Top 5 Advantages to Being a #Mompreneur

The outdated idea that women can’t have both a career and a family is thankfully starting to become obsolete. More and more mothers are striving to balance their businesses and family lives, proving that the two can be done simultaneously–and done well, at that. Many women find the term “mompreneur” to be insulting. They cringe when they see it as a hashtag. But I say – why not own it? Why not be proud of the fact that we are capable enough to juggle two challenging jobs? I would argue that many of the strengths that make a good mother help build the traits needed to be an amazing entrepreneur, such as:

Patience. Just as your baby will one day sleep through the night and your toddler will eventually get the hang of potty training, so, too, will your business hit the major milestones you’re chasing. Being a mother cultivates enormous reserves of patience, which is a huge asset to have when it comes to building a business. The next time you are frustrated about the lack of perceived progress with your work, remember to treat your project like you would your child–with love, care, time and attention. It will be standing on two feet before you know it!

Building support systems. Becoming a mother has a way of forcing you into building a solid support system. Just as you call on your network of fellow mom friends and family, you can cultivate the same sort of support system in your business, whether it’s a VA, a coach, a mastermind or just a few fellow entrepreneurs that you trust. They say it takes a village to raise a child, and the same can be said of nurturing a fledgling venture. Putting yourself out there and building a team of people to be in your corner benefits both you and your fellow entrepreneurs.

Negotiating effectively. Nothing teaches good negotiation skills like having to reason with a child (or meanager) having a tantrum! The tactics you learn in your daily interactions with children (such as compromising, reasoning and communicating calmly in emotional situations) can help a surprising amount when it comes to dealing with all kinds of people in the business world (and vice versa).

Working under pressure. When you have kids, you are constantly thinking on your feet–taking care of injuries, fielding off-the-wall questions (But WHY) and navigating all kinds of unexpected twists and turns. Being able to manage many pressures at once is a huge advantage when you’re running your own business.

Nurturing. As a mother, you’re naturally sensitive to your child’s feelings and instinctively know what they need in order to excel. You know what it takes to love something unconditionally and how to gently push it in the right direction. Once you get to know the flow of your business, you will soon develop the same kind of intuition for what is needed for your venture to succeed.

These incredible crossover skills can hugely benefit you and your business, so wear that #mompreneur badge proudly! You earned it!