It’s no secret that motherhood is one of the primary factors leading women to choose entrepreneurship as a career. It’s the ideal solution for those who want and/or need to continue to work after they have children, but who need flexibility to work around their family. But why is it that mums make great entrepreneurs (because we really do!)?
You can juggle motherhood whilst running a business AND be great at both!
Anonymous
5 reasons why mums make great entrepreneurs
There is a school of thought that combines the idea of ‘mum’ and ‘entrepreneur’ into a ‘mumpreneur’ or similar. But I don’t personally subscribe to that particular approach. I’m a mum AND an entrepreneur – and while there is some overlap, they are both distinct parts of my identity. But that said, there are reasons why mums make great entrepreneurs. Here are five of the best!
1. Mums are organisational pros
My own daughter said to me once, “Mum – I’m so glad I’ve got you to organise my life.” Whether we’re talking packed lunches, school events or taxiing to clubs and social events, it’s true. Mums make AMAZING organisers, and these skills translate easily and obviously into business life. The challenge comes though of course, in where these two areas of life overlap!
2. Mums are great at resolving conflict and finding solutions
As our children grow, it’s natural that they come across conflict – with their siblings, their friends and even with their parents. Mums are great at identifying sources of conflict, calming things down and finding ways forward. Again, mums make great entrepreneurs because these skills translate so easily to business. Remember that customer who wasn’t happy? Or the staff members that weren’t quite on the same page?
3. Mums are masters of resilience
As mums, we don’t get the option to say ‘Nope – I don’t fancy it today!’ or more simply ‘I can’t.’ We have to get straight back up when we stumble or fall. We have to face the day after a night of very little sleep. The same determination and resilience can be applied to our entrepreneurial journey when we hit challenges or barriers to our progress.
4. Mums are emotionally intelligent
When you’re a mum, you get huge amounts of practice at understanding and managing both your own emotions, and supporting others with theirs. These skills are crucial when you run your own business too. Being able to understand and communicate effectively with your customers and collaborators, and your team if you have one, is crucial – and being emotionally intelligent is a fundamental part of this.
5. Mums are used to chaos
Let’s face it – life as a mum is often chaotic. Think about the last time you stepped on that lego in your bare feet. Or the time the paint got spilled on the carpet. Or you get the call from school that your child (if they’re anything like mine!) has forgotten her glasses for what feels like the hundredth time! And what do mums do in that situation? Take a big deep breath and carry on. So when that mum gets on the entrepreneurship roller-coaster, she knows that ups and downs will come – and she knows she has the skills to take them in her stride.
Juggling mum-life and business-life
It’s absolutely true that mums make great entrepreneurs. No matter how well-equipped we are to take on life as a small business owner, it’s not easy. There are scheduling clashes and conflicting priorities. There are massive highs and lows in both.
But we don’t have to undertake this journey alone. You need to make sure you have the right people around you, and be as organised as you can be. It’s also important to know that there’s no ‘right way’ to do the mum/entrepreneur thing – you need to find the way that works for you. To help you on the way though, I’ve put together a few tips on how I do it – you can get the free download here.
And as a final word – mums really do make great entrepreneurs. Trust me on that. You’ve got this!