The Ultimate Guide to Starting a Business as a Mompreneur

Thinking about starting a business while raising kids? I've put together my best advice and real life examples for mompreneurs that covers mindset, planning, systems, and strategies to launch and grow a business that fits your life.

Introduction: Why Mompreneurs Are a Force in Business

"Being a mother is learning about strengths you didn’t know you had.” - Linda Wooten

Before I dive in, I want to acknowledge that I actually started my business before becoming a mom. However, once I became a mom my motivation, time-management, and systems grew and it wasn't until becoming a mom that I really felt like I could succeed in business. That is not to say it hasn't been hard. It has been so hard. Like all moms, time is my biggest challenge - where to find the time for my business and family, how to find the energy when your baby is up every 2 hours (spoiler: you don't. It's ok for that to be a slower business season), and the never ending guilt of not being able to "do it all" and "be everything to everyone."

Now that we've acknowledged the hard, I want to also encourage you that it is possible to be a mom and entrepreneur and not feel like you're drowning all the time. No, this isn't a "you can have it all" post; there will be sacrifices and things that are not where you want them to be, BUT this is a "I'm a friend who can help and we can do this together" post. 

Step 1: Shift Your Mindset from Employee to Entrepreneur

Anyone can have a good idea, success comes from making things happen over and over again.

One of the first things you realize as an entrepreneur is no one will care as much about your business as you do. If you've been an employee, you know that there are times you can go home and just forget about work for the weekend. That just doesn't happen when it's your business. 

The second thing you realize is it's really scary to be an entrepreneur and start your own business. I think one of the best gifts entrepreneurship has given me is to force me to face my fear of failure. Notice, I didn't say get over my fear of failure completely. There's a fine line as an entrepreneur of "I don't care what anyone thinks I'm going to make this happen" and "I cannot let everyone in my life down I'm going to make this happen" and where you are on that line depends on the day. As a mom, I think it's similar to how you never get over the fears of your kids getting hurt, but you learn to chill out a little more after each kid and not sweat the small stuff.

I tend to fall in the "how hard could it be?" camp, but if there's one thing that will kill a dream before it can take root and grow it's the desire for perfection and to know everything you need to know before you start. Anyone can have a good idea, success comes from making things happen over and over again. As moms, I think we have a special gift because there are a million things every day we have to decide and act on and rarely do we have all of the information we want. Instead, we make the best decision we can with the information we have and then adapt once we know more.

The third thing you'll learn in business and maybe the first thing you learn in motherhood is things never go according to plan. This is where moms have such an advantage in business. We are masters at resilience and flexibility - two invaluable skills in business. When the vendor doesn't deliver, when the employee quits, when a customer makes an unreasonable demand lean into your gentle parenting skills and figure it out ;) 

Step 2: Clarify Your Business Idea

To run a successful business you absolutely must be passionate about is customer service and solving problems.

If you've read any business books or blogs you will have heard people talk about finding your niche. I don't think you have to be passionate about your idea per se, but it certainly helps. However, to run a successful business you absolutely must be passionate about customer service and solving problems.

Two people could have the same idea for a business, but their businesses will look totally different because they bring different strengths, skills, and passions to the business. This is good! This means you don't have to worry if someone else is already doing what you want to do. In fact, if someone else is already doing it then they've done some of the hard work for you and proved there is a market for this business! I'd also argue it's why it's ok to tell people about your business idea from the start. As long as you can take people dismissing your idea and naysayers then I say tell the world what you want to do - you never know when and where you will meet the right people to help you along the way.

One of the best things I did to test my idea for our Serena Shorts for no money was to send out a Facebook, Instagram, and Email to friends I thought would be interested in the shorts. I told myself if 50 people pre-order the shorts over 2 weeks then I would keep going with the idea. Over 100 people pre-ordered shorts in the first 24 hours. That's when I knew I was on to something.

Whatever your business is, find a way to get people to invest early. I'm not talking about emotional support or social media posts. I'm talking about putting real money into a future product or service because they want/need it so bad. They may be strangers responding to a Facebook ad, friends Venmoing you money for shorts, or any number of investments, but make sure real people are willing to pay you real money from the start. Paying customers are the best source of feedback for you to refine your idea and make changes to create something that more people actually want.

Step 3: Choose the Right Business Model for Your Lifestyle

There are a million different ways to make money and lots of ways to set up a business. As you think through your idea it is helpful to consider what set up works best for you, your business, and your customers.

• Service-based businesses (coaching, freelancing, consulting).
  

Service-based businesses allow you to take on as many clients as you're able to in a certain season. This can be really helpful for moms whose lives fluctuate throughout the year. You can take on more clients during the school year and fewer over the Summer when childcare may not be as readily available. This is also a great model to test a business idea with low upfront investment.

• Product-based businesses (Etsy, e-commerce, physical products).

Product-based businesses typically require more up-front investment (I used my entire savings to fund the first order of PHNX Serena Shorts) and also require space to store products. There's also less control about when orders come in and if you do your own fulfillment then it doesn't matter if you or your child is sick or if you're in a busy season the orders must still be filled. That being said, there is a lot of opportunity if you have a great physical product and can find markets to share it.

