Written By: Vanessa Leigh
You can only be one thing. Choose now, or forever hold your peace.
Which will it be? A Mom or an Entrepreneur? Choose fast!
Wait, wait, wait. Hold the phone. It’s now the 21st Century. 2020 to be exact. And while 2020 – The Year is another conversation for another time, one thing’s for certain: Women are power. Powerful. Full of courage, talent, and intellect. We can and deserve to be all the things.
So look out, ladies. There’s a new girl in town. Or maybe you’ve met her before.
Enter: The MOMPRENEUR.
If you’re familiar with this woman, you may already have feelings about her name. So let’s get one thing straight. This word…
MOMpreneur.
momPRENEUR.
- A badge of honor?
- An Urban Dictionary submission gone right … or wrong?
- A veiled dig at stay-at-home moms?
- You love it.
- You hate it.
Well, we are going to go way beyond her name. We are going to get to the HEART of it. Her heart. Because at the core of every mompreneur you’ll find great passion and care.
Moms can and should feel empowered to be their own boss. They can start their dream business, own a company, AND be the mother and caretaker they dream of being. At the same time.
But…How?
How can a full-time mom be a successful business owner? Is doing it all and having it all even possible?
Absolutely.
Here are 7 pieces of advice I’d give myself when I was a newbie mompreneur.
1. Know Your ‘WHY’ for Wanting to Be a Mompreneur
It’s personal.
You have a passion. You also have reasons for exploring and creating your own business. What are they?
Make a list of each thing that drives your goal and dream of being a business owner. Keep it handy and reference it when times get low or you start to second guess yourself. Here’s a quick example of things that could be on your WHY list:
I am a strong woman, mother, and business owner. I am building a business to:
- Spend more time with my family
- Be able to have the freedom to be a stay-at-home mom
- Follow my passion
- Increase my business skills
- Provide income and resources for my family
Whatever is on your list, know that these are some of the many reasons that you CAN be a mompreneur.
2. Wear All the Mom Boss Hats…Proudly!
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You know how to wear 1,000 hats at once. While multitasking is not proven to be the best use of our brain space, you do know how to juggle.
So, use this to your benefit.
If you’re a stay-at-home mom planning to add the Entrepreneur Hat onto your rack, look no further than your own home. I bet you’re already managing schedules for your family, cooking or planning meals, making sure the house is in order, while also managing family needs outside the house – appointments, school, vacations, extended family matters, etc. Not to mention your own schedule and daily needs.
Adding the Entrepreneur Hat is actually a logical next step for you!
Of course, when a hat is added, you may need to shift some priorities, reorganize parts of your day or week. But that’s a completely normal part of the process.
Wear this new hat proudly – you’re one step closer to being a stay-at-home mompreneur – a fancy hat to add to the rack.
3. Set a Schedule for the Stay-at-Home Mom Workday
Schedule, Schedule, Schedule.
Can’t say this one enough.
Let’s be honest. And do some quick math. 24 hours in the day, 7 days a week. Not an infinite amount of time.
But that’s OK.
Hey – I bet you’re already great at this. Now it’s time to combine schedules and make some shifts.
Some quick tips that have helped me merge the entrepreneur and mom worlds:
- Make a daily list. Like this one:)
- Have ONE calendar and stick to it. Google, Outlook, paper planner – whatever works for you. It’s important to keep all details in one place so nothing is lost.
- Give yourself enough time. Especially when starting out, give yourself plenty of time to do a task, or complete a meeting. Slow and steady… you know 🙂
- Reflect and readjust. If you need to rearrange something, do it. Don’t cancel or put it off. I find it’s helpful to write my reflections in a journal to improve my process. If I need to adjust a task, I write quick notes about WHY so I can learn from my experience.
- Set timers. My personal favorite. When you’re managing many tasks as a mompreneur, it’s easy to become distracted, so timers will help you focus. Set a countdown timer or a set number of minutes to complete a task. This helps you stay focused on the task at hand, and not all the other things you have to do. And don’t forget to reward yourself once you’ve finished!
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4. Pockets of Time Are Everything for a Mompreneur
What do you mean by “pockets”?
As you’re scheduling, scheduling, scheduling, be smart about when you do tasks.
In my journey as a mompreneur, I learn from other amazing entrepreneurs, including both stay-at-home moms and moms working outside of the home. I’m part of the Write Your Way To Freedom group. In our group, someone recently recommended embracing pockets of time: any chunk of time, no matter how small.
For example, you may have a chunk of time driving in your car. Even 10 minutes. At night, after a little one is asleep, maybe it’s 30 minutes to yourself.
No matter how small the pocket of time, plug away at some part of your business. Whether you’re creating a goal, sending an invoice, or listening to a podcast to learn more about your niche. Every minute counts. It’s incredible how much you can chip away at by investing in these small pockets of time.
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5. Channel the Entrepreneurial Skills You Already Have
When I took the plunge into the world of mompreneurship, I momentarily forgot all the skills I had learned up to that point.
I froze.
“I know nothing!”
“This is all so new!”
“I’m starting over…How will I learn?”
After I let myself freak out, I gave myself a little pep talk…
“Everything you’ve done leading up to this has prepared you to be a successful entrepreneurial woman.”
“The challenging conversations at work, the sleepless hours with a newborn, the creative solutions when your child needs support. All of these have prepared you for the next step in your journey as a mom boss.”
“You’ve re-invented yourself many times before – let’s do it again!”
Don’t underestimate yourself or forget about all the transferable skills you have. Mom skills and entrepreneur skills. You’ve got them!
6. Find Your Tribe of Like-Minded Mompreneurs
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And rely on them.
You are NOT the only mom taking that leap to be a business owner. Ask your family or circle of friends. Chances are there are other women entrepreneurs in need of connection just like you.
Support one another. Bounce ideas off each other. Cry. Laugh. Vent…Eat. Pray. Love.
As the poem says, “No Man is an Island.”1 I like to think that no WOMAN is an island, either. Especially a mom.
Ask all the questions. Make the phone calls. You never know what great things can come from a connection with other mompreneurs until you give it a try.
7. Find a Balance Between Motherhood and Entrepreneurship
Easier said than done, but definitely something to focus on. The secret? TIME.
Remember your WHY? Don’t lose sight of it!
I bet part of your WHY centers around you spending time with your family and simultaneously providing for them by pursuing your passion. To do so, remember to take time to find the balance.
Photo by Tatiana Syrikova from Pexels
Take time to write your goals.
Take time for family walks and meals.
Take time to organize the nitty-gritty of business essentials.
Take time to play.
Take time to dive into the work.
Take time to enjoy – the whole journey, both the highs, and the lows.
Take time for YOU.
You CAN Have It All!
So what are you waiting for?! Go get your mompreneur goals!
Make memories for you and your family. I guarantee you are already more prepared than you think. You’ve created a family. Now create a business that allows you to support, inspire, and provide for your family.
If you’re feeling ready to take the next step to become a mompreneur, but you need a little more guidance, check out this course.
You CAN have your cake and eat it, too. Enjoy the ride (and that cake).
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References
- Donne, John. “No man is an Island.” https://web.cs.dal.ca/~johnston/poetry/island.html, Accessed 6 December 2020.
