I always thought of mompreneur as the perfect role for mothers who want to have some balance between their career and family life.?According to wikipedia, a mompreneur is “a female business owner who is actively balancing the role of mom and the role of entrepreneur.” So, basically, any mom who is an entrepreneur.

Usually a mompreneur?

• Works in the comfort of her home – which means no time is spent on daily commuting to an office; ?????

• Has a split week – some days she works, some others she looks after her child;

• Sells a product or service that is targeted at moms – that should make her business life easy considering she is a mom herself.

A couple of months into my own journey as a mompreneur and I should add few more points to the picture described above:

A mompreneur?

• Works in the mess of her own home which sometimes means: toys laying on the floor, finding hard to wear?something ?else?than a?pajama, a big load of?laundry?done during?a single lunch break, no colleagues around for some healthy office gossip;

• Has a double week which means that one day feels exactly like 2. Each day she looks after her child and each day she works on her project. She works overtime in both roles, as a mom and entrepreneur;

• Sells a product or service that is targeted at moms, yet it can be so difficult to speak to them these days. Moms (for some good reasons) seem the busiest person in the world.

I must admit this new journey as a mompreneur is being a bit of a rollercoaster for me so far.
But what does it take to become a mompreneur? And I mean, beside having a great idea, a business plan, etc. etc. Here are some of my findings…

• Face?your fears

• Jack of all trades

• Patience please

• Don?t worry, be happy

Let?s look at each point in more details.

• Face your fears – As a mompreneur I?m (almost) each day confronted with some little and big fears. The biggest one for me is the fear of failure. I know I?m starting up only now, yet this is a big thing for me. What if it does not work? What if it does not deliver the results I expect? How will I financially support myself and my family? The reality is that I don?t know if this business idea is going to succeed or being financially sustainable in the future. What I do know is that I?m giving myself the opportunity and time to walk this path now. I know that I?m working hard and I?m doing my best to make it work. And if it does not work? I?ll do something different. It?s going to be ok anyway. ?

• Jack of all trades – In my previous roles, within a start-up or a big corporation, I always had a clear overview of all my tasks and responsibilities. There were some boundaries and clear expectations. As a mompreneur, I feel like I?m doing it all. I need to create a business plan in parallel to my core work as a coach for mothers. I need to wear a marketing hat to find the right language and formula to sell my services and brand. I need to network, I need to learn everything about Google analytics and how to make a website with Wix. In fact, at the beginning, a mompreneur should do it all to avoid spending money before even making them. But is it really possible to do it all? Well, personally I prefer to get some little help if possible. And luckily I get it most of the time. People around us love helping out especially if we ask them to do something they are good at. So to start, my husband is helping me with Google analytics and Wix. Such a relief already!

• Patience please – This is a difficult one for me since I?m impatient by nature or… upbringing, not sure really. I like getting things done so that my mind does not have to dwell on things for too long. The faster the better for me. Sometimes in the past, being impatient made me go for a shorter route and that was not always the best one. As a mompreneur, I?m learning that patience is an important ingredient for a business to grow. To create a healthy business one needs to be calm in the mind and quick in the action. This is key to reach any strategic goals that go far beyond any short-term sight.

• Don?t worry, be happy – Oh I love this one. When I look at my life I notice that I often tend to take myself a bit too seriously. I?ve always studied and worked very hard. I now use checklists and a schedule to navigate through my busy days. I watch out how much sugar my son and I eat on a daily basis. I never leave dirty dishes in the sink, and the list goes on. Now that I?m starting my own business, I?m obviously very serious about it. Shouldn?t I? But, is this really good for my life and my business? What if I try to loosen up a bit? At the end it?s not all about me and my own efforts. Let?s not forget that we need a bit of luck in any of our new adventures. So,?goodbye worries, it’s time to?be happy,?now!??

And what about you? Are you also a mompreneur or would you like to become one??Let?s talk!?It?s always good to share the wisdom?because…
Every Mother Knows!
Love,
Angela