Now is the time to find your heart’s passion and pursue your dreams. Many women are finding their role as successful career driven women and finding their self-worth. They are pushing to provide for their families and themselves. According to the 2015 State of Women-Owned Business Report, the number of women-owned firms grew by 74% between 1997 and 2015. Many of these women are moms, balancing entrepreneurship and motherhood. These mompreneurs are fitness instructors, bloggers, and consultants.
Margot Dorfman, CEO of the U.S Women’s Chamber of Commerce, attributes the growth in women-owned firms to the lack of fair pay, fair promotion, and the family-friendly policies found in corporate America. Trending topics such as lack of work-life balance and sexual harassment, make entrepreneurship more appealing to working moms and women in general. The obvious advantages include more flexibility, doing something that you are passionate about and leaving a business for your children to potentially inherit.
Finding Your Passion
Ruth Zive spent 15 years in nonprofit management until she finally discovered her passion for writing. She gives these ideas to those seeking their passion:
- Remember what you enjoyed and loved in your childhood. This will help spark that search for your potential passion in life. Did you love animals? Was baking fun for you? Did you enjoy writing as a child?
- Don’t let money be the deciding factor. Money is important but it should not be the ultimate decision maker.
But how do you determine what type of business is right for you? Mompreneurs are rapidly growing in ventures, such as hair and nail salons, administrative support, food services, etc. With the risks involved in starting a business, some moms are finding creative ways to start businesses online which alleviates the overhead required for a brick and mortar business. Ask yourself the following:
- What do I love to do?
- What am I really good at doing?
- What do I hope to get out of starting a business?
- What type of schedule do I want?
- What type of income do I want to generate?
Finding your passion and then determining your goals will help you identify the best business idea for you. If you want to bring in some extra income, maybe selling your baked goods or handmade products online is an option. If the goal is to generate a full salary you will need to find your niche in the marketplace. What is needed in your area? What gap can you fill in your community? Remember all good businesses start as an idea. Grab hold to the idea, research the idea and work on a business plan.
Here are some other resources to get you moving towards your passion:
Do What You Love: How to Identify & Pursue Your Passions
