Some people have asked me how I manage running a small business while looking after two kids at the same time. My answer is simple: I absolutely love it, and yes, it is possible! My children are among the best things that have ever happened to me; they enrich my life in countless ways. So, on this Mother’s Day, I want to take the opportunity to share with my friends and followers my day-to-day routines and some tips on how I navigate through each day.
I firmly believe that humans are capable of much more than we often realize, but recognizing this potential requires action.
I'm Liliana, a proud mom of two precious humans, Tommy, who is two and a half years old, and Sofia, who is almost one year old. Additionally, since 2017, I've been running my small business, Tolu Australia, specializing in swimwear and beach accessories.
In my experience, the keys to successfully running a small business while being a mom are organization, planning, and clarity of priorities. Here's how I apply them:
Organization and Planning:
When I organize and plan my upcoming weeks in advance, life becomes much smoother. Having a clear idea of what to expect and what to aim for helps me stay on track. However, I've learned to be flexible as life events can change day by day, especially with kids' sickness and unpredictable weather.
My Weekday Routine:
5:00 am - 7:30 am:
- I wake up two hours earlier than the rest of the family to have some time for myself. I hit the gym for an hour and then focus on my business. Exercise clears my mind and provides essential alone time for balance.
- Bonus tip: I listen to podcasts, audiobooks, or news while exercising. Did you know that Spotify offers audiobooks too? For inspiration, I recommend books like "Atomic Habits" by James Clear and "The 5am Club" by Robin Sharma.
- I schedule playdates with mom friends in advance, promoting social skills development for the kids while allowing moms some adult interaction. We often explore fantastic playgrounds, such as Sir Joseph Banks Playground in Botany; kids cafes, such as Vitaland or Tada, libraries activities such as Rhyme or Story Times, and swimming pools such as Gunyama Aquatic Centre Pool or kids friendly natural pools such as Ross Jones Rockpool in Coogee or North Bondi Kids Pool.
This photo is at Vitaland Alexandria enjoying my kids.
This photo is at Burra, an interactive Spence for kids at the Australian Museum in Sydney
- If plans change, I enjoy quality time at home with the kids, fully present in activities like playing, singing, or reading. Libraries often offer toy rentals, reducing waste and keeping things fresh for the kids.
- I plan meals for the week and do grocery shopping usually on Mondays.
7:30 am:
- I return home, and my husband has breakfast ready for both the kids and me.
8:30 am - 9:30 am:
- My husband heads to the office, and I get the kids and myself ready.
10:00 am:
- While my youngest naps, I play with my toddler in his room.
11:00 am:
- After my youngest wakes up, we pack orders for my business and head to the post office or post box. Then, we enjoy some outdoor time at a playground.
Bonus tip: open an AUPost MyBusiness Account so you can get better rates when you send more orders, and you can also print labels at your home to save time.
12:00 pm - 12:30 pm:
- We return home for lunch, usually prepared the night before or something simple like grilled fish, meat, chicken, and veggies.
1:00 pm - 1:30 pm:
- After changing my youngest, we play together for about an hour before their nap time. This is when I focus on business tasks like stock updates, accounting, emails, and administrative work.
Top tip: have a to do list for the business as when the times comes, you have very clear what to do and use this time efficiently. I usually do stock update, accounting, emails, admin. I use the Notes app of my IPhone to write my to do lists, I use excel to do my accounting and I use Google Workspace for my emails.
3:00 pm:
- The kids wake up, and we head out for another playdate or playground visit.
5:00 pm - 6:30 pm:
- We return home for dinner and welcome Dad back from work. I usually handle getting the youngest ready for bed while either my husband or I play with the kids.
7:00 pm - 7:30 pm:
- My husband typically takes care of bedtime routines for our toddler, while I do the same for our youngest. Then, I prepare labels for the next day's orders.
Top tip: I use Shipperfy, an app developed by a friend of mine, that connects my Shopify store with my Australia Post MyBusiness Account and in a matter of a click I print the labels on my Dymo printer and record tracking numbers for my orders. It saves a lot of time to me. 
This is a photo of my little baby girl “helping” me whilst I was printing my barcodes using my Dymo Printer.
Being a mom has taught me invaluable virtues such as patience, love, consistency, and mindfulness. Running a business alongside motherhood has further developed habits like discipline, planning, and a deeper love for what I do. It has pushed me out of my comfort zone, kept my skills sharp, and allowed me to receive government support such as maternity leave payments and childcare subsidies.
To all the moms reading this, I want to say: Yes, it is possible, and even beneficial, to run a business while caring for your kids. It's challenging and exhausting at times, but the sense of accomplishment and joy from achieving your goals and nurturing your children will keep you going. As someone recently told me, "Happy mom, happy kids." So, embrace the journey, stay disciplined, and remember that your efforts will bear fruit in due time.
And to wrap up, I have one more thought to share with you: Life is too short, and if there is one thing for sure is that my mornings are counted and that my children enrich my life. Life itself is a miracle, and within each of us resides that very wonder. That's why, without hesitation, I would gladly say YES a thousand times over to motherhood and the gift of bringing life into this world!
This is a photo at the EQ Markets by Cambridge Markets in Christmas and my kids playing around.
Happy Mothers Day! 🌹🙌✨
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