In honor of Mother’s Day, I recently asked some momma biz owners that I respect and admire to share their thoughts on what it was like to be a mom with a business.
Being a mom ain’t easy, and doing it while juggling a business is super hard! I know that there is no such thing as SuperMom, and I certaintly don’t want to cycle that myth, but I’m telling ya – Carrie Lauth of Natural Moms Talk Radio is giving that fictional character a run for her money. Carrie has four children, and is not only a work at home mom, but she’s also a home school mom. Oh yeah, if that isn’t enough, she’s also a single mom. Yeah, she’s pretty darn amazing!
Here’s what she had to say:
When Crissy asked me to write a guest post on being a mom with a business, I didn’t know exactly what to write about at first. There are many options: I could write about why I think moms should have a stream of income no matter what their situation is, tips on how to find a business that will work for you, or how to juggle family time and work time. But instead, I thought I would share how happy I am that I was able to find a way to work from home.
Working from home offers a mom so much flexibility. Life with kids can be unpredictable. While it takes some creativity and a willingness to go with the flow sometimes, the beauty of a home business is that a mom can choose when, where and how hard and how much to work.
During the months and years after a woman becomes a mom, she can easily become overwhelmed by the responsibilities of her new role. Having a “something else” to help her give structure to her time and also to remind her that she is more than a mom – can be important for her emotional health. For some moms, the income they bring in from their business provides a significant contribution to the household income. And for a few of us like myself, it is the entire household income!
In addition, times are uncertain. Many people don’t really know from one day to the next whether they will be gainfully employed. Blogging, virtual assistant work, transcription and web and graphic design are plug and play businesses that a mom can start and have up and running in a matter of days. Once the word gets out about her services, she may find herself in a position of having to turn away work. Online businesses especially are perfect for moms because they’re so inexpensive to launch. And there is no traveling required.
Life is unpredictable. When I started my business, I was not a single mom with 4 children. But I was so relieved that when I did find myself in that situation, I could seamlessly segue into that life with minimal upheaval and stress. To think of how my children – and I – would have been affected if I had been forced to put them into public school (they are homeschooled) and day care makes me very thankful for the choices I made years ago.
Carrie Lauth is an internet marketing mom of 4. She offers coaching to others who want to get their online business off the ground at https://www.carrielauth.com/hire-carrie.htm You can also find her free tips and advice on her blog: https://www.carrielauth.com/blog