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American Made Baby Products Preface
This is the first guest author article written for AmericanMadeBaby.com. We are open to accepting articles about parenting related topics. Please reach out to us if you would like to be featured!
American Made Baby Products LLC is a mom-owned business, so Colleen Stewart's article below is a great summary of what mom business owners experience and tips to get started. First, allow us to introduce our guest author, Colleen Stewart.
About the Author: Colleen Stewart
Colleen Stewart loves giving her two kids a healthy example to live by. Her passion for community and wellness inspired her and her husband to team up with their neighbors and create a playgroup that allows the adults and their kiddos to squeeze in a workout a few times a week. She created Playdate Fitness to help inspire other mamas and papas to make their well-being a priority, and set a healthy foundation for their little ones in the process.
Tips for Running a Thriving Business as a Busy Woman
By Colleen Stewart
It goes without saying that business owners have a lot on their plate, and that goes double for female entrepreneurs. Starting a business is hard enough without countless other life responsibilities in the way. How do you juggle it all? Whether you have kids underfoot or a demanding day job, check out the following tips to help you avoid burnout and achieve your entrepreneurial dreams.
Choose an Exciting Side Hustle
Have you ever given any thought to starting a new company? It can be challenging, of course, but you’ll have an easier time prioritizing your business if you choose a business idea that you’re passionate about. Consider your skills and interests and try to build a business that draws on these. For example, some of the best businesses for moms include working as a virtual assistant, offering local cleaning services, social media management, and consulting. Choose an exciting side hustle so you’ll see it through to success!
I spoke with the Founder & CEO of American Made Baby Products LLC, Paige Smith. She explained that her baby was the motivation for her company. She wanted the safest products for her little girl. She spent hours researching USA-manufactured baby items but discovered that they are difficult to locate. Paige decided to start American Made Baby Products to allow everyone easy access to high-quality, USA-made baby products. She does what she is passionate about and loves every minute of it!
Make a Plan
Planning makes everything easier. The U.S. Small Business Administration recommends writing out a business plan that will guide you through each stage of starting and managing your business. Keep the plan casual unless you’ll be seeking funding from investors and lenders. Highlight key information related to your business, including partnerships, business activities, resource needs, customer segments, revenue streams, and sales channels. Having a detailed plan will help you stay focused and maximize your productivity as you build your business.
Going along with your business plan, it’s a good idea to check your credit report and make sure there aren’t any unpleasant surprises there. After all, if you need to apply for a business loan or seek out investors, they’ll definitely be interested in your credit history before investing.
Master Time Management
Time management is essential for executing your business plan efficiently. If you’re a mom, you need great time management skills to balance your family and work obligations. Learn how to prioritize tasks on your to-do list and accurately estimate how long certain projects will take. Heartmanity.com suggests starting your day as early as possible. This will give you plenty of time to handle distractions that pop up throughout the day. Importantly, be sure to give yourself regular breaks so you can maintain peak productivity all day long.
Set Boundaries in Work and Life
If you’re going to run a business as a busy mom, you must set boundaries. Be careful about spreading yourself thin! This can be difficult if you’re used to saying “yes” to everyone. But establishing boundaries and saying “no” will help you avoid burnout as you embark on the path to business ownership. You may have to be assertive at times to get your point across, but this will get easier with practice.
Take Care of Yourself
Practicing self-care is incredibly important for busy business owners. If you spend most of your time taking care of others, like your kids, it’s easy to overlook your own self-care needs. But neglecting self-care will put you on the fast track to burnout. It’s easy to forget to nurture yourself when you’re lost in the never-ending tasks involved in starting a business. Right from the start, get in the habit of acknowledging your needs and prioritizing time for exercise, healthy eating, rest, and relaxation.
If you want to run your own business, don’t let anything stop you. Busy women make some of the best entrepreneurs! Take the process one step at a time, from forming your new business and checking your credit to finding your first client. Just remember to practice self-care along the way!
If you are looking for high-quality, USA-made baby and toddler products, check out the selection at American Made Baby Products! With hundreds of baby and toddler items in stock and ready to ship, it’s your one-stop shop for products you can trust!