WHAT'S IT LIKE TO BE A BUSINESS OWNER? FOLLOW BETSY THROUGH A TYPICAL DAY

How does a small business owner get everything done?

This week we asked our owner Betsy Helmuth to give us the rundown of her typical day. 

Turns out that a good routine, a couple of treats throughout the day, and some lifestyle shortcuts make all the difference in her jam-packed schedule. 

8:00 a.m.

My alarm goes off earlier than I’d like. Luckily, my husband gets the kids ready and off to school in the morning so I am free to focus on getting myself out the door.  

I don’t want to waste decision-making capacity on my wardrobe, so Stitch Fix has been a real game changer for me.

I even remember to put on jewelry most days! 

9:00 a.m.

My super sidekick, Carson (my dog), and I hop in the car.  I make a quick stop at my favorite neighborhood coffee shop, Muddy Waters, and grab an iced coffee and almond croissant.

I can’t wait to dig in so I eat it in the car. 

9:30 a.m.

We pull into the office, and I the first thing I do is take out my planner and start filling in the day’s priorities. 

Between client calls, emails, and working on growing the business, I keep busy! 

11:00 a.m.

I’m in the zone, plugging away.

Carson is in his zone, too, napping on the bed.

11:30 a.m.

We love visitors at our Westchester storefront! Today, a couple of tourists and a local police officer all stop by to ask a few questions and show me pics of their spaces.

I take a lot of pride in our shop. Every few weeks I will decorate the windows or rearrange the furniture. 

1:00 p.m.

Lunch break! I take Carson for a walk and pick up something quick to bring back to the office. 

While I eat, I listen to a crime podcast, like “Up and Vanished” or “Criminal.” They’re so engaging, and it makes me feel like I’ve had a real break.

2:00 p.m.

I’m back at it, answering emails and taking calls.

Between the four additional designers who work for me, our amazing clients, and all the potential clients, I can never get my inbox down to zero. 

4:00 p.m.

Occasionally, I have special appearances or other promotional work for Affordable Interior Design. You can catch me every Wednesday at this time on Facebook Live. 

I really love that our marketing efforts mostly entail sharing design tips and helping people! 

6:00 p.m.

After work, I head home, hug the kids and husband, and immediately get started on dinner. 

I’ve never been much of a cook so I have tried nearly every box meal service in the biz.

The yummiest and easiest is Marly Spoon box meal service. Thanks to them I can slice and dice like a pro! And I love to cook now. It’s one of my favorite parts of the day.

Get a FREE week of meals here.

10:00 p.m.

I’m a total night owl! I do my best creative work after the kids are in bed. 

I sit on my Macy’s Radley sectional in my PJs and shop for the latest looks and trends.

My favorite part of the design process is actually creating mood boards. It’s so satisfying to see a look come together at the end of a long night of sourcing.

1:00 a.m.

I finally drag myself to bed because I know I have to do this all over again tomorrow.

Good thing I love what I do!