A new startup can be full of excitement. In order for your business to grow and succeed, it's critical you nurture it well during these early, developmental years. It almost sounds like we're talking about your children. This is ironic considering that, all too often, new business owners put their all in building up their companies at the expense of loved ones waiting at home.

How do you ensure you are successful in balancing your family and startup business? After all, entrepreneurs often have to juggle:

• Current job
• School
• After school activities
• Daily responsibilities

You've already taken the first step by seeking out this article. We're here to help you answer this question and consider a few steps you can take toward ensuring you properly balance your responsibilities and achieving harmonious success.

Feed on Your Own Energy

A Harvard Business study explains how the typical entrepreneur values self efficacy and goal-orientation, and this requires a high degree of self-motivation and energy. You can use your own natural energy to maximize your time spent with family. When you leave the office, make a conscious effort to leave work at work, and utilize your energy in areas like:

• Helping with homework
• Fun games
• Family chores
• Family dinner

Make Efforts to Keep the Commute Minimal

Depending on the nature of your business, there are things you can do to minimize your commute. For example, if you need an office, consider working out of the home. If this isn't possible, see if it's worth it to invest in something closer to home rather than on the main commercial strip of your city.

The great news is that, with technology constantly innovating, it's easier than ever to work from your computer. Just a few things you can do from your laptop or even mobile device include:

• Schedule and track your calendar as well as set up reminders
• Conduct meetings and share screens
• Use organizational platforms to manage project flow in real time

Make Time for Your Significant Other

While you need to allocate plenty of time to spend with business partners, investors, and others with a vested interest in your company, never do so at the expense of adequate time with your significant other. Your relationship with them is foundational, and you should never overlook time to invest in keeping that foundation strong. A few tips on busy weeks include:

• Schedule a quick lunch together
• Allocate a weekly date night
• Send flowers just to let him or her know they're on your mind

Find a Trusted Partner in Marketing

Although the Internet has given us the ability to expose our business to a larger audience than ever before, you also have to face more competition than in the past. No longer is your biggest competitor the guy on the corner. Now, you may struggle to keep your traffic from flowing to someone on the other side of the world. You should utilize services like Catdi to get exposure at cost-effective prices.

Don't Do It All Yourself

Perhaps the most important piece of advice to ensure you're able to effectively balance your family and startup business is to learn that it's okay not do it all. You're only one person. Although you know how you want every little detail, you have to become comfortable with delegating tasks to others within the organization.

Just some of the benefits of delegation include:

• Save time
• Grow the company
• Improve job satisfaction rating of employees
• Balance the workload

You can even get your family involved. If they show interest in the business, they could prove to become excellent employees and eventually keep the company in the family when you retire.