Mom Entrepreneur Success Strategies

1. Make Peace With Your Work

How Mom Entrepreneurs Manage It All: The business needs you, but so does your family! Make sure you maintain a balance - work on more intensive things when kids nap or are in school. Sit with them and work on things like accounting, blogging, or buying supplies when they are awake, or just spend time with them!

Realize that work is important, but your kids and family come first. That means that some days you will have to forgo any work at all in order to meet their needs.

Thanks To: Candice Mangum of WeeEssentials

2. Aligning Your Intentions With Your Actions To Achieve Integrity

How Mom Entrepreneurs Manage It All: Whether you're starting your business today or next month, or you started your business one year ago, or twenty years ago, take a moment to clearly identify what your intentions are. Once you are very clear around your intentions for your life and your business, implement actionable items that are in alignment with your intentions.When you are clear about what you want to do, and when you are sure about your goals and desired outcome, and your actions support those goals and intentions, you will find that you are operating with integrity. (Integrity: "the state of being whole, entire and undiminished.") On the contrary, when you operate outside of that state of being "undiminished", it becomes as obvious as an awkwardly arranged living room. You feel frustrated, out of control, over worked, and unproductive.rn

Thanks To: Ashley Whittenberger of Interiority Complex

3. Divide And Conquer

How Mom Entrepreneurs Manage It All: Have a completely defined work area. You shouldn't be working from the kitchen table where you also eat dinner with your family. I think it's very important to have a clearly defined space that is specifically yours devoted to your work, no matter how small it is, so that you can somewhat separate your work life and family life.

Thanks To: Allyson Grabish of Ladybugs and Lullabies

4. Tune It Out So You Can Tune In

How Mom Entrepreneurs Manage It All: That's right I just told you to tune out. You've gotta tune the junk out - emails, phone calls, to do lists all have to stop when you are in mommy mode. While those emails are important to you they are just a distraction to your kid and they only represent you being checked out. Even if its an hour a day, you've got to be present for your kids just like you have got to be present with your clients. Physically being in the same room with your kids doesn't count. Tune in to where you are!

Thanks To: Chiara Busa of Chi Chi Bean

5. Keep Body & Business Healthly!

How Mom Entrepreneurs Manage It All: Each morning I light a candle in my home office as a reminder to relax and keep stress levels low. Each afternoon, my three year-old son Jack's nap time is my chance for a quiet meditation break. I lay down with him for 15 minutes daily, turning off all technology and connecting with him and myself. Throughout the day I use my fitness background to sneak in exercise breaks. (Conference call squats anyone?) The result is a productive, low-stress me and a happy Jack.

Thanks To: Lesley Hatfield of NiteSweatz, Inc

6. Partner Up!

How Mom Entrepreneurs Manage It All: Moms can't possibly do it all and when they try to they often fall short of reaching their entrepreneurial goals. Partnering up with another person with similar goals but different strengths will allow you to go further. On those days when your little one is sick or your family takes a vacation, someone else is taking care of business. Share the work, share the excitement and share the dough - it's all good!

Thanks To: Debra Medina of Spa Time Baby

7. Always Feel Guilty

How Mom Entrepreneurs Manage It All: To be a successful entrepreneur:

1) don’t home school – you’ll need the 7 hours that your kids are in school to get work done

2)encourage your husband to travel for business – you won’t feel guilty working at night once the kids are in bed

3)always feel guilty knowing that you should be devoting more time to your _____ (select: kids/business/husband).

But above all, stay focused and figure out what (if anything) REALLY needs to get done by tomorrow, by next week, by next season.

Thanks To: Tracy Young of a little indulgence

8. Put Your Kids To Work!

How Mom Entrepreneurs Manage It All: Involve your kids in the business! Give them simple tasks and let them help you succeed. They'll learn about the value of a dollar, the benefits of teamwork, how to do creative problem-solving, gain some self-esteem, and can surprise you with their contributions. Ask their opinion of your product or service -- children are NOTHING if not honest! My four children (ages 8 to 12) understand every aspect of my business and cheer me on all the way!

Thanks To: Cynthia Homsher of ReCandle

9. Pay Attention!

How Mom Entrepreneurs Manage It All: When you are working, you pay 100% attention to your clients. When you are with your kids, they deserve the same-- total attention from mom. Keeping work time and mom time seperate allows you to be at your best and have both your clients and children feel like they are the most important people in your life. And in return, you know you are giving your most genuine and best effort.

Thanks To: Karen Shopoff Rooff of Balance Personal Fitness Training

10. Separate Lives

How Mom Entrepreneurs Manage It All: My strategy for balancing motherhood with my entrepreneurial endeavors is simple -- I have a home life and I have a business life. I try as much as possible to not mix the two. Yes, being an entrepreneur is harder in many ways than working for someone else simply because of the time required but it's also empowering for mothers because it really enables us to separate our two lives.

Thanks To: Nadine Tomlinson of NovaZoom

11. Barney To The Rescue!

How Mom Entrepreneurs Manage It All: I get up early (4:30) to read e-mails, do market research, blog, or create specials for my customers before my two-year-old wakes up. Communicating via e-mail lessens my "Oh-my-gosh-what-will-they-think-when-they-hear-my-baby-in-the-background" stress, and I'm able to do it from the park, a stoplight, or while strolling. But, when a phone call is a must, I either wait until she's napping, wrapped up in "Barney," or actually get in the car and drive somewhere, as she's usually quiet in the car.

Thanks To: Ashley Hayes of Eco-Swag.com

12. Co-working With Kids

How Mom Entrepreneurs Manage It All: Squeeze in more work time while your kids are doing homework. Take your laptop to wherever they're doing homework and catch up on work. You're available nearby if they need help but you can still get some work done.

Thanks To: Lisa Kanarek of Home Office Life

13. Momzilla

How Mom Entrepreneurs Manage It All: Focus on what's important - daytime activities with kids (school outings, scouting, sports, music/dance lessons); satisfying work, autonomy, and flex hours - and make personal renewal time to avoid burn out. We work longer hours; we're super disciplined; we grab at small moments of quiet. OK, so we cry out frustrations in a warm soapy bath, when no one is looking. Mostly, we live the life we have made and enjoy it!

