Keeping Family First

How to build your business around your family as a Mompreneur

The term “Soccer Mom” has long faded away, replaced with a new, more powerful maternal title; Mompreneur. Gone are the days when an Avon lady rang your doorbell to supplement her family income because she is online now.

Mom is now selling more successfully with the internet, using social media and other online tools to promote their business, all the while staying at home to care for her kids. Mothers are tweeting, blogging, posting and interacting with other moms and still bringing home the bacon.

A primary reason for their success comes from the experience of motherhood itself, using all the knowledge given to them through that experience. Moms are already proficient at juggling all sorts of things from lowly diaper duty and to serving as President of their local PTA.

Calm under pressure, Mom faces a laundry list of daily dilemmas, from a rapid rise in fever to a traumatic trip to the emergency room to set a broken arm. Mother has always been the master of dealing with stress and problem solving.

Negotiation skills? Ever reason with a five-year-old during a full-blown temper tantrum? Have you ever effectively communicated with a teenager? All conquered by Mom.

After tackling all these challenges, let’s look at how they carved their online path with huge success.

LUNCH TIME

Mothers understand the problems and needs that other moms face. Check out Kelly Lester, founder and CEO of EasyLunchboxes. She turned the hassle of packing a school lunch into a multi-million dollar business..

Frustrated with creating a healthy, yet interesting lunch for her children, Lester embraced the Japanese concept of Bento, a single-portion meal packed into a single container. She used this idea to launch her own successful venture.

Using her blog along with other social media platforms and video channels, she blasted her way into the number one slot for lunch containers at amazon.com.

CARE CONCERNS

Another future mompreneur was faced with a challenging dilemma; finding a qualified babysitter to care for her children and at the same time she also she needed assistance for her elderly father. With no qualified resources available, Sheila Lirio Marcelo created Care.com.

Using the internet, she connected with others facing this same dilemma and expanded her idea into a network for others in need of everything from pet sitting to housekeeping.

She turned a stressful problem into an online solution for almost twelve million users in sixteen countries. Her care network offers background checks for caregivers along with their personal profiles showcasing hobbies, special interests and other talents.

Not only providing this match, it also gives a steady stream of employment opportunities to qualified caregivers.

ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES

Sarah Beatty turned her passion for protecting the environment into an interesting spin on home improvement. She launched Green Depot in 2005 offering alternatives to more traditional products and services available online and elsewhere.

Even though her idea was not necessarily directed towards other moms, she still turned her passion into a very successful online business.

But how did they do it?

Kelly marketed her lunch boxes with sheer determination and perseverance, but it is important to note that she used a number of online tools available at her disposal including her blog and social media.

Online Road to Riches

Marcelo and Beatty have been so successful that they were named Most Powerful Moms: Entrepreneurs by Working Mother.

In the article, Marcelo thanks her own mother in part for the success of her Care.com venture. She says that her mom set an example for her to be a strong, successful woman, which included being both a dedicated mother and determined worker.

When interviewed by Working Mother, Beatty explained that her green venture was motivated by her wish to create a non-toxic environment for her children and family. She felt empowered with the ability to make the best, most intelligent decisions for her family, giving others that powerful choice and a profitable one for her.

These women prove that passion can fuel a successful business.

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