How to Find Time to Start Your Business (Even if You Have Children Around 24/7)

Let me guess - you’ve got a million business ideas, a list of things as long as your arm that you should be doing, and big dreams of travelling the world…but you also have a small child hanging off your leg, another one asking for snacks every 30 seconds, and a house that looks like a bomb went off. Does this sound about right?

You tell yourself, I’ll work on moving my business ideas forward when the kids are asleep, but by the time they finally crash for the night, you’re too exhausted to even think straight, so you end up binge watching The Ultimatum with a family size bar of chocolate, while simultaneously scrolling and watching other families live their best travel lives. Then you feel guilty, and cross with yourself for not doing enough to get the life you want. It’s a vicious circle and it feels like there’s no way out.

Here’s the thing though - you don’t need hours of uninterrupted time to get your business started. You don’t need to ship the children off to childcare or wake up at 5am, or stay up until god knows what time at night to try and find the time you so desperately need. Hell, I don’t think I’ve been up later than 10:30pm since I started my business. But what you do need is a smarter way to use the time you already have (yes, even if that time comes in chaotic 10-minute chunks).

And that’s exactly what we’re going to sort out today. Ready? Let’s do this.

Why You Feel Like You Have No Time (and Why That’s Not True)

I know what you’re thinking: but I actually don’t have time! And I get it. Your days are a blur of toilet trips, snack requests, breaking up fights over a toy neither child gave a shit about five minutes ago, and trying to drink a cup of tea before it goes cold. Where the hell is the time for running a business in all that?

But here’s the hard truth: you do have time - you’re just not seeing it.

Most people think they need huge blocks of uninterrupted time to get anything done. You know, the “I just need a solid three hour stretch and I’ll knock this out the park no problem” fantasy. But let me ask you this: when was the last time you had three uninterrupted hours? Yeah. Exactly. Never.

The good news? You don’t need it.

A business isn’t built in perfectly scheduled work sessions - it’s built in the messy, stolen moments. Those 10 minute chunks of time when your child is engrossed in a game, watching Bluey, or (miraculously) playing by themselves. That’s when you can:

• Jot down a post idea.

• Send a quick message to a potential client.

• Brainstorm your next step in your notes.

It’s not about waiting for time to appear. It’s about grabbing the time you already have and making it work for you.

And trust me, you’ve got more of those moments than you think. You just need to learn how to use them to your advantage. Let’s talk about how…

The 10-Minute Time Hack That Works for Mums

Alright, so now you know that time isn’t going to magically appear, and you need to steal it like a sneaky little business-building ninja. But what the hell are you actually supposed to do in those short bursts of time?

Because let’s be real—if you finally get a quiet 10 minutes, your brain immediately goes:

1. Should I work?

2. Should I clean?

3. Should I just sit in silence because holy shit, this never happens?

By the time you decide, the moment is gone, and one of your children is yelling that they’re hungry (even though you just fed them).

This is where my 10-Minute To-Do List comes in. It’s a stupidly simple way to get shit done without overthinking it.

Here’s how it works:

• Divide a piece of paper (or your Notes app) into two columns.

1. Left side: Tasks that take under 10 minutes.

2. Right side: Tasks that take longer than 10 minutes.

• When you get a short pocket of time, don’t piss about trying to figure out what to do next - just pick a task from the left side and do it.

• When you actually have a longer stretch (like when the children are asleep), go for something on the right.

Example 10-Minute Tasks You Can Do While Your Child is Distracted by a Toilet Roll:

• Write a quick Instagram post.

• Brainstorm content ideas.

• Send a message to a potential client.

• Pitch to be a guest on a podcast instead of doom-scrolling.

• Record a 60-second voice note with your thoughts on a blog post to write later.

Example Longer Tasks for Nap Time or Evenings:

• Set up your email list.

• Outline your first offer.

• Batch content for the week.

• Write a blog post.

The magic of this list? No more staring at your screen, wondering what to do next. No more losing 10 minutes to indecision. You always have something to tick off, no matter how short the time.

The key is progress, not perfection—and this little hack means you’re always moving forward, even if it’s in baby steps.

Now, let’s dig into where you can actually find these sneaky work windows in your day…

Finding Hidden Time in Your Day

Alright, now you’ve got your 10-Minute To-Do List, and you know you don’t need hours to make progress. But you might still be thinking, okay, but where the hell am I actually supposed to find these magical 10-minute windows?

I hear you. Your day is already jam-packed with chaos, snack distribution, and answering the same question 400 million times.

But I promise you - you have more time than you think. You just need to know where to look.

1. The Precious Few Minutes in the Toilet Before Someone Comes Looking for You

It’s not glamorous, but let’s be real - the toilet is often the only place you get a moment to yourself (even if that “moment” lasts approximately 45 seconds before someone comes bursting in)

Instead of scrolling aimlessly, you could use that time to:

• Jot down a content idea.

• Reply to a quick email or message.

• Reply to comments on social media.

Yes, it’s ridiculous that this is what life has come to, but we just need to work with what we’ve got.

2. The “They’re Playing Nicely… For Now” Strategy

If your children are happily playing, do not - I repeat, do not - ruin it by asking “what are you doing?”. Just quietly grab your phone or laptop and get something crossed off that list!

If they come running over two minutes later, fine. You still got something done. And next time, you’ll get another two minutes and trust me when I say, it really does all add up.

3. The Magic of Screen Time (Guilt-Free!)

Yes, I said it. You are allowed to use CBeebies, Disney+, or whatever keeps your children entertained for 30 minutes of peace. It’s not bad parenting - it’s strategic parenting.

Use that time wisely:

• Create a quick Instagram post.

• Reply to messages or emails.

• Draft a weekly email to your list.

• Just do anything that moves your business forward.

Your child will survive watching Bluey for a bit while you build a business that changes your family’s future. Promise.

4. The Weekly “Focus Window” (Even Just One Hour!)

If you have a partner, friend, or family member who can take the kids for an hour - even just once a week - use it like it’s gold dust.

One solid hour where you can fully focus on your business.

Plan for it, protect it, and don’t use it for housework (yes, I;m talking to you!).

The bottom line is you already have the time - now you just need to use it tactically.

It’s not about adding more to your plate. It’s about using the time you already have in a way that actually gets you results.

A few stolen minutes here, a cheeky episode of Peter Rabbit there, and suddenly, you’ve moved your business forward without feeling like you’ve crammed yet another thing into your already overloaded day.

And that’s the secret—it’s not about finding time, it’s about claiming it.

Because the truth is, the perfect, uninterrupted moment to start your business? It’s never coming. The kids will always need fed, the washing pile will never be empty, and you’ll always be busy.

But you? You’re resourceful. You’re already making it work - juggling life, children, and the constant chaos of motherhood. So now, let’s take that same problem-solving magic and use it to get your business off the ground.

The time is there. The only question is - what are you going to do with it?

For more on getting work done when your children are around, my free guide, Work Smarter, Not Harder: Your Complete Guide to Getting More Done With Children Around, gives you all the strategies I use myself to juggle business and parenting. Click here to download now.