Thanks To: Melinda Mallari of Precision Market Services

14. A Map To A Happier Mompreneur

How Mom Entrepreneurs Manage It All: Many mom entrepreneurs started their own businesses to fuel a more balanced lifestyle, but often that isn't how it ends up. To get back to the initial goal, map out/write down what your ideal lifestyle would look like - i.e. how many hours would you 'like' to spend on work vs. family time, exercising or spending time with your husband or friends. Then create a list of what it will take to get you there. Prioritize and make yourself a promise to work towards your ideal mompreneur lifestyle!

Thanks To: Andrea Cousens of ABCommunications, LLC

15. Figuring Out Where To Work

How Mom Entrepreneurs Manage It All: In NYC, space is a premium. My daughter shares a corner of her bedroom with my "office." It can be tough working around naptime and night time. So far, this is how I've worked it:
1) Trained my daughter to sleep in her stroller when I NEED to be in office during her naptime.
2) Trained myself to be mobile! At night, I move my laptop et al from my office area to the bedroom / livingroom. I have a really nice lapdesk so I can be conscious of my posture while not in my ergonomic chair!

Thanks To: Kimberly Schneiderman of City Career Services

16. Google Yourself & Your Biz

How Mom Entrepreneurs Manage It All: Create an extension of your biz plan--a living, breathing, informal document. Create sections that you can search & find easily. Mission Statement (read daily), Networking, Blog Ideas, Customer Service, Website, and, don't forget, a section for Personal-kid activity ideas, to-do's. Post it on Google Documents so it is accessible whenever, wherever to jot down ideas on the fly, cross off or add to to-do's.

Use Google Calendar: Can integrate w/most PDA's. Remember to include ME time & KID time.

Thanks To: Lynn Hasselberger of myEARTH360.com

17. Snacks And Sponge Bob

How Mom Entrepreneurs Manage It All: I have found that snacks and cartoons are the key to having young children and running a business. When I'm prepping for a meeting, I get a small bowl of Goldfish crackers out for my son and put Sponge Bob on the TV to keep him busy when I have a meeting or phone call to make. It works like a charm!

Thanks To: Geraldine Zinsli of Haute Note

18. Six Year Old On Trash Duty

How Mom Entrepreneurs Manage It All: Put the kids to work and let them be apart of this new adventure. From taking out the trash (my six-year old), shredding papers (my 10-year old) to updating my Facebook (my 17-year old). Keeping the business "All in the Family"!

Thanks To: Monique Terrell of Sparkle Internet Image Solutions

19. It's Ok To Let Go

How Mom Entrepreneurs Manage It All: Yes, you're a full time mom. But the business also deserves your time and energy in order to succeed. So what if laundry doesn't get done today. So maybe you have to cook Top Ramen tonight for dinner. Let it go. Most importantly, let go of any guilt you might have for no longer being the #1 Stay at Home Mom. Your business will soar because of it and you will become a positive role model of working success for your children.

Thanks To: Michele Wong of My Plate-Mate

20. It's All About Organization

How Mom Entrepreneurs Manage It All: The MAIN reason I have been able to run successful businesses from home for the past 10 years has been organization and time management skills. So, to balance work and family, it is essential that you put in place systems that help you be more efficient. Organize your home, make sure your filing system is functional, keep your desk clear, have children help, make a schedule in writing every week, plan your day, pick the top 2 things to do each day, make time for your kids every day! HAVE FUN!

Thanks To: Laura Aridgides of OrganizeNOW

21. Groceries Online

How Mom Entrepreneurs Manage It All: Online grocery shopping is a must! Sit down, plan out meals for a week, click through the flyer, and click submit. I do this at 5AM and then can pick up the order, which has been “shopped” for me by qualified people, when getting the kids at the end of the day. Planned meals for the week, less money spent on junk food, and super convenient!

Thanks To: Rachel Minihan of Purple Phone PR & Marketing

22. Should I Be A Mompreneur?

How Mom Entrepreneurs Manage It All: Considering life as a mompreneur? The most important tip I can offer is that you MUST have a business that you absolutely love and believe in! Your heart has to be in it all the way in order to get through the tough days and long, sleepless nights! Having a spouse or S.O. that is 100% supportive is essential! Being a mom AND an entrepreneur requires being a master juggler and creative scheduler as well as being able to survive on minimal sleep! (see why it's so important to LOVE what you do?!)

Thanks To: Dawn Veselka of Out of the Blue Delivered

23. Keep It Professional

How Mom Entrepreneurs Manage It All: When your children understand boundaries, everyone is happier and more productive. If you work from home, explain to your children that when your office door is closed, there is no entry allowed. My children walk up to my glass office door and motion to me when they need to come in. Most often they just want to wave or ask for a snack. They know not to open the door when I am on the phone. When you teach them to respect your boundaries early, they will follow your lead.

Thanks To: Andrea Rizk of Rizk Public Relations

24. Calendar Guru

How Mom Entrepreneurs Manage It All: I have learned to make a time slot for everything. Under that time slot I schedule in all the things that need to be done at that time, including phone numbers and any important information so I can do my work anywhere. I also schedule a 4 day work week. Inevitably something will happen and one of my days will not go as planned, that is where the fifth day comes in. I schedule anything that did not get done on any of the other 4 days on the 5th day. This way my work gets done during the week.

Thanks To: Christy Busbey of Thirty-One Gifts Consultant

25. Time For Mom

How Mom Entrepreneurs Manage It All: I am mom to 18 month old twins and run two businesses. For me the secret strategy is time management. I have never created a serious schedule until now. I have child care 12 hours a week, and luckily the babies still take long naps - I only do work during that time. No chatting to my mom or anything distracting. When you are a mom time becomes one of the most precious commodities. Learning how to manage it is the key to your new life.

Thanks To: Sarah Shaw of Entreprenette

26. Involve Your Kids

How Mom Entrepreneurs Manage It All: If your children are old enough, involve them in the process of starting/running a business. It doesn't have to be deep and complicated - my daughter is 2 and she knows that mom makes pacifiers called "pacimals" and she recognizes the logo, so when i have to work late or go back to work I "talk" to my 2-yo and tell her that I have to work on pacimals and she seems to understand and be okay with it. Ultimately i think it is a righ environment to raise kids around their own business...

