Breakfast in bed prepared by the kids, hand-drawn cards, and bouquets of flowers are all wonderful ways to celebrate Mother’s Day. But this year, as you revel in those cherished gifts, think about giving yourself something special: a home-based business.
In researching and writing their books, Mompreneurs: A Mother’s Practical Step-by-Step Guide to Work-at-Home Success and Mompreneurs Online: Using the Internet to Build Work@Home Success, co-authors Patricia Cobe and Ellen Parlapiano talked with countless mothers who achieved professional and personal happiness by combining work and family under the same roof. These are just a few successful Mompreneurs who gave themselves the gift of a home business—and discovered a way to balance the best of both worlds.
Diana Ennen
VirtualWordPublishing.com
“I love to be home for my daughters when they come home from school. That’s when you really get their day’s events. Being able to share a snack together and bond is just priceless. Also, my kids get to see what I do working at home. It has instilled in them passion and the knowledge that dreams do come true when you work for them. Working from home for 23 years, I wouldn’t want to do anything else.
Renee Wood
The Comfort Company
“One of the best ‘presents’ I have given myself and my four daughters is my ‘presence’. Despite the challenges of running a home business, having the flexibility to work around the kids’ schedules is certainly a plus. But more importantly, it allows me to be present for those stolen moments…the unscheduled times when one of the girls will share a story, need a hug or decide to invite me inside their world if only for a little while.â€�
Debra Cohen
Home Remedies of NY, Inc.
“Working from home for the past ten years has afforded me an ideal balance between career and family. It has also shown my two young daughters that women can be successful at their careers and still put their families first.�
Sue Kirchner
ChocolateCakeClub.com
“Owning my own business, I can set a flexible schedule and participate in my kids’ lives. I spoke to my son’s first grade class the other day about my career. Just seeing how proud he was of my business and my accomplishments was so rewarding. I want my children to know that there are alternatives to the corporate career path and they can look to their mom as a successful role model.â€�
Tammy Gibson
InStyleMoms.com
“Having my kids see me on a daily basis at ‘work,’ they learn to respect my work time and celebrate my little and big successes. It’s so gratifying to see my 5-year-old jump around and chant ‘Mommy made a sale.’ Sharing these moments with my children wouldn’t be possible if I didn’t have a home business.�
Melody Spier
EssentialOfficeSupport.com
“Owning a home business has given my family balance and extra time to enjoy one another. Long gone are the days of rushed schedules, late appointments and drive-thru dinners. We truly have become what a family should be because we’ve had time to listen, learn and grow together. As I watch my children become young adults, I think about how lucky I am to have this opportunity.�
And here’s a mom who is so happy with her work-from-home choice, she is gifting her own mother with the same business: “I am having such success with my YTB Travel Business that I wanted to give my mom exactly what I had. She retires this year so I bought her a travel booking website business. Now she can ‘earn more and travel for less’ too.â€� – Tina Hicks, Hickstravelweb.com
Ready for your Mother’s Day gift? Find more information and tools for starting and running a home business—plus valuable resources and an incredibly supportive community of work-from-home moms—at http://www.mompreneursonline.com