• Hybrid or digital (courses, memberships, subscriptions).

Everyone loves a digital product and/or subscription. You can create something one time and then benefit from the holy grail of recurring revenue streams. This is great for moms because you can monetize your work with a little up front work and then continue to tweak and upgrade as you go. I've seen really successful women make lots of money through $20/month subscriptions with a great product.

If you've read this far this may sound like a "do as I say, not as I do" post. And in some ways it is, but I want to caveat by saying you have to trust your gut. If you have your heart set on a physical product and you're willing to work at it in whatever season you're in then go for it. It's what I did and I don't regret it - even though it's been really hard in most of the seasons recently. One thing I love about business is the likelihood of success is closely tied to your hard work. It's not a guarantee, but it's probably the best gamble you can make.

Step 4: Build the Foundations (Without Overwhelm)

• Legal basics: business structure, registering your business.

The legal basics of your business structure and registration process will be determined in part by where you live. I've only ever started single member LLCs so I can't speak to other types, but I did this because they're typically the simplest type of business to start and maintain. I registered with my state's Secretary of State and filled out a few forms, paid a few fees and was off to the races. If this is your first business that's where I would look at starting too.

• Essential tools (email, website, social media handles).

Getting a domain and website up and running doesn't have to be complicated. There are a lot of great free templates to start. I think a lot of people get hung up here and I would say it's worth spending a little time on, but you can update and make it better as you go. I would focus on make a great product (physical, digital, subscription, etc) and getting that product to customers. You'll get invaluable feedback and won't waste time creating a website that doesn't function like your customers want.

• Setting up simple systems from the start. If there is one takeaway from this post it is that you will absolutely, 100% need strong systems in your life. When I was single, not married, no kids, I could manage PHNX without great systems, but if you're a mom and business owner you will live and die by your systems. I wrote recently about a system that has been serving me well.

As much as possible, find ways to automate what needs to be done and automate reminders to do what needs to be done. For me, this looked like switching from Squarespace to Shopify for domain hosting because the Shopify systems allowed for a lot more integration with shipping, marketing, and really all things business related.

Step 5: Manage Your Time Like a Mompreneur

Your family will not care how successful your business was if you didn't love them well.

If you're a mom and entrepreneur, a mompreneur as you might say, then you already know time is your most precious resource. One successful strategy I've used and I know lots of moms and entrepreneurs use is time blocking and batching around kids’ schedules, but there are a variety of systems that work for managing time as a mompreneur. The best advice I can give is don't do any work that can be done with kids during the time kids are not around.

What I mean by this is, I never ever unload the dishwasher or pick up toys during nap time. Naps are my holy grail time to get work done - namely film and plan content that cannot be done with a toddler playing near me. Does this mean my toddler helps unload the dishwasher? Yes. Does it take longer? Absolutely. But, this is something he can do, it's fun for him, it's bonding for us, and it is 5 extra minutes I have during naps to film. This is something I am ruthless about. While it serves my business I think it also serves my child because he sees the work that goes on in the house and he is able to participate. He doesn't go to sleep and magically everything happened without him and I know this will serve him and our family well in the long term.

Another system that I can't live without is using reminders and systems to stay on track. I have written before about my reminders system, but it really does make such a difference. I started this system when I was going through chemo and had "chemo brain," but refined it after chemo.

Basically, I have different lists in my iPhone reminders app (Personal, Home, PHNX, Prayers, etc) that correspond to the big buckets in my life. I have recurring and 1x reminders set up daily, weekly, monthly, bimonthly, quarterly, biannually, yearly, and multi-year. This includes everything from checking account statements, batching content, prayers for friends and family, dusting baseboards in my house, and so much more. If it needs to be repeated on any sort of regular basis it goes in my reminders app. I could not do what I do without it.

Recently, I learned my cancer had come back and was not responding to treatment as we hoped. It was really hard news and I was pretty depressed. I did not work on the business like I "should" have and PHNX did not perform like I wanted, but the reality is navigating cancer, being a mom, wife, etc in that season all took priority and I didn't have anything left for PHNX. Is it hard to see other people who started their business at the same time as me find greater success? Yes. Are there times to push through and "just do it?" Yes. However, you are not supposed to do it all. There is grace for hard seasons even if the business suffers. Your family will not care how successful your business was if you didn't love them well.

Step 6: Find Your First Clients or Customers

If you're on a budget then social media is your best friend. I did not use social media like I could have in the early days and it's one of my biggest regrets in business.

We've talked a lot about the systems, processes, and "how" of a business. And now I want to talk about the really fun part - finding customers! Once you've got your business up and running, and I'd argue even before it's "ready" you should be talking to as many potential customers as possible. If you haven't already, identify your ideal customer and figure out what are they doing at each point in the day. Where do they shop, where do they hang out, what are they looking for, how do they like to be communicated with, who are their friends, who do they listen to, what social media platforms do they use, what other products/goods/services do they use? All of these questions will help you find and communicate with your customers.

