Being an expectant or new parent is all-consuming. On top of stocking up on necessities and picking out nursery furniture, you have to go through the motions of physically, emotionally, and mentally preparing for the arrival of a new person in your life – a person that is going to, at least for a while, be entirely dependent on you. But making the decision to start a business during that time in your life, on top of everything else? It seems insane. Because it is. But it is also incredibly rewarding.

As the years go on and society shifts and changes (along with the rest of the world), more and more new parents find themselves making the shift from working for someone else and having to spend less time with their young children as a result, to working for themselves and taking full control of their professional and their personal lives at once. There are three core reasons that this is becoming more common – and why it could be the perfect career path for you.

1.     The flexibility (and subsequent control)

Working for yourself consequently gives you more flexibility in how you spend your time not just professionally, but personally as well. What so many parents have found themselves in the past having to decide is when to go back to work and begin the pull-back from being with their child so much – sometimes, the decision is made for them when their paternity or maternity leave ends, and they have no choice.

Here is where being your own boss is incredibly freeing. You control when you go back to work, how often you work, and where you work from once you go back. There is of course the demographic that does not like to work for themselves, in which case going back to work makes total sense. They deal with the pull-back. Every parent is different and that is okay.

2.     The reward of being your own boss

Of course, there are risks associated with starting your own business when you now have a family that relies on financial income. It is no longer just about you and your needs, but those of your child and the family you have created. But being your own boss is an asset and a valuable tool that allows you to determine where your career path takes you, as well as the quality time you get to spend with your child and your new (or growing) family.

With this in mind, even if only one of you begins the business, it can be a tremendous sense of freedom and regaining of control that is so desperately needed. Further, if you really want some financial security, but crave working from home, taking some freelance or part-time remote jobs can be the best choice; you can control your income security to a degree and not have to be away from your child.

3.     The personal and professional evolution

When you run your own business and are a new parent as well, you learn consistently and sharply. The learning curves of your business are often interwoven or at least happening around the same time as your learning curves as a new parent – embrace it. You will learn from it, even if it makes it harder at the time. And if needed, there are always reliable professional help like a digital marketing agency Sydney that you can rely on.

Your professional career will blossom all the more because you have forged it entirely on your own merit, your own time, and without having to rely on anyone else to keep it going.