Thanks To: Monica Williams of Pacimals

27. Find Happy!

How Mom Entrepreneurs Manage It All: For me, it is all about setting realistic expectations for myself. Everyday I think about what would I be happy accomplishing today, and then letting everything else go. It is so easy to get overwhelmed, stressed, tired and lose the joy in even the small good things that happen each day. Remind yourself that without happiness in the good things (reading a book to your children, positive feedback on your company, etc.), what is it all for?rnrn

Thanks To: Katie Colbert of Sharecipe

28. Pay Off Big Kids--and Pay Big

How Mom Entrepreneurs Manage It All: On critical work-at-home days, pay off your older kids (if they're old enough to do it safely) to watch the younger ones... and pay big. Smaller jobs? A magazine or bookstore trip. A big job in which they really let you get important things done? A coveted skateboard. This will cut down on interruptions--and if your prizes are good enough, you'll forget they're all in the house. They won't forget your magnanimity (personal prizes can speak louder than cash for "wow" value). Everybody wins.

Thanks To: Janie McQueen of Susju & John

29. A Mom Entrepreneur's Calender

How Mom Entrepreneurs Manage It All: My story of success starts with my engineering background which makes me extremely logical and methodical in how I approach my life, work, and time. I have a calendar for each and every day for my work responsibilities and also the kid's schedule. And as a mom, yes, they are combined into one calendar. My work life and mommy role are unified because I have to be a career women but can't neglect my daughter's soccer or swim practices. Use your calendar for everything small or big.

Thanks To: Mary Gill of SkyRocket Mom

30. Once A Mommy, Always A Mommy

How Mom Entrepreneurs Manage It All: I don’t attempt to pretend that I’m sitting in an office, wearing a suit. My clients, as well as the IRS and state revenue agents, have become used to wrestling matches under my desk between my son and my German Shepherd. In the end, everyone is laughing that the dog bit the kid, or the kid bit the dog, and I end up having a non-adversarial relationship with the auditors and great results for my clients!

Thanks To: Margaret Munro of Margaret Atkins Munro, E.A.

31. Get It Together Mom!

How Mom Entrepreneurs Manage It All: 1. Pick your daily priorities

2. Stay mentally disciplined & make sacrifices in line with your goals.

3. Get creative with how you use your time and be prepared for late nights.

Thanks To: Hilary Harwell of An Inspired Mind LLC

32. Don't Look For Balance

How Mom Entrepreneurs Manage It All: As a mom with young kids, balance is not something I seek. What I want is flexibility and freedom. As a business owner, I have the freedom and flexibility I need to adjust to my children and my business – neither of which care a hill of beans about balance!

Regular exercise, spiritual time and time with friends keep me sane. At the end of each day, if I have served myself, my customers and my family well, my day has been a success -- whether or not there's "balance."

Thanks To: Donna Maria of Indie Business Blog

33. Need An Extra Pair Of Hands

How Mom Entrepreneurs Manage It All: My secret for success on managing being a mom and a business owner is hiring a nanny. Many moms go into business thinking they can do it all thinking they can take care of the children, run the business plus take care of everything else in the household all at once. Mothers need to dedicate a certain amount of time to the office where they will have no interuptions. This will also give mom time to focus on the children. Hiring a nanny will give mothers the exra pair of hands they need.

Thanks To: Candi Wingate of Nannies4hire.com

34. Segment Your Time

How Mom Entrepreneurs Manage It All: This is a simple tip but implementing it made a big difference in my daily life. I set a schedule and set certain times for business and other times for family. So, when I'm in the studio that's work time and I don't try to do home or family stuff during that time. When it's family time I try really hard not to work but instead to focus on my children and my family.

Thanks To: Amy Stone of Jady Images

35. Little Helpers

How Mom Entrepreneurs Manage It All: I make it so that my children can be involved in the business. They put their input into different tasks ( “I like that color mom”, or “why did you do it that way?”) and there are several tasks that I’ve created for them to help me out with the work flow as well. I’ve color coded my filing for instance so they little ones can learn colors, and feel involved in my work.

I chose to be a Mom Entrepreneur to work my business around my family, not the other way around. Family is first.

Thanks To: Tamara Hancock of Work At Home Professional Mom

36. Time To Taste The Ice Cream

How Mom Entrepreneurs Manage It All: I have four children... 14, 6, 4, and 2 months old.
1. Enlist the support of your spouse/partner.
2. Treat the business as a business. Get up, get to work, work hard, meet deadlines and commitments, have a plan for the future.
3. Teach your kids to respect your work and work space.
4. Take a break once in a while... Go have some ice cream. Remember why you're doing this in the first place!
5. Invest in a smartphone which lets you take care of customers while you're eating that ice cream!

Thanks To: Mandy Vavrinak of Crossroads Communications, LLC

37. Plan To Succeed

How Mom Entrepreneurs Manage It All: Balancing work and home is all about planning and organization. To be successful I have different schedules for getting things done based on my kids calendars. A typical day during summer vaction is different than when my kids are in school. I am also an early riser so I use time when my house is asleep to get a jump start on my day, which includes a plan of action so I can stay on track with everything.

Thanks To: Kim Shanahan of Book Bouquet Gift Baskets

38. Flexible Management Is Key!

How Mom Entrepreneurs Manage It All: 1. I work around my daughter's schedule. I like to spend time with her in the afternon, so I get up early and do email and work. On Sat. and Sun. when she has violin and religious activities, I work to make up for the time I lose during the week.
2. I have a great assistant, so I can offload admin work.
3. I focus on my strengths and delegate what I am not good at (bookkeeping, for example).
4. I am extremely careful about taking on too much work.
5. I use a laptop/IPhone to stay connected.

Thanks To: Randi Bussin of Aspire! Fulfilling career ambitions

39. Making My Son First Priority

How Mom Entrepreneurs Manage It All: I work during naps and at night. I take my son on stroller rides to take my products to be shipped. Basically I try to incorporate my business into our day so it's fun for both of us and my son doesn't feel like his day revolves around he business!

Thanks To: Annie Tandy of Pocket Dots

40. Network With Like Minded Moms

How Mom Entrepreneurs Manage It All: Locate resources and online groups where other mom entrepreneurs come together to support one another and network.

Thanks To: Traci Bisson of The Mom Entrepreneur

41. Move It Mama!!

How Mom Entrepreneurs Manage It All: One thing that absolutely keeps me sane is regular exercise. I get up 1/2 to 1 hour earlier (6:00-6:30am) so that I can exercise and have 1hr of quiet time to myself. The days that I do this I am more organized and focused. I also tend to be more patient with my kids. When I don't, I don't feel as well nor as productive.

