Editorial Team
3 Tips for Working Moms Struggling To Scale Their Small Business written by Amanda Winstead.
For anyone starting a business, the road ahead is often exciting yet overwhelmingly stressful and intimidating at the same time. Being a mother and running your own company? You must be mad! But you know what they say; madness is just genius in disguise.
However, be it genius or madness, starting a small business is a big investment that deserves the same love and attention you give your kids. If you want it to thrive and grow, being willing and able to put in the effort is necessary. Especially after the past year and a half, dedication and commitment are key to staying afloat during the pandemic.
Being a mompreneur isn’t easy. Motherhood is complex enough as it is without throwing a small business into the mix— but it’s not impossible. With just a few tips, you can find yourself well on your way to scaling your business into everything you hoped it would be and more.
3 Tips for Working Moms Struggling To Scale Their Small Business
1. Social Media Is Key
If you’re going to succeed in scaling your business, you’ve got to make an impact. And, of course, making an impact requires putting yourself out there where your customers and target audience can find you. The easiest way to do that? Social media.
These days, most customers use social media to find what they are looking for. Social platforms aren’t just how we discover brands, either, but also how we do a lot of our actual shopping. Social commerce is on the rise, with people wanting integrated and seamless shopping experiences.
Social media is also a great way to engage with your audience. It feels more personal than big advertising, and that’s what consumers want— intimate, personal, and curated experiences. And with so many marketing tools out there now, it’s easier than ever to schedule all of your posts ahead of time.
2. Wow Your Customers
Happy customers equal happy business owners. If you’re trying to grow your business and make a name for yourself, you need loyal customers that sing your praises. Of course, expanding your customer base is important, but it’s wise to focus first on pleasing the customers you already have.
Your customers are the backbone of your business, and their reviews and satisfaction can make or break your success. Growing a business isn’t just about making everything bigger; it’s about making it better. If you focus on providing quality products, services, and experiences to your current customer base, they will spread the word, and you’ll find yourself making new acquisitions without trying.
3. Invest in Employees — and Yourself!
Scaling your business and thinking big isn’t only about external factors like customers and your social media presence. The internal structures of your business are just as important. So many people think they need to focus on the face of a company to grow, but it’s things like your employees and your own skills that can make your business shine.
Just as customer satisfaction is important, so too is employee satisfaction. Unhappy employees can have negative effects on a business just as much as a negative customer review can. However, if you put effort into creating and promoting a positive and healthy work environment with good benefits, your employees will feel more fulfilled and work harder.
Additionally, hard as it may seem to do as a mom, it’s okay and even necessary sometimes to focus on you. If you don’t already, perhaps now is the time to go back to school and earn that business degree. There are so many schools out there now offering online classes that can fit into your busy schedule. An MBA can boost your potential and give you the tools you need to run and grow your business.
Remember: You’re Not Alone
At the end of the day, it’s important to remember that you are not alone, and it’s perfectly okay to ask for help. There are so many other women out there trying to run their own business just like you. Find your allies and reach out to other women and support groups.
You can do this, but you can’t do it alone. Having support is essential. There are over 11 million women-owned businesses in the United States, and you can bet that they didn’t get where they are today by suffering in silence. If you’re going to make an impact and run a successful business, you’ve got to learn to speak up for yourself and what you need.
There are thousands of resources on the internet full of additional information and helpful tips for running a small business. So when it comes to getting the help that you need, you’ve got plenty of options. Being a mother and an entrepreneur is hard work, yes, but if you put in the time and effort, you will reap the rewards and see your business flourish.