9 Tips for Mompreneur Success
Starting a business is challenging. Doing it between nap-times and diaper changes is absurd — and incredibly admirable. However, any mom can launch a successful business through mompreneurship if she has the heart, does her research, and puts the time into making it happen.
Starting a business is challenging. Doing it between nap-times and diaper changes is absurd — and incredibly admirable.
Whether you’re a new mama or your last kid is off to college, and you’re ready for a career change, this article is for you. If you want to become a successful mompreneur, consider doing these nine things.
1. Do your research.
Don’t just sign up for the first consulting gig that pops in your sponsored Facebook feed. Make sure to do your research before falling prey to a pyramid scheme.
If you want to start your own business, you also need to do market research — and probably more so!
Although you may come up with an incredible product or service and think, “Everyone will surely want this thing I created! It’s the best thing ever!” a successful business starts with research rather than whims.
Where do you start market researching? You discover the people with the problems. Ask yourself:
- Who would want to buy your product or service?
- Why would they purchase from you? What benefits do they receive?
- What would hold them back from buying your product or service?
(Pro Tip: If you’re having trouble coming up with a business idea, this is a great place to start! Make a list of real-world problems and brainstorm ways to solve them.)
After defining your ideal customer, figure out:
- What are their most significant pain points?
- What do they value? How does your product or service meet that need?
- Where do these people spend their time online?
- How can I communicate with them the best?
If another similar product or service already exists, determine why yours is better or why someone should choose yours over the other guys. In marketing, this is called crafting your Unique Value Proposition (UVP).
2. Encourage yourself and others.
One of the best ways to grow your support circle is with the mindset of an encourager.
You must willingly support others in their career journeys and become your own biggest cheerleader.
By showing genuine interest in another’s journey, you will build connections naturally. When you support the business dreams of others, and they will want to return the favor.
However, “genuine” interest is the key.
If you come off as salesy, no one will want to partner with you. Instead of focusing on ways this connection could help you grow, focus on helping them grow in their business success.
Here are a few examples of ways you can show genuine support:
- Offer to write a guest blog for free.
- Leave a raving review for the company on Google, Facebook, Amazon, or Yelp.
- Tag a business or influencer to share a relevant social post with them.
- Share a post about a company’s social mission and how you support it.
Equally important, you need to encourage yourself in this newfound journey of mompreneurship. Some days you may feel like quitting. Negative comments might haunt you at night.
Instead of feeling like a failure or drowning yourself in lies, post positive quotes and imagery around your workspace. Wake up every morning, look yourself in the mirror, and say, “You can do this!”
If you believe in yourself, there’s no telling how far you can go.
3. Let go of the ideal.
It’s wise to create a business plan for how your business will operate; however, it’s okay if your schedule for the daily grind doesn’t turn out the way you thought.
As a mom, you know how unpredictable each day can be. (Think about when your kid gets sick or misses his nap. Yikes!)
Although you may have learned about the most successful morning routine, don’t feel guilty if you can’t do your business the “right” way.
The “right” way may not be possible in your current life stage — and that’s okay.
Part of the success journey in mompreneurship is learning how to let go of the ideal. Give yourself some grace. You will find your way to success.
4. Be willing to mess up.
If you’re launching into mompreneurship, chances are you have never done anything like this before. Whenever you try something new, it’s not possible to do it perfectly from the beginning.
Of course, you should leave certain things to the experts, like writing legal agreements. However, don’t let the fear of failure keep you from trying. You might miss out on some incredible opportunities.
Perfectionism is paralyzing. If you hold yourself to an unreachable standard, you may never begin the journey.
Many brilliant ideas get sacrificed on the altar of self-rejection. Give others the chance to say no. Put yourself out there.
Improvement only happens through trial and error.
5. Learn along the way.
When starting a business, having a heart to learn will take you far.
If you‘re frustrated with a problem or want to learn something new, there are countless resources online.
It’s amazing what you can teach yourself these days. You have an arsenal of resources at the tip of your keyboard. Some cost money; plenty are free! All you need to know is where to look.
(Pro Tip: Udemy has fantastic courses on any topic you can imagine. Grab a class when it goes on sale. If you’re willing to wait, you can get some as low as $9.99!)
6. Ask for help.
Humility brings sanity.
Maybe you’ve done as much fiddling with your website as a sane person can handle, but you know it still needs help.
That’s okay! It’s not admitting weakness or defeat. Instead, it takes incredible strength to recognize a need for help.
Some things are better to hand off anyway.
The day you realize your most valuable asset is your time is the day you will find true freedom and happiness in life. Hiring someone to do a task rather than learning it yourself is often the most beneficial.
You can find someone to hire by:
- Asking your friends for referrals.
- Checking your current network.
- Posting a request on LinkedIn.
Who knows? You might find a life-changing partnership for your business!
7. Practice being fully present.
Work hard, play hard, as the saying goes.
Your clients deserve your full attention, and so does your family.
If you give 100% when you’re working, it’s just as vital to give your family your full attention when you’re not.
Don’t let buzzing notifications and interrupting calls keep you from experiencing life at home.
When starting as a mompreneur, it’s essential to separate your work life from your home life. This way, you can give your all to each one at the right time.
8. Engage in self-care.
Remember that you are more than your business. If you don’t take care of yourself, you’ll burn out. Your business will fall apart, and your family will get the leftovers.
Being a mom is already full-time work, so starting a business is like working two full-time gigs. Doing both takes incredible ambition and discipline.
If you want your business and your family to thrive, you need to give yourself time to rest. If you don’t, you’ll find yourself sick, frustrated, and unhappy. Who wants to live that way?
Make a list of the things you enjoy. Carve out time to do it, even if it’s for 15 minutes on a Sunday afternoon.
You need rest; your family and business need you.
(Pro Tip: Put your fun time in your calendar. You’ll be more likely to follow through if it gets scheduled.)
9. Forgive yourself.
If you make mistakes along the way, it’s okay! Really.
Messing up means you’re human. You’ll learn from each mistake and do better next time.
Being a mompreneur means you need to forgive yourself again and again.
The quicker you learn to give yourself grace, the faster you can dust off and keep moving forward.
Are you a mom wanting to launch your own business?
What have you found helpful during mompreneurship so far? What are ways you could use support as a new mompreneur?
Let’s chat in the comments!