A kaveat is that when I am focused on getting up, I go to bed earlier, so I am well rested as well. It all goes together.

Thanks To: Darline Turner-Lee of Bedrest Comfort & Care

42. Grow Business With Kids

How Mom Entrepreneurs Manage It All: Being a mom and an entrepreneur isn't much of a juggling job, if you ask me. I just grew into it.

When my oldest was born (22 years ago today!), I was just graduating from college and my husband was in graduate school. (Read that: dirt poor.) I was determined to stay home with her and not put her into day care. I worked on my computer while she slept.

Five more kids and three businesses later, I still make my kids the priority and fit the work around them. It's great for all of us.

Thanks To: Alison Moore Smith of Pix2Brix

43. Crafty Chic Chick With Chicks

How Mom Entrepreneurs Manage It All: 1) Make time for your family:
Romance with the hubby is a must. You don't have to go out, just make your bed room a special place to relax and...well you know the rest.
Set aside a day that you don't work to play with your kids or conduct business while they are asleep.
2)Make time for your self: a spa treatment, a glass of wine or two with the girls. Please please laugh a lot.
3)Pay it forward, develop business friendships with other women/moms and give them tips and finds and just love them.

Thanks To: Candace Marquette of Candy Purse

44. Stay Ahead Of The Game!

How Mom Entrepreneurs Manage It All: "My strategy for success is working projects in advance. That way, if an emergency comes up, or I want to spend more time with my family, my business doesn't suffer."

Thanks To: Jill Exler of jexbo

45. One Special Afternoon A Week

How Mom Entrepreneurs Manage It All: I have found being an inventor and entrepreneur overwhelming. I try to take an afternoon a week to take my daughter to a class and hang with her. We go to skating class and after she is done she buys a snack from a vending machine and we both sit there and talk about anything. It is the moment that we both like the most. No goals or pressures. If I have time we skate together afterwards. Whatever needs to wait, waits.

Thanks To: Rebecca Gomez of Anuleaf AD

46. You Can Do It All

How Mom Entrepreneurs Manage It All: My biggest tip is to prioritize. Different things need to take priority at different times. Sometimes it is family, sometimes work and sometimes yourself. Yes, you can do it all but just not all at once.

Thanks To: Lois Whittaker of Cushie Pushie Company

47. Quality Not Quantity

How Mom Entrepreneurs Manage It All: Give quality time to your family each day as much as you must give quality time to your job/business. You’ll lose if you try and do both at the same time. You’ll feel the nearly-ever-present mommy guilt and you may fail at both of your duties--as a mom and an entrepreneur. I am a mom of two boys (one and three yrs old) and run my own PR consulting firm and it IS possible to find success at both.

Thanks To: Kristi Hughes of Manavista PR

48. Keeping It Real

How Mom Entrepreneurs Manage It All: 1 Writing & prioritizing daily tasks & rn rolling the unfinished tasks to the next day.rn2 Keeping calendar updated to avoidrn conflicts between my children’s events and rn doing business.rn3 Accepting that there would be limitations in rn profits by putting my children first.rn4 Not being a super woman - allowing my children rn to contribute to the upkeep of the home.rn5 The business was part of the family - children rn participation required.

Thanks To: Adalia John of Circle of Enlightenment

49. Powerlunch With The Kids

How Mom Entrepreneurs Manage It All: I schedule dates, meetings and special times with my kids - individually (I have three) - just as I would schedule a business meeting. When the scheduled time comes around, I stop everything and spend time with my child as planned. This ensures that we get the special time that my kids (and I) crave, and my children can look forward to the date or special activity with eager anticipation.

Thanks To: Lynette Mattke of PicPocket Books

50. Mommy

How Mom Entrepreneurs Manage It All: I am a new mommy (20 month old) and a new business owner. I started AprilMarin ( www.aprilmarin.com ), a womens online custom clothing company about 15 months ago and I am still learning how to manage my time. I do as much as I can the night before...make lunch, pack diaper bag, laundry etc. I also do most of my emailing at night when my daughter is sleeping. My daughter goes to daycare 2 days per week and I am able to go to meetings, make phone calls and get most things done. It is definitely a challenge juggling my own business and taking care of my daughter, but they are both so rewarding that I wouldn't have it any other way.

Thanks To: April Bukofser of AprilMarin

51. The Ultimate Privacy Room

How Mom Entrepreneurs Manage It All: When I have a very important call and the kids are around, I go to the bathroom to talk. That's one room they know is private and not to bother mommy.

Thanks To: Molly Chen of Bibs and Match LLC

52. Balancing Business And Family

How Mom Entrepreneurs Manage It All: Whenever possible, turn work time into family time. Involve even young children with business activities by having them do age appropriate tasks. Younger kids love to be included. They enjoy making boxes, putting on labels, etc. A family assembly line provides an opportunity to get the job done while talking and interacting with each other. Kids that help with a family business feel a sense of inclusion and ownership.

Thanks To: Tangela Walker-Craft of Simply Necessary, Incorporated

53. Supermom No More!

How Mom Entrepreneurs Manage It All: Forget being superwoman. No one benefits when you do. You do not have to do it all and then some to be successful. The key is to figure out what exactly you do need to do though. Set priorities and goals and that's what you focus on. Plan your time wisely and think of time as money. Was that phone call worth $25.00? If so, great? If not, what can you change next time to be more productive. The better you plan your time, the more time you have for the fun things with you and your family.

Thanks To: Diana Ennen of Virtual Word Publishing

54. M Games: No-fear Mom-cramming

How Mom Entrepreneurs Manage It All: I cram ten hour work days into five hours of uninterrupted super-focused work time (starting at 5 AM) while the kids are at school so I can pick them up and "Mom" the rest of the day. I have also ditched any fear of failure I ever had. With less time to waste, I don't jerk around with worrying about failure. I don't think twice about reaching out to big execs or pitching business ideas to anyone who will listen, or about taking risks. I don't worry about decorum, I just put myself out there.

