Can You Be a Mom and Still Be a Business Woman?

Tip: Get inspiration from other women who are

Dear Fred and Lyna,

I am a stay-at-home mom and I want to start a home business but I have no idea what kind of business to start or even how to go about it?  Do you have any ideas on a good business for me and where to go to find out how I should start?

Lyna: Well, the first thing you need to do is sit down and come up with a list of your strong points.

Fred: For example, do you have any hobbies or skills that you had before you were a mom?

Lyna: And don’t forget, most moms have acquired skills such as cooking, baking, organization, scheduling, etc.

Fred: What do you really like to do—this could turn into a business as well.

Lyna: There are hundreds of businesses you could start at home. Here are just a few ideas:

Advertising Copywriter
Book Editor
Business Consultant
Home Decorating
Professional Organizer
Cartoonist
Writer
Daycare
Event or Wedding Planner
Food Critic
Image Consultant
Jewelry Designer

Fred: You may even want to consider offering food or crafts for sale. I knew one mom who baked dog cookies, sold them in local pet stores and she is doing great.

Lyna:  And there are usually local stores that will carry your art or crafts on consignment.

Fred: Remember the movie Baby Boom where Diane Keaton accidently found out that the baby food she made at home was a big hit? She ended up selling it to a major food company for millions.

Lyna: Don’t think it can't happen to you. Look at some of the moms we have interviewed on our radio show (growingyourbusiness.net) and how they turned a hobby or a passion into a very successful business.

Fred: For example, Jacqui Barnett and Kirsten Roberts started a bridal headpiece business after the wedding dress shop they had been working for went under. Kate Adams came up with a way to stack plastic containers out of frustration of not being able to find the tops to containers (snapsaver.com)

Lyna: Kim Levine, who calls herself The Mommy Millionaire, turned her kitchen table into a million dollar business

Fred:  I remember the following moms who had some great ideas and turned them into a business:

Kristen Marie Schuerlin who came up with Affirmation Blankets

Leslie Hucul who started painting light bulbs, calling it LoveBulbs

Lyna: Even strange ideas like Rebecca Rescate who taught her cat how to go on the toilet and turned it into a product to teach others (citykitty.com).

Fred: Some of these resources for you can be found on our website. For example, Fabjobs has endless books on starting almost any business you can think of.

Lyna: and if you’re  somewhat of a techie you can make tons of money by selling items on a website. Mick Moore’s book called the Home Business Success kit is an excellent resource and an easy read.

Fred: All you have to do is sit down and do some research and Im sure you can come up with an idea to get started.