” There are several fields open to mother entrepreneurs nowadays because of the Internet, but the success lies in the choosing ”
Mothering a child makes a woman more intelligent. This is an oft-accepted fact, and the reason lies in how the mother begins learning new things as the child grows up. Even hormonally, the mother is better-placed, because motherhood causes a release of several hormones that help the woman reach her full biological development. Yes, it is true to say that women who haven’t become mothers yet haven’t yet reached their biological peak, and even mentally and emotionally, they might lack a few aspects of development.
The point we are talking about all this is to drive home the fact that women who try to enter the business world after becoming mothers have it going for them to do well in their chosen sphere. Business requires women to be good managers, and what better management can someone learn than being able to successfully balance raising kids and running a home? These things teach the woman the importance of time management and how to deal with people (dealing with the doctors, nurses, education givers, caretakers, etc. for their children makes them quite extroverted and good at communication). Certainly, these are two qualities that qualify women to make their first foray into the corporate world, even after they have become mothers. Yes, they can enter the mumpreneur league.
Options for Mumpreneurs
The first thing mumpreneurs (the term is a portmanteau of ‘mum’ and ‘entrepreneur’) should do when trying to start a career is to decide what kind of niche they want to dabble with. There are several fields open to mother entrepreneurs nowadays because of the Internet, but the success lies in the choosing. The following are some Internet-related businesses that women can think about:-
- Handling a writing business from home (connecting writers from around the world with people who want content, such as website owners and online business promoters)
- Testing products for companies and filling out survey forms
- Direct selling products (such as those done with Amway, Tupperware, Herbalife and a host of other network marketing companies)
- Blogging, posting on forums, running websites and monetizing all of these
- Starting a hobby business (such as making candles and selling them online or offline), etc.
These are all Internet-related occupations. However, there is a vast area for offline mumpreneurialism also. But, with the Internet being so very far-reaching in today’s times and because of the fact that it allows mothers to stay at home and work, most women who plan new professions after their motherhood want to do something through the Internet. In fact, so much is the demand for online entrepreneurialism among mothers that most of them don’t think about it any other way.
Starting Out as a Mumpreneur
The following are some of the things that can help you start your own mumpreneur venture.
- Once you have chosen the niche, spend some time on research. Use the Internet to find out who your competition is (always first look for local competition) and figure out what unique thing you have to give that your competition doesn’t give. Remember that without some unique product, you aren’t going to go far; there’s too much competition in every niche. Spend some time getting educated as well. Make sure you know everything about your business before you make a professional start
- Try to earn some early popularity, maybe even before you actually make a start. Make your presence felt on blogs and forums where you make informed posts and give some intelligent comments. Start a website. Get it professionally designed and plan out what your website will actually do. Most importantly, make yourself several social networking profiles and start spreading yourself out there. Some of the best ones to consider here are Twitter, Facebook and MySpace. Also, get acquainted with video services such as YouTube.
- Get your things in order. This will depend on the kind of business you are planning to start. If you are planning a business where you provide some service, try to get your employees together who you will outsource the service to. In short, you have to get your team ready. If your business is about a product, get your raw materials together. If you are getting into direct selling, get in touch with several of them and compare them. Maybe meet some sponsors of different companies and get to understand their policies well. It is quite all right if all this initial groundwork takes some time; it is all an investment for a better business future.
- Once all these things are set, put your mumpreneur skills right out in front and surge ahead. You have almost everything set now; make yourself as popular as you can and implement all those things you have learnt.
Facing Challenges as a Mumpreneur
Being a mother entrepreneur will bring various challenges your way. But no challenge will be as big as having to convince your kids that you will be working for some hours every day. The fact that you are working from home will assuage this problem a bit, but even then you will have to convince them. Talk to your kids and explain to them what you are doing. Or, maybe you can plan your work hours so that you work only when the kids are occupied, such as when they are sleeping or when they are away.
You also still have to manage your household, and that becomes another challenge. Don’t ignore the importance of speaking to your spouse in advance about your mumpreneur venture before you begin. Plan out things together, even if it is just about hiring a maid. Make your spouse feel involved. This will really help in the future.
You have to also learn how to focus on your work in the few snatches of time you get away from your domestic trappings. It is ideal to learn some concentration skills and probably you might also want to join some meditation classes such as Yoga classes which can help you keep your mind better under control amid all the chaos.
Mumpreneurs are ruling the roost today, and maybe they are naturally inclined to succeed. This is the way to go. But if you want to become a mumpreneur as well, make sure you go about it the right way, or there would be no success in sight any time soon.