enough to give us both a necessary sense of togetherness, while enabling me to get my work done,” says Avani. And by including her kids in her venture, she’s teaching them the value of hard work, which she learned from her business-owner parents.
Manage expectations
Running a business and taking care of a family and, if you’re like Avani, holding down a full-time job can take a physical and emotional toll. That’s why it’s essential to set manageable expectations for yourself and those around you.
“As soon as we considered going into business together, Camille and I were honest about what we could each do, and how and when. As the business continues to grow, there are things we’ll need to reconsider, but we established a good foundation for communication and will continue to evolve.”
To that end, she and Camille have developed reasonable growth plans for Stature to keep the business manageable and profitable (which it already is).
Avani sets similar expectations for her home life.
She talks to her children about her business and helps them understand not only why the work is important to her, but how it helps them, too. She aims to set a positive example as a business owner but with that, she also hopes to instill a strong sense of the importance of family.
Her husband and kids know that she needs time at night and on weekends to get work done, but they also know that when she puts down the work, she’s fully present with them. “When we take vacation days or if there’s a weekend or night off, then I put away the phones and the screens and focus on family,” she says. “It’s as essential for my happiness as it is for their well-being.”
Don’t be afraid to ask for help—at work or at home
Avani and Camille have a strong working partnership and know they can rely on each other. And Avani readily admits that her personal life would be exceedingly difficult if it weren’t for so many people that help her out.
She and her husband are fortunate that family members have moved closer to them, so they have help at home and with the kids if they need extra hands. She also urges working parents to develop networks of people facing comparable challenges.
“I’ve become part of a group of women who are doing similar things—juggling full-time jobs and side hustles and raising kids,” she explains. “We share resources and time, so that if someone has my kids over for a late-afternoon play date, they may end up having dinner there, too, which gives me and my husband a breather, or some extra time for work. And, of course, we’ll do the same for others.”
Another key is to choose what to keep and what to let go. “One of us always goes to school meetings, but it’s rare that we’ll both be there,” admits Avani. “You have to get okay with that. It’s not easy, but sometimes it’s the only way.”
Recognize time- and sanity-saving investments—and feel good about them
Finances are a constant concern for most small business owners—but for entrepreneurs who are also parents, employees, partners and spouses, time becomes the most precious resource. That’s why one of the smartest things you can do is figure out what you can outsource and do it.
At work, Avani and Camille made the decision to hire a certified public accountant (CPA) from the start.
“We’re both into analytics and numbers and data,” she says, “and I’m sure we could’ve figured out QuickBooks and used it well enough. But we agreed that even though our operation was pretty low-budget from the start, this was an important investment for us.”
That investment paid off tremendously when they applied for and received a small business loan from Pursuit. “Having a great accountant on board helps instill best practices right away and heads off the bad habits that lead to unpaid bills or other financial messes, so we all sleep better at night,” advises Avani.
Figuring out the best uses of your time and what provides the best returns on investment is true at home, too.
“Although money is tight, when my husband and I realized how much sense it made to pay the babysitter to stay an extra hour to make dinner for the kids and feed them—and that we could come home and eat whatever was left over—it was clear that we couldn’t afford not to do it,” Avani says. “It seems like a luxury sometimes, but not when we factor in the stress and time it saves us—and time really is money when you’re running a business.”
Realize that you’re more resourceful than you know
Avani’s last bit of advice? She urges parents who are undecided about launching a business to go for it.
“It’s okay to fail—it’s a huge win just to be an entrepreneur and a parent and to start something and to set that positive example for your family. And trust yourself—you’re much more resourceful than you know.”
