Listen to today’s episode on Maternity Leave Planning for Small Businesses: How I Prepped for My 3 Month Maternity Leave
I’ve been seeing many discussions on Threads about maternity leave planning for small businesses. And it’s interesting to see everyone’s viewpoints on whether you should take maternity leave as an entrepreneur. Since this was my second time being pregnant as a business owner, I figured it would be helpful to share my experience with not taking maternity leave and planning for a 3-month leave. If you’re currently pregnant or planning to get pregnant while running your business, definitely listen to this episode. I give you some things to think about when it comes to maternity leave while running your business, and I share some things I did to make this last maternity leave peaceful and profitable.
Side Note: I recorded this before I returned from my leave. Originally, I planned to take the full 3 months, but I decided to return a month early.
Main Topics Covered in this Episode:
- While all small businesses should prep for maternity leave, even if you don’t plan to officially take one
- Why I regret not taking a maternity leave the first time I was pregnant while running my business
- What I did to prep my clients, marketing, and income for maternity leave
Resources Mentioned in the Episode:
- Evergreen Marketing Accelerator
- Podcast Like a Business Owner Podcast Launch Course
- Interested in learning more about my new offer, DFY Threads for Podcast Growth? Send me a DM on Threads or IG. I will have 2 spots available beginning in October.
FAQs About Maternity Leave Planning for Small Businesses
Should Small Businesses Plan for Maternity Leave?
I believe every small business should plan for maternity leave, even if they may decide not to take one. Adjusting to parenthood, whether you are a first-time parent or a second- or third-time parent, comes with challenges. You can have a plan and a vision for your child’s birth, and it may not turn out the way you planned. The best thing to do is to prepare for the worst case scenario; that way, you won’t be stressed scrambling to keep your business going. Have things in place for a maternity leave and then decide after your baby arrives what you want to do.
How Can I Prepare My Business for Maternity Leave?
Small businesses should plan for maternity leave by first deciding how long their leave will be. I recommend planning for an additional month or two beyond your original plan, just in case you decide to take a longer leave or something else comes up. Once you know how long your leave will be, figure out how much income you need to have set aside to cover your time off. Start stacking and setting aside your income to cover your leave.
You also need to communicate with your current clients what will happen during your maternity leave. Will you be pausing support during your leave, or will someone on your team take over? Next, you will want to figure out your visibility and marketing plan and which platforms you want to continue showing up on during your leave. How will you stay visible and generate leads during your maternity leave? How will you continue to sell your offers while you’re on leave? Will you be pausing any of your offers, including onboarding new clients? There’s no right or wrong way to approach this. It’s all about what you want to do and what makes the most sense for you.
How Can I Still Earn Money as a Small Business Owner While on Maternity Leave?
Just because you are on maternity leave does not mean you have to stop selling your offers. You can pre-sell spots for any of your offers before and during your leave, even if they may not start until after you return from maternity leave. You can also sell digital products to bring in “passive” income. Something I recommend is driving people to one of your signature offers and creating urgency by letting them know you will be going on maternity leave and that this will be their last chance to join until you return. This will help create a cash injection right before you go on maternity leave.
How Much Time Should I Take Off for Maternity Leave as an Entrepreneur?
The amount of time you take off for maternity leave as an entrepreneur is completely up to you. There are many factors that can affect how much time you take, such as the level of support you have in both your business and your personal life. If you have a team that can run your business while you’re on maternity leave, you may feel more comfortable taking a longer leave. If you are a solopreneur, you may feel the pressure to get back to your business as soon as possible. However, you don’t have to rush back. As soon as you discover you are pregnant, you can start planning your maternity leave. You can start saving money to help cover your maternity leave, so you won’t stress about expenses. The key to a good maternity leave as an entrepreneur is to plan and prepare in advance.
Related Episodes and Blog Posts:
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Andria Singletary is a podcast strategist for women entrepreneurs ready to start a podcast for their business or optimize their current podcast to get more clients.
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