Moms know everything. They know where their kids left their socks, they know what time the carpool leaves, they know how to get a cranky 4-year-old through a shopping mall. Given their mastery of multitasking, is it any wonder mothers make such good business owners?
It was motherhood itself that inspired Laurie McCartney to start Babystyle, a retail brand that encompasses everything from maternity and baby clothes to children’s furniture. In 1998, when she was pregnant with her first child, she was dissatisfied with the dearth of stylish, functional and affordable maternity clothes. McCartney spent her pregnancy formulating a business plan to offer what she knew other women would desire, and she set up her online store right after the birth of her son, Jack.
Armed with her newfound knowledge as a mom, McCartney, 36, enlisted the help of other working moms–not only to see what they wanted from Babystyle, but also to learn how other working moms balanced their businesses with their kids’ needs. Their advice? “Keep a schedule, and focus on work when you’re at work and the family when you’re at home,” says this mother of two. “It makes it easier, so you’re always giving 100 percent to your kids when you’re with them and 100 percent to your business when you’re with it.”
Though it’s not easy to balance a business with raising children, there are strategies to make it more manageable, says Lesley Spencer, 38, founder of Home-Based Working Moms, a support network for moms who own businesses in Austin, Texas. Starting part time is one way to make the transition easier, she says. That way, you can better acclimate your children and yourself to your business’ demands.
Photo by Babystyle.
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