Why Some Moms Shouldn’t Start an Online Business

There is an overwhelming trend to encourage women to start online businesses so they can stay home with their children. It can be a great way to make money, but it's not for everyone. I started a blog last year after running a small business making and selling granola for a few years and working as a Virtual Assistant. I've been on both sides of the business world, the in-person product based business, and the world of virtual business. What I've seen is that online business ownership is not for all moms.

Here are some of the reason you might NOT want to start an online business:

It can be lonely

If you're an extrovert or just love to be with other people, an online business can feel very lonely. You will hopefully find some friends in mompreneur Facebook groups and on Twitter, but it's not the same as sitting in a room talking to a friend or being around a group of people.   

It's time consuming

You think your life is busy trying to take care of your kids and your house? Adding in an online business is like trying to drink from a waterfall! There's so much to learn, building a website, email marketing, social media, graphic design, writing, and editing. It feels like a never ending river of tasks. Figuring out how to balance family life and business can be the most difficult part of starting a business.   

It’s easy to give up

When you work only for yourself, it's really easy to stop at any point, for any reason. Most blogs don’t last more than six months. Mom’s already have so much on their plate that it is easy to let a blog slide when the going gets tough.   

You probably won’t make money right away

Building up an online business takes time, and you might not see a profit for a while. It usually happens after you build up a following, and that doesn't happen overnight. If you need to make money in order to leave a job, know that it can take months (or more) before you will be able to replace your income. Keep this in mind as you set out on your startup journey. 

So why would anyone start a blog or online business? Well, there are some upsides…

You can work at nap time and after the kids go to bed

Since you're on your own schedule, it doesn’t matter when you work. Nap time, nighttime, or weekends when your partner can help keep the kids busy. You can fit your work in around all the other things that fill up your schedule. While a bit more challenging, it can be done, even when you've got toddlers at home.   

You can make a lot of money...eventually

There are plenty of bloggers and online business owners making thousands of dollars a month. Do a search for “Blogger Income Reports, ” and you'll see people making absurd amounts of money (and how they did it!).   

You can work from anywhere

You can work online from anywhere with an internet connection. Travel with your family, work from a cabin the woods, you can work wherever you want! Heed these productivity tips and you'll be on your way.   

You meet some pretty awesome people

I have been so lucky to meet some amazing people online. Other mothers who really understand what it is to work while you watch your children. People who inspire me to push myself to be the very best version of myself. I am constantly amazed at the support and encouragement sent my way by people I have never met in real life. Check out this list of The Mogul Mom's best mompreneur communities on Facebook. Moms already have the hardest job in the world and jumping into being an entrepreneur on top of that can see crazy! Take you time and do some serious research on both on and offline businesses. Blogging is super easy to start. You can get a website up in as little as 15 minutes. A product or service based business can take a little longer to get up and running. Any business will need lots of attention in the beginning though. Much like having a baby, starting a business will take all your energy for a while. If you don’t know what kind of business you want to start, take my free course, Find Your Passion. It will walk you through the most important questions to ask yourself when you are brainstorming business ideas. Remember, moms make the best business owners; we are dedicated, good multi-taskers and used to little sleep.  

So what are your mompreneur challenges and how have you overcome them? Let us know in the comments.