Wiltshire


<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1500" height="1000" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wilts/wp-content/uploads/sites/19/2022/12/Danielle-Holmes-Black-Nova-Muddy-copy.jpeg" alt="Danielle Holmes from Black Nova Designs" class="wp-image-29635" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wilts/wp-content/uploads/sites/19/2022/12/Danielle-Holmes-Black-Nova-Muddy-copy.jpeg 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wilts/wp-content/uploads/sites/19/2022/12/Danielle-Holmes-Black-Nova-Muddy-copy-800x533.jpeg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wilts/wp-content/uploads/sites/19/2022/12/Danielle-Holmes-Black-Nova-Muddy-copy-1000x667.jpeg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wilts/wp-content/uploads/sites/19/2022/12/Danielle-Holmes-Black-Nova-Muddy-copy-768x512.jpeg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wilts/wp-content/uploads/sites/19/2022/12/Danielle-Holmes-Black-Nova-Muddy-copy-788x525.jpeg 788w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /></figure>



<p>Do you look at other women bossing it with their own businesses alongside a busy family life and stress-eat Ben &amp; Jerry’s while you wonder how they do it all? On the surface Danielle Holmes looks exactly like one such star. Along with husband Kyle she runs the successful web design and IT solutions business, <a href="https://blacknovadesigns.co.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Black Nova Designs</a>, based in Calne, near Chippenham. Since starting in 2018 with -£70 in the bank, they now have over 1200 small business/sole trader clients and six employees. At home they’re a blended family, each having a 10 year old from a previous relationships who both live with them. Oh and did I mention her dog-boarding sideline that’s booked up until May 2023?</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1500" height="1000" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wilts/wp-content/uploads/sites/19/2022/12/Danielle-and-Kyle-Holmes-Black-Nova-family.jpeg" alt="Danielle and Kyle Holmes from Black Nova Designs" class="wp-image-29637" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wilts/wp-content/uploads/sites/19/2022/12/Danielle-and-Kyle-Holmes-Black-Nova-family.jpeg 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wilts/wp-content/uploads/sites/19/2022/12/Danielle-and-Kyle-Holmes-Black-Nova-family-800x533.jpeg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wilts/wp-content/uploads/sites/19/2022/12/Danielle-and-Kyle-Holmes-Black-Nova-family-1000x667.jpeg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wilts/wp-content/uploads/sites/19/2022/12/Danielle-and-Kyle-Holmes-Black-Nova-family-768x512.jpeg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wilts/wp-content/uploads/sites/19/2022/12/Danielle-and-Kyle-Holmes-Black-Nova-family-788x525.jpeg 788w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /><figcaption>Danielle and Kyle Holmes from Black Nova Designs, with their children</figcaption></figure>



<p>But despite looking like she has it all, Danielle came to a crisis point last year when she realised she was falling into depression &#8211; something that  46% of UK workers said they were close to in a survey by Westfield Health in August 2022. Danielle tackled it with mindset coaching and therapy to help her make some very important changes to her outlook. Now she’s feeling much brighter and wants to share her insights into how to have a happy home and business life. It’s all about boundaries, organisation and letting go of control. </p>



<p>“Last year and probably the year before,” she begins, &nbsp;“I was suffering from burnout. Post Covid I realised I couldn’t do it all from a personal mum level. I hit a wall. I could communicate with Kyle but I was at the point when I was complaining about everything I was doing, yet it was everything I wanted to do. I just knew I wasn’t ok.” So she discussed it with Kyle and looked for support in the form of local companies offering mindset sessions, which did the trick. “I felt free again,” she says, “it was like a mist that lifted. Working with them helped me to get rid of the control freak.”</p>



<p>So I asked Danielle how she&#8217;s learnt to cope with running her own business and striking a happy work-life balance. Here are her tips:</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-establish-your-personal-priorities-above-everything"><strong>Establish your personal priorities</strong> above everything</h3>



<p>“For me it’s the kids, and so my working hours and expectations are set around their needs” says Danielle. “When I was a single mum I had a corporate job and I paid for childcare, but I really don’t want to do that. So I work a short day (9am-2pm) now but that means I have to be very clear about how much I can realistically do. And that’s why we hire people – so that the business can continue to operate even if I am not available.”</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Employ a team or outsource where you can</strong></h3>



<p>“A mum tip is to let go of control so that if a client needs you, but you’re not around, they are still going to be looked after – and that means delegating. We also schedule our social media posts using Later so that we&#8217;re always ahead.&#8221;</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Be clear about your working hours and dates</strong> </h3>



<p>“I can go on the school run without a hat, coat or gloves but my kids will be dressed as if they are going skiing – as mums we often forget to look after ourselves, but it’s important that we don’t burn out. Part of this self-care is to not take on too much and be clear about when you are available. For example, we use Outlook Assist so that even if we write emails at 11pm at night, they won’t be sent till 9am the next day. That way, clients, staff and suppliers don’t feel under pressure to reply out of hours. Similarly they get the message that we only work within working hours (even if we sometimes don’t!). We protect our time that way.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Find a helpful tool to schedule work &amp; family life</h3>



<p>“I use my Outlook calendar to schedule everything all year round – family and work commitments. Absolutely everything is in the calendar.”</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Separate work from your personal calls using a VOIP phone</strong> <strong>so that you don’t answer work calls when you are off</strong></h3>



<p>“We have an app on our phone that uses VOIP (Voice Over Internet Protocol). It uses a number that looks like a landline. That way clients won’t see your personal number and similarly you can screen work and personal calls, giving you clear time boundaries. By 2025 all the copper landlines in the UK will be switched off and all landline phone calls will only happen over an internet-based connection anyway, so you might as well look into this now.’</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Build and maintain your support network</strong></h3>



<p>“I’d say it’s crucial to have this in place before you start your own business, whether it’s your partner, your mum, your friend or all three. I could not do it on my own.”</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Get the kids on side about why you work and engage them in some of your work activities</strong> </h3>



<p>&#8220;Get them to help you stuff envelopes, for example, so they understand why everyone needs to play their part at home and if you&#8217;re not as available as they&#8217;d like you to be.&#8221;</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Set boundaries and stick to them at home as well as </strong>in the office</h3>



<p>“If you ask the kids to pick something up, don’t do it for them. Same goes for your partner. Teach others around you what you will and will not do and stick to your word.”</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Invest in your future</strong></h3>



<p><strong>“</strong>We didn’t have enough money in the bank to pay the first person we hired, but without the help we couldn’t grow. In fact I think we had -£70. We needed the extra help to be able to service clients quicker and grow the business and so because we believed we could do it, we did.”</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Ensure you do something you love in your life </strong></h3>



<p>“I also have the dogboarding business called Holmes For Paws. It’s easy to sit at your desk all day but with a dog you have to get up and take them for a walk, so it encourages a healthy lifestyle. They also make you happy, they love you unconditionally.”</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Seek help when things get too much</strong>.. </h3>



<p>“If you start to feel overwhelmed, it’s hard, so talk to someone. It can be tough on a relationship too. Last year I realised that I wasn’t putting the same amount of energy into the business that I had been, but I realised that at the same time it was everything bar the business that was causing it. After a few mindset sessions I felt free again.”</p>



<p><em><a href="https://blacknovadesigns.co.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Black Nova Designs</a> specialise in web design, hosting and IT Solutions for sole traders and small business and offer a pick and mix range of services including webhosting, webdesign and email clients. For a free consultation ring 01793 210045</em>. <em>Danielle&#8217;s dog boarding business is called Holmes for Paws.</em></p>


Calm down! How to manage your Inner Control Freak

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