A Step by Step Process to Start an Online Business For Moms
Setting up and starting a business of your own is definitely not an easy task, especially when you’re a “MOM”. Trust me, it is not a cakewalk when you are accustomed to working in a structured workspace environment, or if you’re living on your kids schedule of sleep-time, meals, bath, bedtime…all that fun stuff….you’re now the boss handling many jobs!!:)
When you become a mom, it is all the more difficult to figure out where to put your time when you are equally passionate about your career and have that entrepreneurial spark, but also have kiddos to take care of, whom you adore more than anything in the world. I sure felt torn when I had an overwhelming need to sustain my own independence and finances, but I also had my hands full with what was more than full time job already taking care of my kids.
I’ve always been very independent, and I had a very strong feeling of needing my own financial independence and also to have my own purpose outside of drowning in baby vomit, poop and sleepless nights…..but how could I balance it all? This is when I decided to not let my dreams die down and I started focusing on setting up an online business….balancing the two worlds together. It didn’t happen for me when my kids were toddlers (I had Irish Twins and I was more than run off my feet….oh yah, and an entire house renovation going on at the same time), but once I passed the crazy chaos time, my journey began.
Truly because of the world we live in today, no matter what your aspirations, skill set or interests are, you can start your own business doing something online that you love. I’d like to share with you my experience, which I am sure will help you in setting up or planning an online business, while still fulfilling the doting mom duties.
So are you ready to start? Great, here we go…..
My first recommendation would he to evaluate yourself. What do you want out of life? What are you passionate about? Can you build your business around your passion? What can you do that you will enjoy, be able to manage from home, all while having the flexibility to be a present parent for your children?
Next, I would recommend being realistic about your finances. What do you currently have to invest in a business? Are you in a financial position to grow a business? Or do you need to make some side income to fund your business? Businesses take time and investment to build so if you don’t have a lot to invest in a start up business, you might want to start with a low cost entry business that can help generate some income to get you going. Then, you can utilize the funds from your side business to help you build your dream business.
(Low entry cost/sell to family and friends)
Then, I would evaluate the market you’re interested in and the lifestyle you desire. Many entrepreneurs focus is to be hugely successful and becoming a millionaire, and they’re willing to put in the time, investment and to take on all that responsibility,. Others, such as myself, place a greater importance on having a business that provides them with a better quality of life, a chosen lifestyle. For me while my children are still living at home, a lifestyle is my goal. One day when they move out, that may change, but today, lifestyle and full independence is my choice. It’s very doable to have a substantial income, (probably greater than anything you’ve ever made before), without having all the headaches and hassels of building a million dollar empire. The choices are great, and you just need to make the lifestyle decision that’s best for you.
Now, make it official to the world that you’re starting a business. Tell everyone you know. Put the vibe out there! Put in your time, commitment and investment and this can help hold you accountable…..you’ve now taken the plunge. There’s a ton of great help available literally starting from the price of a Starbucks coffee. There’s a few great platforms that you can hire contractors starting from like $3/hr. It took me trying a few different people to find one that was a good fit, but it’s worth the effort, so that you can have someone, cost effectively, help you maintain and run your business effectively. If you can’t afford to hire anyone, perhaps there’s a student finishing school that could do an internship with you? University near by? You truly can build your online business while being a mom, and even have excellent help or even a personal assistant to help you on your path, even on a very small budget.
Time to emulate your success. Take an in depth look at people who you admire who are successful, and reverse engineer their success. Who are the top three people that you admire their lifestyle? Business? What about their lives or careers do you want to incorporate into your life? What courses do they take? Do they offer their own? What ads are they running? What social media platforms are they on? Who do they follow? Soak up everything you can and start implementing those lifestyle skills into your life.
I’ve always had a passion for leading a healthier, more active lifestyle. I thought that why not turn my passion into a full-time career. Likewise, you may also have a passion or inclination towards specific interests like painting, creative writing, fitness, dog grooming….depending on your interests, there’s millions of people on the internet interested in what you like too!! So why not focus on something which you love and start executing or promoting it online?
My Top Recommended Online Business For a Busy Mom!
Now, you need to decide what type of business you want to start. Do you want to start with products? Services? Programs? You’ll need to think over and plan what works for you? What should you offer? A great way to decide this is by incorporating your learnings, experience or interests into your business. Start with what you already know, are passionate about or have done professionally in your career.
For example- If you have worked as an event coordinator, perhaps you can continue to work on building a business around planning events that allow you a flexible work from home approach, while you also build up your social media profile and website on free platforms and highlight your portfolio of projects that you have already executed so far. This will enable you to gain traction from your clients and will build your credibility.
