Many women today are balancing entrepreneurship with raising children. Mom entrepreneurs who have started online businesses are able to use the freedom and flexibility available with this career type to their advantage by being consistently available to their children; this benefit is very difficult to find in a traditional job setting. With the benefit of flexibility, there are also challenges that may arise but can be easily overcome with helpful information and insight.
Challenge #1: Too Many Roles
One challenge that a mom entrepreneur frequently faces lies in creating boundaries between the different roles they play each day. The different roles women have may include mom, wife, friend, and entrepreneur; many women may find it difficult to stay focused on one role at a time which can lead to the lines being blurred between roles.
Tip #1
Mom entrepreneurs should avoid the temptation to multitask or tend to multiple roles simultaneously, by clarifying role boundaries; women can lower their overall stress as well as increase their effectiveness in each role. It is important to stay focused and present in one role while giving it the necessary attention and then move on to the next role without hesitation.
Challenge #2: Guilt
Because women are prone to guilt, balancing a career and raising children can be challenging. Many women experience guilt at every turn; when working on their business they may feel guilty because they are neglecting the kids, when spending time with their children, guilt rears up again because they are neglecting their business.
Tip #2
For a mom entrepreneur to succeed, the incessant voice that breeds guilt and self doubt must be coped with effectively. By learning to balance priorities and trusting yourself, the voice of guilt can be diminished. Women must learn to stop analyzing everything and stop listening to self doubt; these elements can inhibit success by paralyzing you at every turn.
Challenge #3: Asking for Help
Many women believe they have to do everything themselves and often have difficulty asking for help. This can be a hindrance in building a successful business. It is important to be able to ask for help in the areas of support and mentoring in order to achieve business goals as starting a business will require you to learn about many facets with which you have no previous experience.
Tip #3
Ask for guidance whenever you need it as doing so will increase your odds of success, save you time in the long run, and create networking opportunities. It is important to use all available resources to expand your knowledge and skill set when starting a business, it is also important to set your goals and motivation high.
Moms who are raising children and running an online business should ask for help as needed to ensure that they are expanding their skill set. It is also important that they learn self trust and to effectively cope with self doubt in order to achieve success in their daily roles. For women balancing career and children, the undertaking can be filled with challenges and opportunities for personal growth.
What challenges do you have?
