Oh, the trials and tribulations of being an entrepreneur while also being a mother – aka, a mompreneur!
Starting and running a business and starting and running a family certainly requires certain qualities: perseverance, passion, flexibility (a lot!) and the ability to juggle. Sounds like an advertisement for the circus… don’t laugh, in some ways it’s the same! In fact, if I hadn’t been pregnant, my business wouldn’t exist today. Ideas and concepts often come from our own real life experiences, as well as from needs or voids that we identify.
There can be huge benefits to starting a business and raising a family – as many as there are challenges. Here are a few tips.
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My top 3 tips for becoming a successful mompreneur
I think the most important thing about starting your own business while you’re a mom is developing a plan of action that you can actually achieve. It takes a lot of dedication, time and energy to successfully get a business off the ground, whether you have kids or not. It only gets more complicated when you have little people who rely on you for love, attention, and daily necessities like food and clothes!
1. Passion + Concept
My biggest piece of advice when starting a business is to make sure there is passion behind the concept in the first place. In other words, it’s not just because you’ve always dreamed of owning your own business, but that your idea is something you can’t stop thinking and dreaming about how to make it a reality.
After the concept for my brand came to my mind, I spent months researching, thinking and dreaming about how I could bring to market a portfolio of the safest remedies for pregnancy, breastfeeding and beyond and forge a new category of business in retail, prenatal care.
2. Create healthy boundaries between work and home
Set guidelines for how you envision balancing work and family – it’s different for everyone. I knew I had to work full time with my business to get it off the ground and that I would sometimes have to travel and spend weekends in stores promoting and advocating for my brand.
But it also gave me the flexibility to take my kids to school in the morning and spend time with them before tucking them to bed. I plan my day so that I work as efficiently as possible and can leave on time to see my family. Those are the guidelines I set for myself.
3. Get help
Establish a strong support system. I know (okay, I’ve learned) that I can’t do everything. Make sure you have people willing and able to help when you need it.
It’s okay to send an SOS now and then. I am fortunate that my husband is extremely supportive of me and the company. I try to respect his time, and he knows that if I can’t get home on time, it’s for a very good cause.
Just know that starting a business isn’t easy, glamorous, or a great stress reliever; however, it is rewarding, educational and often fun. I wouldn’t change anything now.
Rachel Katz-Galatt is the CEO and founder of healthymamabrand.com.
