I'm sure many of you have heard the term "mompreneur" - a entrepreneur who is also an active mom. I had the chance recently to connect with one successful Mompreneur, Chandra Clarke, via email interview.
You are described as a successful "Mompreneur" - do you see that word as having a different meaning than entrepreneur? If so, how - if not, why not?
I see the word as having a rapidly evolving definition. When I first started my company, there seemed to be only two kinds of women “in business.” There were women trying to break glass ceilings in the corporate world, and there were women trying to be self-employed... perhaps by selling their own handiwork, working as freelancers, or running a local corner store. If they were in partnership with their husband in a business, they typically worked on the administrative and secretarial side of things.
There are now dozens of different “types” of women in business, all being called mompreneurs –from the women who choose to provide a service or product as a lifestyle choice (i.e., a way to make a reasonable living and yet still have time for family), to women like myself who run global concerns with dozens of employees. It’s a fantastically wide range of women and situations.
My bet is that we’ll see further evolution of the trend as society in general gets over its apparent shock that women (and mothers with dependent children in particular) can be great entrepreneurs. We’ll start seeing a bit more recognition of all the great male/female equal partnerships that are out there.
What originally led you to become a Mompreneur, and what were your early steps?
I originally became an entrepreneur because I saw an opportunity to create a service that could essentially help millions of people. As a journalist, I was constantly bogged down with error-laden press releases. The funny thing was, the people writing the releases were extremely intelligent and well versed—they simply lacked the distance to edit their work objectively. Once I had the opportunity to do a little research, I realized that an online editing and proofreading service could help not just these types of professional writers, but all writers.
I became a “mompreneur” a bit later in the game; the business was established, but we hadn’t taken the steps to become big yet. We have three boys under five, and we also home school. Managing that and also the expansion of our business has been a great challenge.
What advice do you have for mothers juggling work and family? Do you have advice specific to working at home?
It’s important to separate your work life from your home life, regardless of whether you physically go to work, or simply power up your laptop on the kitchen table. Try and set a schedule that states when you’ll handle business matters and when you’ll enjoy family time. Set aside an area of the house that is your “office” and make it off limits to the kids. And, as much as being able to do business in your bunny slippers is one of the “advantages” of working from home, try not to do this too often. Dress up a bit before sitting down to work, even if it’s only putting a blazer on over a blouse that has junior’s sticky hand prints all over the back of it. It will help your mindset as you approach the other part of your life.
And most importantly, always, ALWAYS, schedule at least one full day away from your business a month. Taking time away from your business will help you gain a more objective perspective on important issues.
Is there anything you'd like to say about your company and who can/should use your services?
Scribendi.com is an online editing and proofreading company based in Chatham, Ontario, Canada. Absolutely anyone can use our services, as we edit any and all English-language documents; whether it’s a college admissions essay, romance novel manuscript, or financial report, we can help ensure that the finished document is error-free. What’s more, our business model is based on sophisticated proprietary workflow management software that allows us to employ over 100 telecommute editors. If you’re interested in an editing career, please visit the Scribendi.com employment page for further details.
How can moms with great ideas successfully go about marketing them and what are some pitfalls to avoid?
I think it’s important for female entrepreneurs to take advantage of the mompreneur community. Take the time to talk to fellow entrepreneurs to see what they’re doing to make their business better. We can learn an awful lot from one another if we simply take the time to listen. The more we share and network with one another, the better we’ll become at understanding the marketplace and respecting our peers.
The main pitfall to avoid is underestimating yourself. As women, we still tend to be socialized not to be “aggressive” in our approach, even today. Don’t be afraid to try to take it to the next level, whatever that might be.
I must admit I'm not so good at her work-at-home advice; I nurse the newborn while working and often have my toddler in the office too, plus I pretty much live in sweats or t-shirts. But hopefully any of you who are WAHMs or potential Mompreneurs found something helpful!
Chandra Clarke is the founder, co-owner, and president of www.Scribendi.com, an online English-language editing and proofreading company. Follow @Scribendi_Inc for company tweets, or surf over to Chandra’s humor blog at www.chandrakclarke.com for a quick chuckle.
Mompreneur who needs to proofread a business plan? Check out 17 Proofreading Techniques
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