Being an entrepreneur takes a lot of time and dedication. Add being a mother in addition to being an entrepreneur and you certainly have your hands full! I am going to share with you the 5 things that moms need in order to start a successful business.
The first thing that a mother needs is a plan. Balancing household duties, time with your children, time with your partner and family, school carpool, after school activities, making meals, and the list goes on, is enough to have on your plate before adding the title CEO. I completely agree with the phrase that Ben Franklin said “If you fail to plan then you should plan to fail.” Having a plan is everything. It doesn’t mean that the plan can’t be adjusted or changed, but having a plan gives you structure and a goal. I suggest creating a plan that suits you best. It can be a business plan, a plan in an agenda, a plan on your google calendar or any other way that works best for you.
The second thing that moms need are boundaries set in place and a system to help them stick to them. It is good to have a plan, but if you don’t stick to the plan, then you likely will run into trouble. Boundaries teach and show others how we want to be treated. The first thing I suggest is to try to set up a schedule with working hours where you can dedicate/block your time and focus on work for your business and stick to that schedule. I would also add meals, workout times, time with spouse and friends so that you are making sure that you are taking care of yourself and getting what you need. Additional boundaries include having clearly defined contracts with clients, bringing up issues when clients overstep and ask you to do things outside of the contract, showing up to meetings on time and having an agenda for the meeting so you respect everyone’s time. Boundaries can also include saying no to meetings or in-person events if you do not feel safe due to COVID. Remember, “no” is a full sentence.
The third area that I recommend that moms have clear and identified is knowing who their ideal client is and what their niche is. Having your ideal client defined and written out will allow you to be able to speak directly to them when you are writing copy for your website, social media, emails etc. Having a niche, or a specified genre or area that you focus on, will allow you to be able to focus and easily find your audience. You will also be able to stay organized and it will simplify your marketing strategy. The more specific you are with your offers and your audience, the more you will sell.
The fourth area that I recommend when creating a business is to create a strong voice for yourself. Using your voice is one of the most powerful ways to brand yourself. Don’t be afraid to tell your story. Ask yourself, How can I effectively communicate my story so that it can help my audience? People look for ways that they can connect with you and for things they have in common with you. In addition, don’t be afraid to share your thoughts and ideas on areas that you are passionate about. Educate others and show why these issues are important to you. Whatever you choose to share about yourself, be consistent with it. People want to feel like they know you, so if you are constantly changing your story, your audience can become disconnected.
The fifth and last thing that I recommend for moms when starting a business is to network as much as possible. Word of mouth is one of the easiest and cheapest ways to get your services and products known. Anyone can be a customer and so building genuine relationships and speaking with others and telling them what your business is will help with sales and growth. I would even go as far to suggest that you get an accountability partner who is in a similar situation as you. Having another Mompreneur to check in with once a week and set goals will help keep you on track and get you towards your goals.
While there are many things to do both as a mom and a business owner, I suggest starting with the five mentioned in this article. Once you are settled and have a plan and workflow in place, it will become a bit easier and you can start to focus on other areas.