Women's Tabloid

From Playdates to Paydays: The real struggles of mom bosses building businesses around their kids

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by Krishnendu P
by Krishnendu P

When we think of mothers what comes to our minds are – love, care, good food, safety, and home. Entrepreneurs, leaders, business owners, or hard workers feature nowhere on this list. Why? Is it because a woman, especially a mother, cannot fathom all these, or is it because the world refuses to acknowledge this side of a mother? 

Imagine a CEO who wakes up before dawn, tackles a mountain of tasks, and then preps her team (the kids) and partner (husband) for their missions. But her day doesn’t end there. She manages the staff (maids/helpers) and oversees a board of directors (family members), and on top of it all she’s the chief logistics officer, constantly scouting for supplies and ensuring everyone’s well-equipped. This powerhouse? A mom. Yet, society often overlooks the business acumen and entrepreneurial spirit running this household. 

Fairly, we have nothing against ‘dad-preneurs’. But something about juggling motherhood, the home, and the business makes ‘mom-preneurship’ a demanding line of work. When you are a mother, you are soaking up all the motherhood. If you are into business, you soak up all the entrepreneurship. And if you are a mompreneur, you soak up all the motherhood in the middle of an important business call. Welcome to the land of everything-possible with the help of the mom’s magic!

We all know moms are overflowing with wisdom, dispensing advice on everything from healthy eating to career choices. But for mompreneurs, the journey of building a business while raising a family presents unique challenges.  Seasoned mompreneurs have blazed the trail, and they’re here to share their 3 hard-won tips to help you navigate the path to success! Let’s dive in and see what pearls they have to offer.

  • What is glamour? 

So when mothers get into the idea of business, they see themselves jetting across countries in luxury cars with well-manicured nails and a face full of impeccable makeup. Now let’s come to the reality- standing beside the kitchen counter, laptops open with an ongoing business call, and the kids calling out for an early dinner. Mompreneurship is not glamorous. But what is glamorous in mompreneurship is all that hard work and dedication!

  • Give it time!

After the initial cloud of reality, the truth sets in about the mompreneurship. At this point. Give it some time and then the juggling becomes easier and the rhythm of motherhood and business sets into you! The part where it gets easier is when you plan your days better, expect the unexpected, most importantly when you are okay with not hitting all your goals all the time, and when you reward yourself now and then for keeping things afloat!

  • Experience an all-round growth

When you set out to be a mompreneur, you start to notice a kind of overall growth in your life, be it in your motherhood or business. This means you get mentally tough, you execute better, and you learn to discern the priorities from the not-so-important stuff.

For every job that one does, it gives us a few curveballs to escape from. Every job presents its challenges but being a mompreneur, you witness umpteen challenges that try to pull you back from the path of greatness but you should never cave in. So here are a few challenges that mompreneurs all over the world have listed:

  • Working double-shifts

Mompreneurship is like working double shifts. You have to be a mom- take care of kids, feed the kids, take care of others at home, feed them too, do household chores, and make sure the house is in order- and you will also have to be a businesswoman- take care of the business, keep it running, do due researches, and make sure everything works like a well-oiled machine. You sometimes see a mompreneur and wonder if they have more than 24 hours a day. Sometimes this becomes hectic, but then the mompreneurs continue their journey to build the business empire of their dreams. 

  • The guilt game

Mompreneurs often talk about this deeply ingrained sense of guilt- the guilt of trading all those cozy play time for money, missing a school play, or a play date. These can be excruciating. But then the hopes of the business empire keep every mompreneur going. A strong support system back home also plays an important role in helping these mompreneurs move past this mom guilt.

  • Funding gaps

Mompreneurs find funding for their business a total uphill struggle. This is mainly because many funders begin questioning their commitment to business as mothers. One thing that funders fall behind to look is their passion. Mothers are the most passionate people- they take care of their children with a passion not found anywhere else, a mother looks after her household with a passion, and same way she sets out to build a business empire with only passion in her heart. This passion can take her a long way and funders need to see that fire in the mompreneurs. 

  • Finding out the ‘village’

They usually say that a mother will have a ‘village’ behind her to take care of a child. Mompreneurs especially need their ‘village’ to be extra supportive for them to run behind their passion with peace. Picking up her ‘village’ can be a task for mompreneurs and you need to pick people who will stand behind you like a rock while you pursue your interests. 

  • Looking after oneself

When you juggle a lot of responsibilities, taking care of oneself is often pushed back to the least of priorities. But now and then mompreneurs do need a little bit of pampering. A day off that is spent with the children, starting a day with a hot cup of coffee (well before the day’s chaos sets in), or having a hot meal after a day’s work are all a few ways a mompreneur can be pampered. 

  • Staying motivated

You struggle every day and some days you make good progress, but the next day you have setbacks- this is what a mompreneur’s day looks like. Amidst this chaos, to remain motivated is a task. This can only be set right by the partner- be it a life partner or a business partner. You just need to make her see the result- her empire- and she will get motivated to run way ahead. 

A mompreneur braves all these odds and yet she only has things to give to others, to society, and to her family. The tale of every mompreneur is also a tale of resilience, willpower, and hard work. While the challenges are undeniable, the rewards – flexibility, purpose, and the opportunity to be a role model for their children – are immeasurable. As society evolves and support systems grow stronger, mompreneurs prove that building a business doesn’t diminish their ability to nurture their families. They are not just mothers or entrepreneurs; they are the embodiment of “and” – proving that ambition and dedication can thrive alongside the profound love and care that defines motherhood.

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