Thanks To: Sarah Eisner of JuiceBoxJungle

55. Silence The "not Me" Syndrome

How Mom Entrepreneurs Manage It All: Do you find yourself constantly asking, “Who left the cereal bowl on the counter?” “ Whose towel is on the bathroom floor?” “Is that your cup in the family room, Emily?” Well, you can cure this syndrome easily by assigning each child their own ‘color’ of plastic ware dishes, cups; towels; beach towels; flip-flops; bathing suits; etc. Let the kids get in on the fun by allowing them to select their own colors!

Thanks To: Mary Davis of Turner Publishing Company

56. Leave The Guilt Behind-say No!

How Mom Entrepreneurs Manage It All: Mommy's become VERY guilty when trying to juggle a business and family. All businesses are like children...they need attention too! Mompreneurs move into Superwoman mode..saying 'yes' to all, accomplishing everything and pleasing everyone. My #1 tip. Just say no. It's going to be hard sometimes. Say NO to everyone and everything that does not fit in with valuable family time and does not fit in with your business vision. You'll sure be happier and will add a zero to your business in quick time.

Thanks To: Sandra Baptist of Service Professionals Business Club

57. Sunday Scheduling

How Mom Entrepreneurs Manage It All: The key is balance. I didn't say I have it all the time, but it's definitely something that I try to have. There are days that I feel I'm being pulled in a million directions between my boys (5 1/2 and 16 months), my work, my homes needs, etc. Creating a schedule is key. Every Sunday (or Monday morning) I sit down with my planner and work on planning my week. I have certain days that I work, certain days that I have my boys all day, appointments, etc. Getting an idea BEFORE the week starts of wh

Thanks To: Michelle Poteet of Reclaim Order

58. Establish A Kid Siesta

How Mom Entrepreneurs Manage It All: I insist that all my children (even when they are at home because of a school vacation) take a nap or rest every day at the same time. Even if they are too old for traditional naps, I feel if adults do it in Spain and parts of Europe so can they! I schedule conference calls, chats, conduct short meetings in my home or tackle projects during this time.

Thanks To: Sara Lise Raff of Ask The Educator

59. Flexibility & Babysitters!

How Mom Entrepreneurs Manage It All: There are three keys to my ability to run my own business: Babysitters, naps & flexibility ... I get babysitters when I need them (have a deadline or a meeting), do a TON of work during my son's naps and am beyond flexible about how & when I get things done for work & home. The latter is not my innate personality preference but it's the only way to achieve my goals during this wonderful period of my life.

Thanks To: Kelly McMenamin of PixiesDidIt!

60. Voicemails To Emails

How Mom Entrepreneurs Manage It All: I use RingCentral for my phone service - I can set up extensions to sound like a large business, choose to send a call straight to voicemail if the kids are fighting, and all my voicemails go straight to my computer so that I can listen to them over and over if the noise level in the house is a little too loud!

Thanks To: Jolyn Saramaga of Nuance Occasions

61. Key To Success Is ...

How Mom Entrepreneurs Manage It All: Flexibility. My strategy for success is to utilize the flexibility of my work schedule and my children's schedule.

I may not be in the mood to work at 9:00 pm, but if the kids are all in bed - I need to be flexible and use that time to work.

The flip side is that sometimes there are pressing deadlines and stressful situations in my work day, but the kids need me.

Flexibility allows me to shut the door to my home office and use that time to be mom.

Thanks To: Brigitte Thompson of Datamaster Accounting Services, LLC

62. Keep It Real

How Mom Entrepreneurs Manage It All: Keep it honest -- Letting your kids know when you are on a tight deadline or stressed out about a client gives them the distinction that it's not about them (it doesn't matter how young they are - they pick up on your energy). Same goes for your clients, when appropriate, let them know about a sick child - being honest may be uncomfortable - but will work out better for you when you reschedule the meeting or focus on it better since you're not trying to mute out a coughing kid!

Thanks To: Karen Gurwitz of Mothers & Menus

63. Take An Afternoon Off.

How Mom Entrepreneurs Manage It All: I have found that being and entrepreneur can be overwhelming. I try to take an afternoon a week and take my daughter to skating class. After her class is done, she buys a snack from the vending machine and we both sit there and talk about what comes to mind. No goals, no pressure. It is our favorite moment. If I have time I skate with her but at minimum we share quality time after class. Whatever is not done that day, I do it later that night after I put her to sleep if it cannot wait.

Thanks To: Rebecca Gomez of Anuleaf AD

64. Balancing Act

How Mom Entrepreneurs Manage It All: There is a lot of guilt involved with finding that delicate balance between business time management and child rearing. Make time for both every day. Set an example for your children that family always comes first and that hard work is important, but not more important than them.

Thanks To: Michelle Cazella of Cazella Innovations Inc, Toddler Tech USA

65. Don't Over Think It...

How Mom Entrepreneurs Manage It All: Keep all things in perspective and be grateful for your gifts.

Thanks To: Katie Borghese of Casa Di Francesca

66. Keep It Simple- Set Boundries!

How Mom Entrepreneurs Manage It All: Don't be afraid to promote the fact that you are a small, mom owned business. Be up front with your customers and let them know what your priorities are (family) and that you have set aside a specific time to return phone calls/emails during the day (nap times?).

As long as customers know where you are coming from, they will respect those boundries. It's also good to set boundries for your family as well.

Thanks To: Kris Weisblatt of Bubele

67. Schedule In Oops! Time

How Mom Entrepreneurs Manage It All: I schedule my life to the minute…and then plan to go-with-the-flow. Juggling two businesses and two young kids (ages 5 and 2) means I have to be a meticulous planner: I not only schedule in meetings, calls, and playdates, but also travel time, planning time for projects, and what I call "OOPS" time, which is basically wiggle room for the unexpected. Knowing that my day will never go exactly as planned helps me juggle being Mom and Boss more effectively, and with a smile!

Thanks To: Marlynn Schotland of Mamapreneurs Inc.

68. Best Solution And Value First

How Mom Entrepreneurs Manage It All: Clients and customers want the best solution for the problem at hand at a price that makes good sense with service that meets or exceeds expectations. Period.

Focusing on how you deliver in that regard is the key to anyone's success -- mommy entrepreneur or not. That has certainly been my strategy since launching my company in February of 2001 when my son was three years old, and it has worked very well.

Thanks To: Nancy Juetten of Main Street Media Savvy

69. No Such Thing As Perfect

How Mom Entrepreneurs Manage It All: Don't try and do everything - it's impossible so get over it! Hire great people to help you. Learn to say "no" and don't try and do too much. You will end up doing nothing 100%.

