It’s the age-old question, isn’t it? How do you achieve a balance between your family life and running a small business or startup? There is, of course, no perfect work-life balance. Everyone’s situation is different and there are too many variables to take into account in each individual case. What works for one person will not work for everyone else. In this episode of the number one small business podcast, we’re going to dig down into this most challenging of conundrums.

As small business owners, we’ll all have come across colleagues who have problems with this. An imbalance toward one thing or the other can create issues. If someone is too committed to the success of their business, it can create friction at home. Conversely, if the same person devotes too much time to their family, their business can suffer. Nobody wants either of these situations, so what’s the best way to make sure that both your business and family life are successful?

In this episode, we’re going to speak to Adam Farah who is performing this balancing act right now. As well as recently welcoming a baby daughter into the world, Adam is also the founder of an innovative new on demand roadside assistance service, Cavalry. Adam’s here to talk to us about his experience and his tips for making sure that you can get the most out of your family life while running a small business or startup.

Issue Challenged in this Small Business Podcast

How can you run a small business or startup with a family?

About Adam

Adam Farah formerly worked in the financial services industry but has recently taken the plunge into both family life and the world of startups. As well as being a father and husband, he is the founder of Cavalry, an on demand roadside assistance service. Adam came up with the idea when his pregnant fiancée was left waiting by one of the major recovery services. Since then, he’s devoted his time to creating a better way of connecting recovery operators and those in need of their services.

In this episode of your favourite small business podcast, Adam’s going to be talking about his experiences as both a startup founder and a family man. He knows from experience what it’s like to balance your passion for business with the love and responsibility of family life.

Actionable Tips

* Make sure you have a support network. Make sure that your partner, friends and family support your idea. Be honest with everyone.

* Keep family and work separate. That’s not to say don’t talk to your family about your business, but think long and hard about the balance. When you’re at home with your family, make sure you give them your full attention. When you’re at work, give your business your full attention. Giving either only half your attention is detrimental. You need to be able to switch channels.

* Get good at shortcuts. It’s a great idea to delegate tasks. Find services and freelancers to help you with menial or time-consuming tasks. If you find the right services, you’ll save time and money.

Top Quotes

* “On demand is more than a model for success, it’s a model for a brand new type of economy.”

* “You need to keep your work and your family separate. You need to make sure you are in the right headspace before you tackle a startup or any new business.”

* “I segregate my days, I look at the week ahead and categorise my activities. You need to make sure you have defined paths for the week and you need to make sure that you stick them.”

* “It’s really a case of looking into the future, looking at where you want to be and making your to-do list and defining your path to reach that future.”

* “It’s a case of making sure you can provide your family with a business that they can see working and once they see that they will dive in with both feet.