Once you know where they are, be bold! Being an entrepreneur means getting really good about pitching yourself, your product, taking rejection on the nose and moving on. Remember, just because someone says "no" now doesn't mean it's a no forever. Online is great and online sales are an amplifier, but if you're just starting out I would get in person and local as much as possible. Find your customers and talk with them, show them what you do, and learn from their feedback. For PHNX, this looked like talking with local running store owners, participating in group events, and sending out Facebook, Instagram, and Email to friends.

If you're on a budget then social media is your best friend. I did not use social media like I could have in the early days and it's one of my biggest regrets in business. I've seen first hand the power of social media - both professionally and personally, and I wish I had done more back when I started. One thing that has been hard for me, but I'm working on is building a personal brand. I'm typically an offline person, but I've learned people want to buy from people they know and like. The more I can tell people about myself, the more I can also talk about PHNX. No one wants to be talked at - I can't just share PHNX marketing, I need to share myself too.

Step 7: Grow with Systems and Support

As a business owner and a mom there are certain things only you can do. It is your job to outsource as many of the "non-essential" tasks to others - EVEN IF - you could do it better yourself.

One thing my mom used to tell me is "you can't have/do it all." At the time, I thought she was crazy, but the older I get and the more I learn I realize there is a lot of wisdom in her words. I can do a lot, but there will always be sacrifices. The hardest decisions are when I have to choose between two good things. Sometimes saying "the best yes" means saying no to other good things and that's ok. 

At the same time, you can't do it alone. PHNX would not be here without the support of so many people. Friends and family who babysat, were sounding boards, bought product, posted on social media, brought meals, and so much more. Especially when you are starting out don't be afraid to ask people to help. Hopefully, one day you will be able to return the favor. There is no pride in business. This means if you need help cleaning your house, ask for it. If you need help learning accounting, ask for it. If you need help managing your emotions aka a friend to cry with, ask for it. As a business owner and a mom there are certain things only you can do. It is your job to outsource as many of the "non-essential" tasks to others - EVEN IF - you could do it better yourself. This is something I'm still learning, but you cannot succeed in business or as a mom if you try to do everything yourself. You, your family, and your business will suffer.

Inevitably, there will be tasks that need to be done on a routine and repetitive basis. Whenever possible, automate these tasks so that you use less brain power and energy to get them done. This could be have automatic financial reports set up, automating emails and responses, and setting up reminders for manual tasks. Have I mentioned how much I love and depend on the reminders app on my iPhone???

Step 8: Balance Motherhood and Entrepreneurship

The elusive balance of motherhood and entrepreneurship. I will go ahead and disabuse you of the notion of balance. That just doesn't happen. As someone who has walked through some pretty hard seasons; including cancer and chemo, there are times when life does not allow for the full pursuit of business. Even if you're not in a "hard season" and you're trying to balance running a business and motherhood there are days that things will go off the rails. On days when life doesn't go to plan - and let's be honest sometimes that is by 6:30am - if we have strong systems then we can pivot to the next thing and keep moving because we know that consistency matters more than perfection. 

A real life example, this morning I was not able to work out until 30 minutes later than I normally do. Initially, I was frustrated because I wanted that time "for me" and it was tempting to believe that because I had less time than I wanted then it wasn't "worth it" to workout. Instead, I worked within the remaining block of time I had and then moved on to the next block which was working on the business. I ended up having a very productive morning and by the time my toddler was awake I felt even more productive than normal. On this morning, time blocking helped me stay on track and set boundaries for my time even when things didn't go according to plan.

Another challenging boundary is figuring out family time and business time. It's easy to feel guilt when you're having fun with your family or managing your household that you're not working on the business and vice versa. For me, this is where time blocking helps me feel less guilt. I can plan in advance the time that's important for the business and for my family without emotion. Time blocking also helps me stay focused and work harder in the hours I have for my business because I know this is the only time I have for work.

In a culture that prizes "hustle" and "you can have it all" it's hard to admit that sometimes you just can't do it all. I mentioned earlier my battle with cancer and while this is an extreme example there are thousands of hard times in life that may temporarily derail your business. If you find yourself in one of these seasons I recommend 1. Give yourself grace, 2. Do what you can, and 3. Don't compare yourself to other people in prime seasons. All of this is easier said than done, of course, but if you need a friendly reminder then reach out to me and I'll make sure you don't forget :)

At the end of the day, being a mom and small business owner means embracing seasons—sometimes business is front seat, sometimes family is.

Conclusion: You Don’t Have to Choose Between Motherhood and Business

If you take anything from this blog I hope you leave encouraged. If you are just starting out in business, wanting to start a business, or have been in business for a while I want to encourage you that you can do this. You don't have to go big, but just start. Take your first step and keep taking the next step and the next step. You'll never have all of the answers or information you need to make the decisions you want, but if you don't quit then it's going to be really hard to lose.

If you'd like to use my reminders system to help you send me an email at Taylor @ phnxco (dot) com and I'll send it to you!