What do Robeez shoes, Sweetpea baby food and Baby Einstein have in common? They were all conceived by mompreneurs.
Before we even knew the word “mompreneur” existed, we knew that was what we wanted to become. We were anticipating the births of our first children, and we wanted out of the corporate rat race -- but we still wanted to keep our feet in the business world.
In coming up with our business idea, we created a list of criteria that our new business had to meet (relatively low investment, ability to work from home, etc.) and we cross-checked every idea we could think of against our list until we came to our baby blanket business. 
When we decided to strike out on our own, we spent months planning, conceiving and gestating until we gave birth to our business. We named her Admiral Road. And like many first-time moms, once our business was born, we realized all the things we didn’t know, from manufacturing, to building an e-commerce web site to marketing ourselves most effectively.
But we were open to ideas and suggestions and we learned on the fly. By the time we reached our first birthday, our business was ready to take off.
If you’re interested in starting your own company, here are a few tips to get your going:
- Research your business idea and consider how it is unique. Go online and find out who else is doing something similar to your business idea and ask yourself how you can do it better.
- Talk about your idea to anyone who will listen. Most people are happy to provide you with feedback.
- Write a business plan. A business plan is a document that lays out the goals of your business as well as how those goals can be reached. It’s basically a “who, what, when, why, how” of your proposed business. Don’t forget to make a “life plan” as well – think about what you want from your whole life by taking on this new venture.
- Network with other mompreneurs – the support is invaluable. If you don’t know any yet, then join an online support group.
- Be prepared for a lot of work and a heck of an experience!
Most importantly, know your goals. It doesn’t matter if you want to start the next Robeez or just keep yourself engaged while baby is napping. Your goals only need to work for you. And if you know what you want when you set out, you’ll remain focused and inspired, and you can get there, too.
If you think this is sweet, you'll love:
Amy Ballon and Danielle Botterell are the co-founders of Admiral Road Designs. Prior to establishing Admiral Road Designs, Amy worked as a strategic management consultant for Mercer Management Consulting. Danielle spent five years in the investor relations and corporate communications field working as a director for TrizecHahn Corporation and Minorca Resources. Amy lives in Toronto with her husband Ian, her six-year-old daughter Jessie, her three-year-old daughter Kyra and her one-year-old daughter Lily. Danielle lives in Toronto with her husband Angus, her six-year-old son Charlie and her four-year-old daughter Eve.