Thanks To: Risa Barash of Fairy Tales Consumer Products

70. Chicken Or Egg?

How Mom Entrepreneurs Manage It All: When facing a challenge of who needs my attention more, my live "babies" or my virtual "baby", I try to remember that one of the reasons I started my business was to be able to spend more time with my family. Sometimes that means working after everyone has turned in for the evening so that I can make it to a football game or a choir concert, activities that I sometimes missed out on because of a corporate commitment.

Thanks To: Kim Lynk of Things To Do

71. You Are Your Business

How Mom Entrepreneurs Manage It All: Take as good of care of yourself as you do your children and your business. Wihout health you have nothing!

Thanks To: Ellen Cagnassola of SweetSoaps

72. Focus, Focus, Focus!

How Mom Entrepreneurs Manage It All: When I'm with my son - I'm WITH him. No computer, no phone. Just kick-ass 2 year old fun.

During the day while my husband is caring for him, I am sure to come out for all meals + snacks. Gives my hubby a break and allows for some Mommy + Me time.

And weekends are off-limits for work. If I need to, I work during his nap + after he goes to bed.

This allows me to really focus on work when I'm in my office + I don't have that "bad mom" guilt anymore.

Thanks To: Dawn Martinello of Monday Morning VA

73. Time To Work & Time Not To

How Mom Entrepreneurs Manage It All: Set aside specific time to work on the business and then try as hard as you can to NOT work when you are with your children and spouse. I currently feel as if I get the best of both worlds, being a stay-at-home mom and pursuing my passions for art, education and children.rn

Thanks To: Amanda Carman of Excited 2 Learn

74. Involve Your Peeps If Possible

How Mom Entrepreneurs Manage It All: Brides come to our home and sit at the dining room table, eat warm brownies and drink a cold drink while choosing their wedding paper ensemble.

My 5 year old is often here during the process; I let her help dust the table so it is gleaming, mix the brownies and look through the sample books with me after the brides leave to see their selection.

By involving her in the process, she takes ownership in the fact that though I work, she is still the most important thing to me.

Thanks To: Dawn Lenzie of Announce, Invite & Deilght

75. Steel And Steal Resolve

How Mom Entrepreneurs Manage It All: Nearly a century ago, Bethlehem Steel's CEO paid $25,000 for five words--words that totally reformed his managing style. "Things to do today"--the old to-do list--help him organize and prioritize. Busy mompreneurs need a steel resolve in order to get done all that needs doing. They have to steal minutes of their time back from people used to using those minutes frivolously. Mompreneurs don't have time to chat or to coffee-klatch. Instead, they focus. They function. They finish.

Thanks To: Marlene Caroselli of Principled Persuasion

76. Playground Networking

How Mom Entrepreneurs Manage It All: I give out my regular business cards when I meet new moms at the playground. At the same time I'm giving them my contact info for setting up future playdates, I'm letting them know that I design Web sites and offer computer tutoring. I've gotten several new clients through "mom" referrals like this!

Thanks To: Eileen Mullin of GenuineClass

77. You Can't Do It

How Mom Entrepreneurs Manage It All: There is no magic password, there is no yellow brick road. Can you live with the following?
1. Greasy hair
2. Laundry piled 2 feet high by 4 ft wide (I just measured mine)
3. Tons of frozen food
4. Broken promises to friends who are not mom entrepreneurs which leads to no friends.
TIPS
Get baby powder for the greasy hair, use waterproof mascara, purchase clothes at consignments shops to replace the dirty ones, cook 'breakfast for dinner' eggs, bacon etc. at least 3x weekly!

Thanks To: Dianne Cernese of Salty Chix

78. A Sitter + Va= Growth

How Mom Entrepreneurs Manage It All: I manage to be a mom and entrepreneur because I invest in child care and a virtual assistant. When kids are healthy and doing well, the sitter is watching them so I could work. When kids get really sick, or when we spend quality time together, I delegate a lot to a virtual assistant. This helps me to keep growing.

Thanks To: Vera Babayeva of Women Can Have It All

79. Put It In Writing

How Mom Entrepreneurs Manage It All: To keep work and home in balance, you need to be organized. I plot everything on a large calendar, scheduling work time around my son and building in family time. My husband and I both work and have specific 'alone' times with our son and each other. Most importantly, I am mindful of adding spontaneity, a great stress reliever, which makes for a happy home and workplace!

Thanks To: Kat Henderson of When I Grow Up

80. Stay At Home! Mom!

How Mom Entrepreneurs Manage It All: As a very fortunate child of two loving parents and a “Stay At Home” Mom, I was well into my 30’s when I realized that my Mom was very much a business woman. She budgeted, planned, allocated resources and managed personnel & contractors. In comparison, I’ve seen my business ventures as my babies.

Thanks To: Monica Tombers of Just So!

81. Involve Kids In Business

How Mom Entrepreneurs Manage It All: One of the best ways that I manage being a mom and an entrepreneur is to let my kids be a part of my business. For example, they participate in my product review videos. One of the most popular videos on our site is my daughter’s Bendaroos video. Both of my girls help me stuff envelopes for our mailings. Before I did my Back to School podcast, I talked to them about where their favorite place to buy clothes is. My kids understand that I own a FAMILY business and we are in it together.

Thanks To: Tricia Meyer of Sunshine Rewards

82. Divide And Conquer!

How Mom Entrepreneurs Manage It All: Especially when working from home, set boundaries that keep work and family time separate. Regardless of what time you set for "business hours," make it exclusive to business activities -- likewise with family time. Even if it means getting a sitter, you'll feel less stressed by devoting 100% of your attention to your work or family without feeling guilty that you should be doing the other. And, get caller ID so you can avoid answering the phone when Chatty Kathy calls during work hours.

Thanks To: Kara Gray of New Horizon Consulting

83. There Is No Formula

How Mom Entrepreneurs Manage It All: In this age of INSTANT GRATIFICATION and the need for IMMEDIATE results, there simply is no one answer. As a mum of 2 boys,building my business is exactly the same as raising my boys. One day at a time,one mistake & one success at a time.Having being a businesswoman, before kids and after kids, being a mother teaches you that the unexpected always happens,even with all the best planning !! And when it happens you either deal with it or you don't. PLAIN & SIMPLE...

