Do What You Love and Get Paid for It: Advice for Mommy Entrepreneurs

Trying to tread water in the real world successfully is no piece of cake. One you’ve probably figured out. Now, add in trying to tackle raising a family and starting your own business. It’s probably a bit overwhelming, but some inspiring mompreneurs have shared their best tips for juggling a busy family and managing their own business.

Often, America is seen as the country of entrepreneurs. You can do anything here, starting from nothing and climb the ladder of success until you simply don’t want to climb anymore. There’s no limit! This makes it possible for busy moms who may not be able to participate in a traditional work role to both be there for their families and contribute to the household income.

Sometimes, creating a business is born purely out of the need for a better life. Managing the household and everyone else’s schedules make for a hectic and worn out lifestyle. Not only do you need to be a chauffeur, chef, receptionist, housecleaner, accountant just for starters, and schedule a dental implant appointment or an appointment to see a gastroenterologist, but you must also be mom above all for important life moments.

There are any number of entrepreneurship opportunities out there, and it’s all about finding your niche. One of the most effective ways to start out as an entrepreneur can be to start your own review site. Look at reviews written by professionals like the side sleeper mattress reviews at Review.org, best cordless beard trimmers at the Beard Care Shop, or the best UK web hosting reviews at Mango Matter to get a strong grasp of what professional reviews should look like in terms of writing style and content. Then, you can find the niche that works for you and write on a topic that you love to talk about.

Other times, creating a business is inspired by the kids themselves. Children are an endless source of imagination, and inspire the can-do attitude required for entrepreneurial ventures. If your kids love the outdoors, then it might be the perfect opportunity to start a blog and write about moms and hiking. You can talk about favorite hiking grounds, tips for safe hiking with kids, and review specialized hiking gear to talk the importance of having proper equipment for safe adventuring. That’s just one example of how you can take your children’s passion to inspire your own creative output.

Below you’ll find tips to hopefully inspire you to either begin your mompreneur adventure or move past whatever might be discouraging you to continue your journey on creating a better path for you and your family.

1. Don’t count yourself out before you even try. The perception of entrepreneurs is that it’s work, work, and more work on just your business all the time, while reality tells us that’s not true because otherwise, you wouldn’t be a mompreneur. Being a mom bestows a wealth of knowledge in real-world application far more valuable than any fresh college grad will possess such as creativity, operating or managing a budget (especially a tight one), multitasking, and problem-solving.
2. Ban the toxicity. It’s already not easy to pursue this less traveled path. Get rid of people who are constantly dwelling on the negative. While someone who has a realistic view can be helpful, downright negativity isn’t useful to you or your business.
3. Include your kids. They are probably the top reason you’ve started this, so make family a part of your business. They can provide invaluable insight because scheming and figuring out obstacles comes naturally to them. Also, entrepreneurship involves a lot, potentially downsizing for product or office storage, or maybe even moving, if necessary.
4. Plan time for you. Equally important in all walks of life, but often ignored in motherhood is the quality of letting yourself breathe. Entrepreneuring, just like mothering, is around the clock, not 9-5. Your business hat and motherhood that are often going to get mixed up and kids will probably eat or draw on reports, or download a virus to the computer. Your best weapons are a sense of humor and remember to grab some you time to decompress.
5. Don’t let your inexperience stop you. No matter where you happen to be on this path, trying to start or experienced but stuck on how to move forward, never quit looking for inspiration. Find something in your everyday life that frustrates you, and find a way to fix it. All you need an internet connection and an idea to create something that could change the world.
6. Stop comparing yourself to others and slay the comparison critics. Everyone is unique, and everyone will have different struggles to deal with. You are not the first ever mompreneur, and you won’t be the last. Just because it seems like someone is handling the same workload in an all-around better way doesn’t mean you’re failing. It’s a chance to learn and grow.
7. Find the balance. Slightly piggybacking off of our last tip, try to find your rhythm. Just as you doubted how to ever manage that first couple of months with a newborn, except that you will find what works best for you, but don’t expect it to happen overnight.

Sometimes when you are on the path to establishing yourself as an entrepreneur, you’ll also need to adjust parts of your life, so you can have time to breathe. If that means hiring a weekly home cleaning service, then so be it. There’s nothing wrong with getting a little help so you can invest more energy into your business.

Motherhood and entrepreneurship share similar qualities. They can both be physically and emotionally demanding jobs, but both can also be highly rewarding. Becoming a mom can turn your world inside out and upside down, but also gives you a new perspective that someone who isn’t a mom yet can’t comprehend. It’s a unique quality in business, so don’t become so bogged down in the little things, and give doing what you love, while getting paid for it, a try.