{photo credit: @christineblubaugh}

I never imagined I would own my own business. If I did, it was what I considered to be a pipe dream. Business owning was for a small, elite group. “I don’t have what it takes to own a business,” I figured. Then I had kids and the possibility of business owning was the farthest thing from my frontal lobe. I had two options: be employed by someone else and send my kids to daycare or stay home and be mom. Childcare costs outweighed the earning potential of working, so full-time mom it was.

I love being mom. However, I am a do-er. A thinker. A “next stepper.” I run on the adrenaline rush of what can I do tomorrow to create a better life than today? Staying at home full time was not the gig for me. But what was I going to do? I couldn’t leave my littles to fend for themselves and money had not yet started growing on trees.

That’s when I decided I was going to work from home and I was going to be my own boss. I was going to figure it out and make it work.

Today, I am in charge of my hours, my daily schedule, and I am the boss. I can run late without penalty, I can drop my kids off at school AND be there for pickup, and I can go to the doctor midday without needing approval from my supervisor.

Am I making millions? No.

Am I making it work? Absolutely.

If you’re curious about how I made the transition from employee to mom to MOMtreprenuer, I have compiled a list of things to know:

5 TIPS ON BECOMING A BUSINESS OWNER

#1 Do Something You Like

This sounds obvious, but a lot of people go into business for the wrong reasons. It’s enticing to see someone that looks like they’re making a ton of money selling a product on social media, but is that something you would be passionate about doing? If you aren’t a makeup fan and are not creative, you probably shouldn’t start selling makeup. Your business doesn’t necessarily have to be your passion or even fall under your college degree, but make sure you like what you are pursuing. Otherwise, it will be really hard to wake up every day and be motivated to take things to the next level.

#2 Find a Business Partner

This is subjective because I know it can be hard to find someone who is on an equal playing field. Do you team up with a friend, a former colleague, start networking to find your match? There are thousands more questions you need to ask yourself and said person before moving forward. However, I will say that two brains are better than one, four hands are better than two, and dividing the stress between two minds can make a huge difference in your success. The key is to seek out someone who will fill your voids and vice versa.

#3 Don’t Overspend on Your Initial Investment

Depending on what it is you are doing, you may simply need a cellphone and computer to take the first steps of business owning. Don’t go out and spend a ton of money on things right in the beginning. Sit down, write your business plan, set a start-up budget, and go from there.

#4 Separate Business Time from Family Time 

When you own your own business, it’s easy to keep it ON 24/7 and although I have personally written articles pertaining to the idea that Balance Does Not Exist, there needs to be a clear separation on the daily of family time vs. work time!

#5 Don’t Give Up! 

This is something my business partner and I see all of the time and it drives us both nuts. Just because something doesn’t seem to be working right away, do not give up. Things take time and if you don’t give it a fair chance, you could end up cannibalizing your own business. It’s especially hard, given that we live in a world of immediate expectations, but as the saying goes: “Rome wasn’t built in a day.”

Thinking of starting your own business?

Drop a comment below and I’d love to support you!