December 28,
2006 ( San Diego, CA )
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With women owning 10.6 million of U.S. firms, it's no secret that the
childbearing population has a desire and quite often, a financial need to
sustain a successful career. But where does that leave the little ones?
Quite often with a third party, which can take both an emotional and
monetary toll on moms. From this complex cultural conflict comes the need
for a new, more family-friendly career concept: the rise of the Mompreneur.
a female business owner who is actively balancing the role of mom and
entrepreneur.
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Major mompreneurs such as Julie Aigner Clark, creator of the uber-successful
Baby Einstein series and Liz Lange, founder of Liz Lange Maternity, have
proved that child rearing and careers can coexist, inspiring many women to
jump on the M.O.B. bandwagon. And the best part is there's finally a wealth
of resources available to help new mommies who juggle parenting and earning
a regular paycheck:
Mompreneurs. Online Patricia Cobe and Ellen H. Parlapiano originally
coined the concept of "mompreneur" and have since authored two books on the
subject, in addition to hosting a Mompreneurs. advice column, message board
and chat venue on iVillage.com. Each week, they share strategies, successes
and the stressful realities of the M.O.B. with thousands of home-based
career hopefuls.
www.mompreneursonline.com
The Mompreneur Center at Entrepreneur.com This year, Entrepreneur
Magazine launched a special online Mompreneur Center, featuring monthly
columns authored by CA-based mompreneur Lisa Druxman, founder of Stroller
Strides -- the country's largest exercise program for new moms. A business
built around offering career opportunities supportive of motherhood, the
franchised fitness company was voted one of the Best Small Companies by
Working Mother Magazine this year. No stranger to the M.O.B., Druxman, a
mother of two, tackles topics such as financing your family-friendly
business and the pros and cons of balancing a career and children in her
regular columns. www.entrepreneur.com
Home Based Working Moms Wannabe mommy moguls can access the resources of
Home Based Working Moms, a professional association and online community of
parents who either work at home or would like to. The web-based resource
made up of hundreds of parents provides its members with support,
information, networking opportunities, free advertising options, a monthly
newsletter and more. Founder and President Lesley Spencer Pyle started the
site so that she could spend more time with her two children and has since
helped other parents with the same family-centered fantasy find success.
www.hbwm.com
Even with the multitude of mompreneur resources currently available,
foremothers of the M.O.B. will never downplay the challenges associated with
balancing both babies and budgets.
"Moms in business need resources different than those for traditional
entrepreneurs a support system that understands how tough it can be to calm
crying babies during business calls or keep crayon off an important
presentation," explains Druxman. "It's important to know the realities
before jumping in head first."
To avoid a mommy meltdown, Druxman suggests the following tips for new
M.O.B. members:
- Have a Plan. If you leave work time to chance, it will never happen, so
have a clear idea of when and how you are going to be able to get the work
done.
- Be Flexible. Sick kids, childcare issues and other surprises can
frequently disrupt your productivity plan. Learn to expect the unexpected
and roll with it.
- Stay Organized. Your time is precious; you don't want to
waste it by searching for supplies or wondering what tasks take priority
each day.
- Remember What's Important. Both your kids and your new career will
top the list. You may need to let go of some stay-at-home-mommy luxuries
like making cupcakes for your child's class.
- Make Baby Steps. You won't be
able to get everything done that you hoped to in a day. As long as you make
consistent progress, you'll eventually get to where you want to be.
For more
information on resources available to mompreneurs, tips for joining the
M.O.B., or to interview moms who are making it work, please contact Jordan
at On the Horizon Communications at (805) 773-1000 or email jordan@thepressroom.com.
Lisa Druxman is the founder of Stroller Strides, the stroller exercise
program for new mothers and their babies found in over 300 national and
international locations. A pre-and postnatal fitness expert and certified
personal trainer, Lisa holds a master's degree in psychology with an
emphasis in exercise adherence and weight control. Lisa has authored
multiple articles that have appeared in national parenting and fitness
magazines and has appeared on a host of major national television programs,
including NBC's Today Show and CNN's Anderson Cooper 360. She is currently
Entrepreneur Magazine's resident columnist on Mompreneurs.
Lesley Spencer Pyle is the founder and president of the HBWM.com, Inc.
Network which includes:
· The national association of Home-Based Working Moms www.HBWM.com
· Mom’s Work-at-Home Kit
www.WorkAtHomeKit.com
· eDirectory of Home Based Careers
http://edirectoryofhomebasedcareers.com
· Mom's Work-at-Home Site
http://www.momsworkathomesite.com and
· HBWM Canada
http://www.hbwmcanada.com
Spencer Pyle has a Master's Degree in Public Relations and has been
featured in numerous publications including Forbes, Wall Street Journal, USA
Today, Home Office Computing, Parenting, Business Start-Ups, Family PC and
many others. She has been working from home 1995.
For a step-by-step guide to starting a business, order the CD-Rom "Power
Home Business Ideas" from PowerHomeBiz.com at
http://www.powerhomebiz.com/Index/practicalbizideas.htmmm
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