Anyone who has had the experience of raising a child will tell you that being a parent is a full-time job – a job with no PTO, no retirement plan, and no clocking out early. As rewarding as the gift of parenthood is, many people need outside work to support that child or want to maintain their personal goals as a career person.

So how does one run a successful full-time salon while working 24/7 as a parent? It’s a delicate balancing act between organization, commitment, and resilience, and we believe every beauty professional can have it all. In a recent Community Spotlight with Kelsey Morris, stylist and mom of two (soon-to-be three!), she shared a few indispensable insights on the business of balance that will resonate with any working parent when it comes to keeping it all together.

Stay Organized With Software

First and foremost, you have to stay organized. For Kelsey, getting the right software was step one – ditch the pen and paper and go digital so that you’ll have everything in one place and look professional even on those days when you may be feeling anything but!

Not only will all of your appointments be in one place, but you’ll have a home for your numbers and reports too. “I don't love numbers, looking at numbers really stresses me out, ”Kelsey shared. “Having all of that in one place and really just knowing where my business stands from a numbers perspective is very important, and has really propelled me.”

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Commit to Work-Life Balance

“It's important when you're looking for software to find something that is able to help you run your business and give you back your time,” Kelsey noted. You may not realize how much time you're putting into the back and forth with clients to get appointments on the books. You may miss texts or calls while you’re trying to spend time with your family or may have clients bothering you during personal hours, leading you to feel the pressure to respond. Creating a space for online booking and contact forms on your website is the solution; that way, you're not getting messages from clients at 2 a.m., but they’re still able to book whenever it is convenient for them.

Syncing your personal and work calendars is another working-parent hack to help maintain a sense of organization and set boundaries. Using GlossGenius as your work/life planner, you can block off specific times to unplug and be present with your family, and feel confident that you won’t be interrupted by needy clients or the temptation of new business.

Try GlossGenius free for 14 days!

Take Notes

Your family will always be the priority and having confidence that there’s a team in place to take over when you need time off is hugely important to maintaining your sanity. Whether you’re suddenly rushing out the door to pick up a sick kid or have made plans to be out of the salon for maternity/paternity leave, you should be able to rest assured that your clients will be in good hands. The best way to ensure that? Detailed notes that your team has access to.

“I'm going on maternity leave here in the next six-to-eight weeks, my peers who are going to be taking over can also go right back into my account, look at [the client’s] profile, and they can see what my notes were for each session, they can know exactly what I charged her, they have her contact information and everything in there,” Kelsey shared.

When all the information is in your GlossGenius app under a client's profile, your team can jump in to cover whenever you need it – those small details will lead to a smooth transition and great peace of mind.

Try GlossGenius free for 14 days!

Ask For Help

There’s a reason people say “it takes a village to raise a child.” Sometimes being a good parent means not trying to do it all. When you’ve done everything in your power to balance your schedule, maintain a work-life balance, and keep yourself organized, it may simply be time to call in some backup. There’s no shame in asking for help or hiring new employees to help step in and support the parts of your business you can’t give your full attention to.

Start by sharing calendars with your team so everyone knows who’s available to jump in for an extra shift or an emergency cover. You can also use GlossGenius’ Teams Feature to give access to certain employees to assist in running your social media, updating your calendar, or managing inventory when you’re not available.

And even if you’re not ready to expand your business by building a team, GlossGenius can help fill in the blanks as the stand-in employee your small business needs.