Juggling family responsibilities while running a business can be a challenging task, but with enough planning and patience, being a mumpreneur can be a dream to some.
A ‘mumpreneur’, a combination of the words ‘mum’ and ‘entrepreneur’, is simply a term used to describe a mother who runs her own business while raising children. And while juggling kids and business sound like an extremely challenging task, a lot of mumpreneurs have found success on this route, which offers more freedom and flexibility than a 9-to-5 job.
Mumpreneurs are typically born out of certain needs and wishes, such as a need to earn a living in order to support the family, or perhaps the dream to be creative and express their talents, to pursue a certain passion, or to be recognised for skills other than parenting.
One of the main benefits that many mumpreneurs find with entrepreneurship, is the flexibility to work around their family commitments and pursue their passions while also earning an income. It means able to call the shots in your professional life, while still being able to be there for your children. The freedom that comes with being an entrepreneur allows you to alter your schedule to fit your family’s needs in a way that may not be possible when you’re working for someone else.
Being an entrepreneur certainly doesn’t mean every single task needs to fall on your shoulders, especially if you also have the responsibility of taking care of your family. As a mumpreneur, you can choose to scale your business up or down depending on your time, energy, and resources.
Watching your own business flourish and grow along with your blossoming children can be a very rewarding experience. If you’ve ever dreamed of having your own business and making some money in the middle of diaper changers or school runs, here are some tips on how to make your mumpreneurship dreams a reality:
Identify your strengths and interests
Maybe you already have a business idea, or maybe you’re toying with several ideas. Start by identifying your strengths, skills, and interests. Think about what you enjoy doing and what you are good at. This will help you choose a business that aligns with your passions and talents.
Develop a business plan
Having a business plan will help you to better define your business goals, target audience, marketing strategy, and financial projections. It will also help you secure funding if needed. One you’ve identified your goals and strategies, set up your business operations, such as creating a website, setting up social media accounts, and creating marketing materials if needed.
Hire help
As a mumpreneur, time management is crucial and in order to avoid burnout, you definitely need to ask for help. This could be in the form of childcare, whether it’s babysitters, part-time daycare, help from your partner or family members, or perhaps hiring assistants who can help with tasks such as creating email newsletters, managing social media accounts, or in packaging and shipping products. You could also consider partnering with a business partner, maybe even another mum who share the same passion for the business, in order to share the workload.
Be intentional on how your spend your time
Set a schedule that allows you to balance your work and family responsibilities. Make a list of tasks that need to be done each day and prioritise them based on importance and urgency. It’s also essential to set boundaries between your work and family life. Decide on your working hours and try to stick to them as much as possible. Don’t forget to take breaks throughout the day to recharge and avoid burnout!
Keep learning
As with any business, there’s always room for growth and improvement. It’s essential to keep learning and developing your skills to stay competitive in the market and grow your business. Start by studying other successful mumpreneurs and gaining knowledge from their stories and experiences. If you have the time, enroll in online training courses to gain more knowledge in your field. Finding a mentor who has experience in your industry or business can also provide you with valuable insights and guidance as you begin your mumpreneurship journey.
Is it possible to be a mum and a business owner? The short answer is, yes. Of course it takes work, but it’s worth pursuing if it is a passion of yours. If you’ve been dreaming of business ideas between diaper changes or while rocking your baby to sleep, try bringing those concepts to fruition.
Interested to be a momprenuer? At Lazada, selling is made easy with Seller Community and Lazada University. You are not alone. Start your journey today and sign up as a Lazada seller.
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