5 Keys to Success as a Momtrepreneur

If you are anything like me, the most important things in your life are your family and your finances, and you’ve decided that being the “Superwoman” that you are, you refuse to give up one for the other, and will create a symbiotic relationship in which both systems work together to form the ultimate “Momtrepreneur” lifestyle. I put the term “Mom” first in this portmanteau word as that is ultimately the priority, and “Entrepreneur” second, as you will find, your work ethics, style, and time, will indeed, revolve around… you guessed it. The kids. You love them, but they do indeed take up the greater portion of your daily schedule. As a native in the niche of “the work from home mama scene”, I have developed 5 methods to ensure my success that I’d like to share, or better yet, to ensure that I do indeed get some money making work done during my busiest and most trying mommy days.

Find Your Money Making “Niche”

There are A LOT of work from home opportunities to choose from. Although many corporate companies are now offering home employment positions, the hours are often set in blocked increments and hard to work around with younger kids. Your best bet is to dig deep and find a niche in which you have a passion for and build an online business. Do you love nutrition, jewelry, make-up, candles or essential oils? Maybe Network Marketing is for you! Are you crafty or handy and unique? Maybe an Etsy, Ebay or Amazon store will be your forte. All digital media services are in high demand right now utilizing writing skill, graphic designs, personal assistants, translators, and social media specialists. Or maybe you have some mad cake baking skills, are a great and thorough house cleaner or excel at washing and laundering clothes! With a little creativity and mom power, you can find your money making niche!

Set “Realistic” Office Hours

A big, and VERY important key to success would be setting personal office hours and adhering to them. Look intently into your day, and find the times that you can put in some quality, uninterrupted time. Whether you wake up earlier than the family, work during nap times, or post bedtimes, treat this time block as strict work time. When working from home, it is EASY to stop what you are doing to chat on the phone, run a load of dishes or laundry, or check the mail when it comes. Refrain from doing so! Those are ALL things that can be done when the kids are awake and running around. I also sneak some time in after school when the kids are all relaxing in front of the TV or snacking, my best work is done at night, from 10pm-1am when there is total silence or when I can get an hour in at the nearest Starbucks during a prearranged play date. And on the opposite spectrum, make sure your non working hours are kid friendly and that you are attentive to your parenting responsibilities. Juggling both worlds is hard, but with proper time management, it can be done.

Create Lists, Lists and More Lists

I have daily to-do lists, short term to-do lists, long term to-do lists, A/P lists, A/R lists, and Current Job lists, to name a few. In other words, get extremely organized. It will be hard to reach any sort of success if you are loosing notes, not following up with potential clients because you haven’t created a call back system, or missing conference or training calls because you didn’t post them to your calendar. The most successful person can tell you their system and what works for them, but in essence, you must create your own, something that works for you. For my personal satisfaction and needs, I physically mark off all my completed actions to show a sense of completion. Yes, I am also that person who occasionally will write something down just to check it off….

Openly Accept Help

Babysitters, friends, family, community mom’s night or mornings out, utilize all these avenues for child care when you are a Momtrepreneur trying to manage both worlds. You will need as much help as you can get, because putting in the normal 40 hour week will pretty much unheard of. No need to feel guilty, the kids LOVE when they get to hang without with different people and in different places. If they are hesitant to leave your side at first, stay with them the first couple of times until they feel comfortable. You can also start with leaving for short time spans, and working your way up to longer hours away. Getting in those work times are crucial to building a business, maintaining a business, and expanding a business.

Relax and Enjoy

Don’t forget you became a Momtrepreneur for two reasons. Although money is one of them, quality time with the kids and family is the other, and actually the more important of the two. It is true that time is the most precious thing you possess and that you can never get it back. Do not spend it sending emails and texts during quality child time. Enjoy the freedom that comes with your flexible schedule and enjoy its benefits. Your kids are only young once, and in the blink of an eye, they are off to college. As my oldest leaves the nest this summer, I am so happy that I was able to spend his childhood by his side before school, after school, and all all school breaks, while providing for them financially at the same time.

About the author

Angela Christu is passionate about her family, community health, the global food crisis and empowering moms to succeed in both motherhood and business. She is a writer and a single mother of three beautiful children who have been her driving force to succeed and excel. They have taught her the greatest life lessons; unconditional love, patience, nutrition priorities, and the need to put God first. She learned the hard way to connect her heart to her life’s vision, but once she did that, she was able to manifest many wonderful and lucrative business ventures. She is here to share her story, and how her determination to build a life for her family superseded any and all obstacles.

Further reading

If you are a mom-to-be, you might also want to check out our article on best stay-home jobs for pregnant women.