Guest Article - Building a Successful Home Business as a Busy Mom by Leslie Campo www.wellparents.com

At first glance, it looks like mompreneurs have it all. They get to earn a living doing something they love, skip the daily commute, and spend loads of time with their kids. But running a business as a stay-at-home mom isn’t all sunshine and rainbows — it’s a lot of hard work! In many ways, nursing a new business to life is a lot like caring for a baby, which says something about the difficulty involved in juggling entrepreneurship with actual childcare.
 
Countless moms have found ways to make it work, and you can too! If you’re looking for tips on launching your own home-based business, keep reading!
 
Don’t Try to Do it All
 
Between caring for kids and keeping the house in order, you probably don’t have a lot of room in your schedule. Taking on too many extra responsibilities will only lead to burnout. In order to achieve that elusive work-life balance, look for ways to automate and outsource your new business tasks. As Keap explains, you can incorporate automation into every aspect of your business, from capturing leads to handling paperwork! Even the time-draining task of replying to emails can be automated with the right software.
 
Another job you can outsource is registering your business. Many successful home-business entrepreneurs choose to set themselves up as an LLC for the tax advantages and easier paperwork. Instead of taking care of the legal paperwork yourself, you can hire an LLC formation services for this task.
 
Of course, apps, services, and software won’t always cut it. Sometimes you need a real human to tackle those business projects. For example, if you want to announce your new business to the public with an attention-grabbing press release, you will need to find someone to write it for you. Thankfully, online job platforms make it easy to discover public relations professionals available for hire on a project-to-project basis.
 
Streamline Your Life
 
Besides finding ways to outsource repetitive business tasks, you can also look for ways to free up time in your regular schedule. Create a meal plan system so you can reduce time spent grocery shopping and cooking. Teach your kids how to play independently, it’s a wonderful life-skill for them to learn too. Get your other family members to help out with household chores. Learn how to say “no” to non-essential obligations when your plate is full. Streamlining your life is all about saving time and minimizing energy-draining decisions. This will free up some brainpower for your budding business!
 
Let Go of Guilt
 
You should also be prepared to confront working mom guilt before launching your business. Guilt, while common among working moms, can derail your productivity. Mompreneurs have to deal with the constant pressure to satisfy everyone — clients, team members, kids, spouses, and extended family included. Even when you’re burning the candle at both ends, you may feel like you’re letting everyone down. Before diving into your business, identify ways to cope with mom guilt, like being more flexible with the standards you place on yourself.
 
Choose a Compatible Business Idea
 
Often, one of the hardest parts about launching a business is committing to a business idea. You likely have a long list of potential ways to make money from home. How do you choose the perfect idea to run with? Start with what you know. Whether you’re great at writing or you enjoy crafting home-made decor, you should be able to find a way to turn your passion into a business. It’s important that your business idea aligns with your interests and your skills so you will be able to maintain your motivation to stick with it through tough times.
 
Make sure your business idea is also compatible with your financial situation. If you don’t have a lot of money to spend on your startup, you may want to stick with business ideas that require a very small initial investment. For example, Crazy Egg suggests inexpensive business models like freelance writing, selling homemade crafts, tutoring, graphic design, or working as a virtual assistant. With the right attention to budgeting, you should be able to start any of these businesses for under $100. Sticking to your startup budget is easy if you skip unnecessary expenses like renting an office space, purchasing fancy tools, or hiring full-time employees!
 
Pay Attention to Your Legal Responsibilities
 
Launching a home business can be complicated. Part of the reason for this is the vast legal responsibilities that come with business ownership. Neglecting these legal obligations can cause some serious problems down the line! To avoid lawsuits, fines, and penalties, take the time to cover all of your legal bases before moving forward with your business idea. It’s easy to overlook these requirements when you’re starting a business from home.
 
Grow Your Business Slowly
 
After establishing the foundation for a scalable business, you can start thinking about growth. Just be careful not to grow too quickly. It’s common for home-based entrepreneurs to get carried away by the lure of fast cash, but it takes time to build a business that generates sustainable income! Grow your business too fast and your expenses may increase faster than your revenue, ultimately shrinking your bottom line.
 
Aim to secure consistent and reliable cash flow before setting your sights on new growth opportunities. Slow and steady growth will also give you time to solve operational issues, avoid overworking your employees, and keep your customers front and center as you add more responsibilities to your daily to-do list.
 
Running a business is a fantastic work opportunity for stay-at-home moms. While it can take a while to settle into your new schedule, you will get the hang of things eventually. Set yourself up for success by choosing a business idea that aligns with your lifestyle, tackling your legal obligations, and planning ahead to combat anticipated challenges so you can achieve some sense of work-life balance through it all.

Author bio: 
A busy mom herself, Leslie Campos has dedicated her site Wellparents.com to all the moms and dads searching for ideas on being physically and emotionally well. When not working or running her children to various after-school activities, Leslie loves to practice yoga, CrossFit, and watching The Great British Baking Show.

Are you looking for personal coaching support on your mompreneur journey? MindCraft Leadership can help you along the way!