I’ll start by saying sorry for the fruity title but there really isn’t any other way to describe those weeks where absolutely everything goes wrong at once. You know the ones.
I remember one week that was particularly brutal. My little sister was rushed to hospital with a brain haemorrhage (thankfully she recovered). Her son came to stay with us so he could have as normal a life as possible. The downstairs loo flooded (don’t even go there). My other half was working away. One of our puppies had an allergic reaction and needed an emergency vet trip. And through it all, I was doing the school runs, keeping the kids fed, and trying not to fall apart.
Chloe was only about six at the time, and my nephew was eleven – sometimes they were angels, sometimes they fought like cat and dog. Looking back now, I honestly don’t know how I kept everything going. But I did. And my business kept running through all of it.
How? Because I’d Built It That Way
The reason my business survived that chaos wasn’t because I’m superwoman (I’m really not). It’s because I’d put systems in place that meant things didn’t grind to a halt when I couldn’t get to my laptop for a few days.
And that’s what I want you to think about. Because life WILL throw curveballs at you. It’s not a matter of if, it’s when. The question is: could your business survive a week without you?
How To Build A Business That Keeps Going
Schedule your content in advance. Use Later or Metricool to schedule your Instagram posts and Stories. Batch-create your content in Canva so you’ve always got a week or two queued up. That way, if life goes sideways, your social media keeps running without you.
Set up email sequences. Platforms like Flodesk, MailerLite, and ConvertKit let you create automated email sequences that nurture your subscribers even when you’re not at your desk. Welcome sequences, sales funnels, value emails – set them up once and they work forever.
Get help. Even if it’s just a few hours a week, a virtual assistant can keep the wheels turning. They can manage your inbox, schedule posts, chase invoices, handle customer queries. It’s one of the best investments you can make in your business.
Document your processes. Write down how you do things – even just in a Google Doc or Notion page. How do you process an order? How do you onboard a new client? If someone else had to step in tomorrow, could they? If not, start documenting.
Have an out-of-office plan. Set up auto-responders on your email. Have a pinned Instagram Story saying you’re taking a few days out. Give your VA or business bestie temporary access to your accounts if needed.
Life happens. Kids get sick. Pipes burst. Family emergencies don’t check your calendar first. The best thing you can do for your business – and your sanity – is to build it so it can survive without you for a while. Because sometimes, the most important thing is to just be a mum, a sister, a daughter – and know that your business will still be there when you’re ready to come back.