How to live with a cat in the house.
If you’ve ever tried working from home with a cat around, you know exactly what it’s like dealing with total chaos.
If not, let me paint a picture of what it's like living with a cat…
You’re deep in focus, getting work done, when suddenly your cat decides to jump on the table and knock over a vase. You get up, clean it up, scold Butter (my cat’s name), and try to refocus.
You sit back down, start working again, but Butter starts playing with the flower pots. So, you get up, clean the dirt, and scold her again.
You sit down, concentrate, and just as you're in the zone, Butter suddenly gets the zoomies, running around the house knocking everything over. So, you get up, pick everything up, and scold her again.
And just like that, a simple task turns into a never-ending struggle.
It can feel like this when you're a small business owner juggling every single task on your own. You’re ready to dive into your marketing and grow your brand, but suddenly your head fills with a million other errands and tasks that demand your attention NOW. You end up feeling overwhelmed and drained, only to realize you didn’t get anything done.
Why did I title this blog “How to live with a cat”? Because it’s the perfect analogy for what it’s like wanting to handle your business’s marketing so you can sell more, but facing constant distractions and a never-ending list of things to manage.
So, let me explain how to live with a cat in the house.
Have you ever tried working while your cat stares at you from the table?
Let’s say all your clients and potential buyers are staring at you—they’re all watching, waiting for you to post something new from your brand. With so many eyes on you, it’s hard to concentrate because… what if you mess up?
So, the first piece of advice is: Take a breath and focus on prioritization
As a business owner you have a million tasks to deal with everyday. And it’s easy to get lost in those urgent yet not important tasks that simply take a lot of your time, but they don’t really deliver results.
Take a look at these time management quadrants and find out if you are really focusing on the important tasks for your business, and which ones are taking most of your time.
If you found out that social media or the marketing of your business are taking too much of your time I have a solution for you. Check tip number two.
My second tip is: Don’t do everything yourself. Look at what can be automated.
Hello! We live in the age of technology—it's time to embrace automation! Let technology handle creating and scheduling your posts. Delegate that task that takes up so much of your time but is still crucial for your business.
How does delegating to technology work?
Let me explain with a story: Every day, I had to go downstairs at 7:30 AM to feed my cat. She’d meow non-stop until I filled her bowl with food. One day I thought, What if she could serve herself?
Duh! So, I bought an automatic cat feeder, and I trained Butter to press the button when she’s hungry. That way, I only had to do the hard work once, and Butter took care of herself after that.
And now, I just have to refill the dispenser once a month.
That’s how Marketing Automation with Bluumly works. You've already taken all the pictures and written all the copy on your site, Bluumly can take it from there; no need to re-write, and re-search for images every time you want to promote something. The difference is that before it used to take me 6 hours to create a month’s worth of content. Now, with Bluumly, it only takes me less than a minute per post. Game changer!
Third tip: Know your benchmark
Living with a cat isn’t just chaos; it also involves care, attention, and making sure she stays healthy.
You observe her, care for her, and feed her quality food while noting how she responds. If she starts losing weight or becomes less active, it’s a sign that something’s off, and you need to adjust. Maybe it’s her diet, or perhaps she needs a vet visit.
But, if after some time, you notice that she’s still at a healthy weight and is active, then you know you’re on the right track. You’re following a “benchmark” for her well-being. That’s your reference point. You can then adjust your care based on how she reacts over time.
Similarly, you need to care for your business, observe your strategies, and see if they’re working. If something goes wrong, you’ll know it’s time to adjust so that your business “thrives”, just like your cat.
So check your numbers: What posts do your followers engage with the most? What kind of content gets the most interaction? How many sales did you make last month, and how did you generate them? What are your best-selling products? What do your customers love most?
If you want more details on how to establish your benchmark metrics, check out our blog on Acronyms.
Last tip: Share your experience and ask for help.
Join a community of people who know what it’s like to “live with a cat.” Learn new strategies they’ve shared to keep control of their marketing— I mean, their cats.
Bonus tip: Join our amazing LinkedIn Group
Living with a cat—I mean, running a business—can be chaotic, but with the right strategies, you can find your rhythm. Embrace technology to streamline your processes, track your progress with clear benchmarks, and don’t hesitate to ask for help when needed. Just like you care for your cat’s well-being, it’s important to care for your business’s growth by being mindful of what works and making adjustments when necessary.
