When a young mom is an entrepreneur

I'll try to make this text lively, without pink clouds and blue elephants. Although, to be honest, in order to start a business on maternity leave, you need to be not only a brave man, but also an adventurer and a dreamer, first. Next, you need the ability to think outside the box, the skill of analysis, management, administration, marketing, HR talent, and many other useful things. And most importantly, an ocean of work. It is difficult for any person, and especially for a mother on maternity leave, because she has to devote almost all of herself to her newborn and still find some time for herself. But we, young mothers, do not give up. We raise children and run businesses, enriching ourselves in both. What are the pitfalls that come our way?

Finding a good offer

A young mother needs to understand that business is a complicated thing, primarily because of the concept of competition. It's very difficult to come up with an offer that is innovative, necessary, and not taken at the same time. And if it is an idea that is already working, then it is difficult to understand what its advantage over others is and how to present it correctly. From experience, it is best to rely on your personal competence. It will not be easy for a new mom to enter a new field and learn everything from scratch. Often, young mothers set up a children's store, kindergarten or school because it is close to their hearts and understandable in relation to motherhood.

Take the first step

When you have an idea, perhaps the most difficult thing is to take the first step. A million questions immediately arise: will it work, will there be customers, is my idea even possible? Of course, you will have these thoughts regardless of your chosen field, experience, and funds. Remember that you are always the guiding light! Put yourself in the client's shoes: how much do you need such a service, how much does it match the price offer? Study the experience of competitors. Try not to risk your finances right away (it's better to scout around first, experiment and analyze the "startup" period) and your strength (this quickly leads to nervous exhaustion and burnout). "The slower you go, the further you will go." And the baby will definitely give you inspiration and energy!

The right investment of effort, time, and money is a talent for maintaining a balance, which is important for any leader. You need to support not only your employees but also yourself. You need to give yourself a break, the opportunity to combine business with pleasure, and not take on too much. The accounting program is a great help in this, removing routine tasks from the business owner. After automation, a completely different life begins: you get a sense of control over all business processes, from finance and customers to the smallest purchases, as well as the ability to put everything on the shelves and analyze it calmly. It's also important to remember that any business develops in a spiral, and before the next leap forward, there may be a decline, a rollback of a few steps back. This is normal and requires not only patience, but also a lot of patience.

Effective time management

In any business and for any person, it is very important to be able to delegate responsibilities, properly allocate personal resources, trust people and "not teach professionals how to work." That's why it's important to invest in people and in your own development. And you also need to be on top of things all the time. Competition in business requires a manager to "stay awake at work," so when you start to succeed, it is important not to relax. Some young moms who are businesswomen think like this: "I'm going to put my business on track now, and then I'm going to go away for six months to spend time with my child." It doesn't work that way. Without a constantly evolving structure, even with very competent employees, any business quickly begins to stall, and a child needs attention not from time to time, but constantly. Therefore, I recommend, first, to build a competent and reliable team that can replace you under any circumstances. And work hard to motivate them. Although finances are always good, no one has canceled the corporate spirit. A leader who believes in the usefulness and prospects of his or her business will be able to interest other people.

The most important advice is not to back down in the face of difficulties

A nightmare for a young mother: when a project is on fire, a presentation or other important event has begun that will affect the entire course of business development, and suddenly the child breaks his nose or starts to have a sharp fever. My eight-month-old daughter fell ill just before I opened a children's camp. I was scared and guilty that I had to leave her with a nanny at such an unpleasant moment for her. But I tried to stay calm and do the best I could so that I wouldn't have to choose between my child and my business. And we did it! After such stress, it's important not to give up, not to blame yourself, a "bad mother" and a "worthless leader". Just accept the situation and move on. Everything will work out!