Do a big brain dump or brainstorm about your core interest areas. If you’re looking to build your dream business, put some thought and effort into it, it’ll be worth it. What are the top things you are good at? What are you passionate about? Can you turn your passion into customer needs?
The next step is to identify the specific area or the “niche” of the business, once you’ve thought out and finalized your business idea, where is there a hole or need in that market? What can you do to fill that hole or void? What will set you apart from the other businesses in that market? What problem will you be solving for your customer?
Create your ideal customer (avatar), as this is who you need to focus your strategies around. Finding out the demographics, such as age, gender, their relationship status, location, education, and work profile, to start with. You can go deeper by finding out what they do? Where do they shop? What do they eat? What do they read? What platforms are they on? What is their income? Your entire business needs to be built around your customer base (avatar) so spend some time on this one. What problem does your customer have, how can you help them solve that problem and to help them reach their goals.
A great way for identifying your niche is by utilizing social media platforms and checking out similar businesses online. You can do a Google keyword search for phrases related to your business idea. There’s also a great website called answerthepublic.com that if you type in your area of business, it will tell you all the things people search for in that market. A few other great places to research is Quora.com, different forums, and other online platforms.
Once you got your demographics down pat, you can start focusing on the psychographics (or the people’s attitudes, behaviours, and aspirations). A great tool you can use to find out and understand the psychographics is through Facebook Ads Manager (you do need to set up a business account for this -if you’re going into business, you’ll need to do this;). Using Facebook Ads Manager, you get a chance to see inside peoples lives. What’s their Hobbies? Interests? Purchasing Behaviour? What has your ideal customer bought recently?) As a consumer, it’s a bit unsettling and mind blowing what data is available, but it’s so valuable as a business owner.
You can also make use of Facebook groups to learn and understand the psychographic information. Look for Facebook groups that are directly related to your business, and join them. Learn from others who are already doing this!!! It would be great to get a notepad or day timer for your business so you can jot down any ideas, valuable information or suggestions for your business. Start to make a list of all the active forums, communities, podcasts, and social media channels that you are interested in to discuss what your Business is all about.
Here are a few key “work from home mom” pointers that I personally implemented to help me become successful working from home:
- Plan your time
This is a business, and you need to treat it as such. You are working from home, which helps greatly with planning out and living life more efficiently, but you need to plan your time effectively and dedicate work time. I tried doing it when I could fit it in…..it just doesn’t work out, there’s always something that consumes your time. Set times that are consistent, and have it so you have a quiet environment to work in with nobody around. Hire a babysitter, or get dad/friend/grandparents take the kids out so you have uninterrupted time. You can plan work around school times, sleep schedules, early bedtimes? But the #1 take away is absolutely make sure these are scheduled times, otherwise you will constantly be interrupted and distracted….and that doesn’t work to build a business. For me currently, both by kids are in school, so I’m able to work in the day when my kids are at school.
- Know your limitations and ask for help
Running the whole show solo can become tedious and exhausting, you need support around you. Whether that be from family, friends, a mentor or business group or accountability buddy, surrounding yourself with supportive people is essential. There’s always going to be the negative nellies out there…but what do they do for a living? Is it there advice our looking for? I’ve found that successful people will help guide and support you on your path, and don’t bring you down. Have you ever heard that your happiness and being is the sum of the 5 people you spend most of your time with. So choose your circle wisely…..and then you’re equipped to deal with any kind of challenge. - Take care of yourself
This may be at the top of the chain of importance…take care of yourself!! You need to be healthy, alert and able to keep going. You’ve got a business to build, children to raise and a strong self will make it all much easier. Keep yourself engaged in a routine including exercise, eat as well as you can, have you time (girls lunch, spa day, yoga), keep motivated and encouraged. One of the toughest things a as a mom can be getting your nights zzz’s in….I know it well!! This is so crucially important.
Check out my getting a good night sleep blog
I understand being a working mom can bring some challenges, but it opens up some fabulous opportunities too. Juggling between a new business and family can be stressful, but the rewards far outweigh the hassle. Persist, and the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow will be worth it:) Enjoy working on what you love the most, be a present parent and master something that can truly change your lifestyle and create a happier, healthier lifestyle that you can be proud of! Live more and work less! Sending positivity and strength to your new adventure and wildly successful business!!
The #1 reason why I recommend moms start an online business is so that you can work from the comfort of your home while being a present parent. You have the complete flexibility to manage your life at your convenience.