Thanks To: Rachel Gaffney of RACHEL GAFFNEY'S IRISH GOODS

84. Give Your Full Attention!!!

How Mom Entrepreneurs Manage It All: Here's a tip from my Diana Fletcher (friend and co-author of mine):

When you are being a Mom, give your full attention to being a Mom, pay attention, listen, focus.
When you are working on your business, give it your full attention, and make sure that you make it clear to your family that it is important, and not just your hobby.

Thanks To: Weston Lyon of Creating an Outstanding Life

85. Think Your Way To A Happy Day!

How Mom Entrepreneurs Manage It All: As a single-mom entrepreneur, I have a great strategy for switching gears from work to family. I set my intention for different segments of my day, taking a minute to think about what I want to create during the next period of time with my business or with my child. For instance, before I connect with my daughter I imagine us happy - smiling and laughing together. My day flows easily and I am more present and productive when I take the time to turn my attention to what I want to create!

Thanks To: Lorraine Faehndrich of Creating Bliss

86. Childcare 24/7?

How Mom Entrepreneurs Manage It All: While I'm child-free, I have a good friend who is the CEO of a multi-million-dollar company. She has two toddlers. A nanny watches her kids during the day, and she has an amazing personal assistant, who is also a live-in nanny. By day, her personal assistant works at the office, and at night, should Mom have to go out, the personal assistant looks after the kids. This has worked for them for several years. She spends lots of time with her kids in the evenings and on weekends. It's all good!

Thanks To: Susan Hawkins of Favor Affair

87. Work In Cheer Not Fear

How Mom Entrepreneurs Manage It All: My late mother, wife and daughter have the same thing in common. They all are successful at doing something they like to do. There is no make excuses mindset. Through the women entrepreneurs in my life I have learned that success comes when you move forward in happiness and never look back in fear.

Thanks To: Derrick Hayes of WOE Enterprises

88. Work When The Household Sleeps

How Mom Entrepreneurs Manage It All: WAHMS are unique, we are night owls AND early risers--not by choice, but out of necessity! To accomplish the most in the shortest amount of time, work when everyone else is sleeping! Now, if there was only a way to change the time on e-mails that are sent at 3:00am.

Thanks To: Josephine Geraci of My Mom Knows Best, Inc.

89. Let That Line Blur

How Mom Entrepreneurs Manage It All: The key to a rewarding integration of a woman's business and her family life is to consciously align the goals, visions, and values of the two. Then give yourself to each wholeheartedly and guilt-free. Sometimes it means conducting a business deal with a toddler on your lap, and that's okay!

The fact is, moms today CAN have it all, just often not on the same day. The balancing act for women entrepreneurs is not about compartmentalizing "life" and "business" hours. Some days it's all work and other days it's all about family. But more often than not it's a messy, chaotic, deeply rewarding combination of the two.

Thanks To: Amber Dennett of Divas Doing Business

90. Define The Line

How Mom Entrepreneurs Manage It All: Just like a traditional job. You have to define the line between work and family time. Set your boundaries for your work life and family life. Consistency will breed comfort for children who are home during the day and you will find less resistance to the structure. Allow yourself time to interact with your kids during the day and then return to the task at hand. It's the kiddie coffee break.

Thanks To: Natalie Hjelsvold of Professional Best Friend Life Coach

91. Become A Night Owl

How Mom Entrepreneurs Manage It All: When I first started out with my own business, I was mommy by day and entrepreneur by night. My very young children would go to bed at an early hour and I would begin my day's work as soon as their heads hit the pillow. Keeping the crazy hours was not always easy, but it allowed me to be able to pursue two passions at the same time (being a mom and a business owner).

Thanks To: Deborah Volk of More Than Paper...

92. The Many Hats Of A Mom Ceo

How Mom Entrepreneurs Manage It All: Many years ago when I choose to give up my teaching career and be home with our children AND run a company. Here is what I learned:

- Make a Daily Schedule to include: Mommy Time, Business Time, House Time and of course Kid time! If you give your children the attention they want throughout the day, they are more willing to give you the time you need to make calls and check emails.

- Organize your office and treat it like a business. This can be tough with you working from home but try your hardest to keep it organized.

- Set aside a certain day to run errands. The last thing us busy moms need to is to be running to and fro EVERYDAY...Try to plan out your week and manage your time.

- Don't forget to fill up your OWN cup... so many moms forget about themselves in the mix of all the hats they wear throughout the day. Give back to you so you can give back to your family, friends and business.

Thanks To: Cheryl Hill of Simply Working From Home

93. Quality Time

How Mom Entrepreneurs Manage It All: Keep your work time and your Mom time separate. You may have been a good multi-tasker in the past, but those days are over! Work when your child is asleep, get up early, and go to bed late, but don't try to be with your child and run your business at the same time! It will only lead to frustration and you won't do either task well. Enjoy quality time with your child and enjoy creative time at your desk...just not both at the same time!

Thanks To: Danielle Omar of The Food Confidence Expert

94. Beneficial Balance

How Mom Entrepreneurs Manage It All: For me, success as an entreprenuer and Mom comes when I balance both parts of my life.
Two techniques I use are to prioritize and to color code entries in my calendar.

Each day, I decide on the most important tasks I need to accomplish that day that will:
1. Make the biggest difference in my business (bring in revenue, positively impact our clients, solve a problem, etc.) and
2. Make the biggest difference to my family (fulfill a need, create a memory, contribute to my children's happiness, etc.).

I label appointments and time committments in Outlook with color so I can see, at a glance, how much time I'm spending on business, volunteer, family, personal activity, etc. I can see if there's a week, or a month that feels "out of balance" and if so, make adjustments.

Business and the kids both benefit by this balance, as do I!

Thanks To: Debbie Rosemont of Simply Placed

95. Juggling Work And Home

How Mom Entrepreneurs Manage It All: Set a day for everything. My days look something like this:

* Mondays – Housework and laundry (and business tasks as time allows)

* Tuesdays – Grocery shopping and business tasks (this used to be during naptime, but is now during preschool time)

* Wednesdays – Bible study and lunch with hubby (and business tasks as time allows)

* etc.

