In today’s fast-paced world, we often find ourselves juggling multiple responsibilities. This is especially true for crochet business owners, who are tasked with managing kids, yarn, laptops, blog posts, and photography. But fear not, you’re not alone. Whether you’re balancing these acts at home or on-the-go, it’s about creating harmony without sacrificing one for the other. Let’s explore some actionable strategies to manage your crochet business and life’s demands like a professional.
Life happens to everyone. Some people respond in a way that moves them toward their goals and some people respond in a way that moves them away from their goals. Check-in with yourself and try to be really cognizant of the way that you respond to things so that response is moving you toward the dream life that you want to have.
-Pam Grice, the Crochetpreneur
Why Balance Matters as a Crochet Professional
The struggle of balancing business tasks with personal life is a truth many of us live daily. Ignoring this balance can lead to burnout, a condition that’s unfortunately all too common. Burnout doesn’t just affect your productivity; it can impact your mental health and well-being. Read, listen, or watch below to 👇
5 Key Strategies for a Balanced Life as a Crochet Professional
1. Embrace Time Blocking
🕗 Flexibility within Structure: Time blocking is a proven method for boosting productivity. However, it doesn’t need to be rigid. Embrace flexibility. Your time blocks should cater to your creativity, allowing you to pivot when necessary.
🐸 The “Eat the Frog” Technique: Tackle the tasks you normally procrastinate on first thing in the morning. Whether it’s bookkeeping or writing social media content, getting these out of the way can create a positive momentum for the rest of your day.
🗓️ Theme Days for Focus: Consider dedicating specific days of the week to particular tasks, such as recording podcasts or writing blog posts, to enhance focus and efficiency.
🧶 Block out your crochet time: Intentionally schedule in a crochet block each day, whether that’s in the school pickup line or for an hour after dinner. However you do it, don’t forget to put the fun stuff in your day and and mix it up a little bit.
2. Use a Simple System
🧠 Find What Works for You: Whether you prefer digital planners like Trello or Asana, or physical planners, stick to what feels right. The key is simplicity.
📝 Start a ‘Three Things List’: Choose three main tasks to focus on each day. This approach helps avoid overwhelming yourself with a never-ending task list.
🛠️ Adopt Effective Tools: For project management, I recommend Asana, but every person has their favorite. Choose one that aligns with your workflow.
3. Automate the Boring Stuff
💻 Social Media Scheduling: Block out time to create and schedule your posts for the week. Automation frees up your mental resources for more creative tasks.
✉️ Email Automation and Templates: Use templates and set up auto-responses to easily manage recurring tasks.
⚙️ Leverage autoresponders: Use autoresponders, for your emails, your Etsy messages. Tools like ManyChat call help you automate your social media engagement.
🗘 Repurpose Content: Maximize the value of your existing content by repurposing it for different platforms. Repurpose videos as reels. Repurpose photos as carousel posts. Consider hiring a VA to handle this, if feasible.
4. Set Boundaries
🙅♀️ Learn to Say No: Be wise about what you say yes to. If a request doesn’t align with your business goals, decline politely but firmly.
❤️ Make time for passion projects: While doing things you love may not always directly advance your goals, they feed your soul and help you achieve your purpose.
🤯 Avoid Overcommitment: Overcommitting can lead to burnout, which hampers both your personal and professional life. Establish clear boundaries and revisit them regularly.
5. Reevaluate Weekly
📊 Weekly CEO Time: Dedicate time each week to reassess your goals, what worked, and what didn’t. Adjust your strategies as needed.
🤝 Use Accountability Systems: Engage with a biz bestie or mastermind group for support and accountability.
💭 Reflect and Plan: Reflection is crucial for growth. Understanding past missteps allows you to plan better for the future.
start your morning like a boss
Free CEO Crochet Checklist
Manage your crochet business like a professional with this Crochet CEO Checklist. It will help you track all the important tasks—not only businessy things like sales and marketing but also self-care and giving back!
Shout-Out: Chantal, the Handmade Business Professional behind Knitatude
Chantal is the creative mind behind Knitatude, where she creates simple, elegant knitwear designs for beginner knitters who want to explore and expand their knitting skills. After years of saying she would never going full time as a designer, last week she quit her full time job and is now a full-time handmade business owner!
I highly recommend you check out her website! Follow her on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest. And like, comment, and share her stuff to help her with this transition into being a full time designer!
When you go work for someone else, you have a guaranteed paycheck. And when you take that leap from guaranteed paycheck to, “Now it’s all in my shoulders,” it’s a really scary thing. So I want to shout out Chantal for making a scary decision, for saying yes to the future that she sees for herself and for her family. That’s really exciting!
Concluding Thoughts
Remember, life situations are different for everyone, and sometimes events can disrupt even the best-laid plans. However, how we respond can either propel us forward or hold us back. Utilize these strategies to create a business environment that’s not only productive but also nurturing—one that fuels not just your business goals, but your life’s ambitions too.
