How to Be an Entrepreneurial Mom!

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Mar 27, 1998

I began publishing a small-press magazine two years ago, and during that time I have frequently been grateful for the benefits of working at home. Being able to simultaneously edit submissions, send e-mail, nurse my daughter and nonchalantly spill coffee on my nightgown has allowed me to achieve my career ambitions with graceful privacy! When I first started down the path of home based work, however, I wasn't quite sure what I was doing. Since then, I've found that my questions can readily be answered by some simple research on the Web.

Don't know where to begin? First, you'll want to make sure that you have what it takes to be a home based entrepreneur. Visit The Entrepreneurial Parent for a discussion of just what business ownership entails, and what qualities you'll need to be a success. If you love a challenge and can juggle the varied responsibilities that self-employment requires, you may just thrive in your new role. For those who are feeling a bit more timid, there is a checklist here addressing five common objections to home business - for example, will you really be able to earn a steady income? You may decide to augment income from your new venture with wages from a part-time job.

If you have a clear vision of how best to utilize your unique skills and abilities, you are already well on your way to success. But what if you haven't yet decided which business is for you? Wise Women of the Web offers a long list of business ideas, and even provides examples of established home businesses. What you do not want on your list of ideas are those opportunities that sound too good to be true - you didn't leave the pressure of your old office only to get scammed in the privacy of your own home. Home-Based Working Moms has compiled a list of ways to avoid being the target of a con.

Once you've settled on a business, how do you get started? Take a look at the Idea Cafe, offering a self-proclaimed "Fun Approach to Serious Business." Enjoy this site's bright graphics and cartoons even while you read about such serious matters as start-up financing, advertising and public relations, and government assistance.

Speaking of the government, you'll want to pay a visit to the Small Business Administration for information about launching your business. Every new business needs a plan, a map that will show you where you are going and how to get there. Financing, marketing and strategic goals should be included, and careful research now might save you money and aggravation later. Here you will find everything you need to get to work on a solid plan of action. The SBA can even put you in touch with resources in your own hometown.

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