It seems a little boring on paper, but I can’t tell you how much this little schedule has saved my sanity. I know when I get up in the morning what I have ahead of me and it is broken into manageable segments. You’ll find that scheduling things amongst these “main” schedule items will get easier and easier as you get used to the schedule.

Thanks To: Jill Hart of CWAHM.com

96. Clean Up The Daily Clutter

How Mom Entrepreneurs Manage It All: I try not to go to bed without cleaning up floor clutter first. Easiest thing to do, is grab an empty clothes basket and start on the bottom floor and move up! Gather everything off the floor from that day that doesn't belong in the basket and put it where it belongs. And DO NOT forget to clean up your workspace/office before heading to dreamland...No one wants to wake up to a messy work area! Talk about waking up on the wrong side of bed! Cleaning up the night before allows you a fresh start the next morning.

Thanks To: Rebecca Buscemi of Creative Virtual Office

97. Nothing To Hide Or Fear

How Mom Entrepreneurs Manage It All: Best to make the little ones feel a participation for what you are doing and dividing your time on...... 'cause they will notice. Give them a few moments to check things out; they have such small attention spans anyway. You can count that as a personal "break" in your schedule.
Don't close the door all the time. Show them there is nothing to hide or mysterious to fear.

Thanks To: Carolyn Bartz of LIVING YOUR PASSION WITH PERSEVERANCE AND PURPOSE

98. Plan, Do, Repeat

How Mom Entrepreneurs Manage It All: Planning & automating tasks for the week has helped me successfully juggle 3 children & 3 businesses for 6 years.

On Sunday, plan & ready everything you can-outfits, meals, bathing schedule, blog posts, email times, workouts, phone calls--for the entire week.

Repeat every Sunday & begin to feel like Super Mompreneur.

Thanks To: Heather Allard of The Mogul Mom Blog

99. Mom's Can Have It All - They Just Can't Do It All

How Mom Entrepreneurs Manage It All: The often-competing demands of family, work and the need for your own personal space can take a toll on even the savviest businesswoman. But really smart mom entrepreneurs understand the key to success is knowing what to delegate to others and what to do herself. Hiring a support team to do everything from cleaning the house to managing social media activities is key to balancing work and children. In the end this valuable time is spent on what matters most... your family and the business activities that bring in the money!

Thanks To: Maureen Campaiola of DARE To Be Phenomenal

100. Balancing Motherhood With Work-related Travel

How Mom Entrepreneurs Manage It All: I use the following strategies when I need to travel for biz: 1) create an excel spreadsheet for my spouse itemizing all essentials while I am away -- everything from where our children need to be picked up to which medicines the cat needs to be given; 2) enlist the help of friends/family; 3) make dinners ahead of time. For more details on balancing motherhood with work-related travel, visit my blog on Savor the Success:

http://www.savorthesuccess.com./member/romy-taormina/blog/607

Thanks To: Romy Taormina of Psi Bands

101. Chief Buzz Generator

How Mom Entrepreneurs Manage It All: Being a "mompreneur" is NOT easy. I think that is an understatement. A "mompreneur" of about 4 years, I have learned it is important to have a handle on time management (even consider implementing some form of reliable child care on a regular basis). BUT at the same time expect delays, distractions and potential late nights or early mornings catching up on work. The other key is work with like-minded clients. Clients that respect, value and understand your need to be a parent first, entrepreneur second. This is not to negate your commitment to your business and clientele/customers but to ensure you are on the same page from the get go. Becoming a mother doesn't mean you have to sacrifice your professional goals and dreams...it's a good lesson to your kids to see you working toward a goal/dream. But in the end, remember what is most important...family, and your personal well-being.

Thanks To: Teresa Berger of Innovate Services

102. Daddy's Day Camp

How Mom Entrepreneurs Manage It All: Marry a teacher! While I work during the summer, my kids attend Daddy's day camp!

Thanks To: Sara Bingham of WeeHands

103. Get Help!

How Mom Entrepreneurs Manage It All: no way I could do it without the help of quality care...having your child underfoot all day does a disservice to both your efforts and to your little one. My 4 yr old attends a local daycare where she enjoys time with her little playmates & I can get down to business!

Thanks To: Kendra Kroll of PortaPocket...by Undercover Solutions, LLC

104. Focused Flexibility

How Mom Entrepreneurs Manage It All: To thrive in both arenas, be focused on what you are doing WHEN you are doing it; sometimes business deadlines rule and sometimes kids rule. Pay attention to the task at hand. When things go badly at work, take pride in how well your kids are turning out. When you feel like you are failing as a parent, take pride in the product or service you provide. If both home and work go asray -- look in the mirror and take pride in having a good hair day!

Thanks To: Joni Daniels of Daniels & Associates

105. Be Present!

How Mom Entrepreneurs Manage It All: Be present. Doing both things at once (reconciling bills while trying to help your children with their latest painting)makes no one feel good. Your time for work, is time for work;your time with your children is truly for them. Everyone will feel valued. Then they know when "Mommy needs to work and help people," and "Yay! Mommy is all mine!" Be present.

If you have a newborn, then that's not necessarily always the case. You can reconcile the books, talk to client with your baby if you feel it is not disruptive... but even then, divided attention can show through. So strive be 'in the moment' with each person you are with.

Thanks To: Pamela Hawley of UniversalGiving

106. Boundaries Make It Work

How Mom Entrepreneurs Manage It All: Mom entrepreneurs who are busy juggling the priority of a family and the intrigue of growing a business will balance both better with clear boundaries. If you take your kids to the pool during the day, let that be kid time. Don't take your lap top. If you answer email at the end of the day, let your children know that this is work time. If you are starting your business from home it is too easy to let work creep into every waking hour you are at home which does no service to ether your family or your business. Set clear timeframes for both.

Thanks To: Mary Lee Gannon of StartingOverNow.com

107. Treat Kid Appointments As "meeting Time"

How Mom Entrepreneurs Manage It All: Your kids are as important to you as your business (at least, I hope so!), so schedule time with them and other activities on your calendar. When clients ask if you can meet during such an appointment, just say "Sorry, I'm already booked" or "I have a meeting then that I can't reschedule."

Nothing to feel guilty about. Remember, if mama ain't happy, ain't nobody happy. It's not selfish to take care of yourself -- it's selfish to ignore yourself as it'll make you grumpy and the grump disease will spread to family and colleagues.

Thanks To: Meryl K Evans of meryl.net