I am sure most moms have once dreamt of working from home but don’t know. If you are one of them, I am here to help you to understand it.

1. Do what you love. Since you are going to devote a lot of time and energy into starting a business and building it into a successful enterprise, it’s really important that you truly enjoy what you do.  Use the problems you have experienced at past jobs, or in life in general, to develop an entrepreneurial idea.
2. Know your target market. What problems do they have, how can you provide a solution.  Targeting your market makes it easier to design your products or services to meet consumer needs.
3. Get clients or customers first. Don’t wait until your officially up and running to get prospects in the door. You want to test the waters and make sure your target market exists and this is what you want to do.
4. Find a mentor or coach. Ask friends, family and colleagues. Contact successful entrepreneurs and find a mentor who you respect and who has already achieved what you want to do.  
5. The Money and the Plan. Save up if you have to. Approach potential investors and lenders. Figure out your financial fall-back plan.
6. Outsource, Outsource, Outsource. Over the last 10 years outsourcing has become critical to the success of millions of small businesses around the world. Many start up’s have obtained substantial growth in a short time once they started to outsource.  

As a living testimony, I am a proud work at home mom for many years and I have never regretted joining this noble field. I enjoy creating my wealth while working on projects for my clients from a conducive home environment as my own boss. You can also be one as long as you have self discipline, determination and focus on what you need to achieve in your life.

Ready to turbo charge your business? Join Lucinda Cross of Corporate Mom DropOuts along with Traci Bisson the founder of “The Mom Entrepreneur who are currently sponsoring a Business Baby Shower Contest to celebrate entrepreneurial moms .

A good way to increase profits, reduce risk and broaden your market is by joining forces with a competitor. Maybe not all the time but a project or two may be a good way for both of you to grow your businesses and to see if a long-term association is worthwhile. If you have multiple businesses, the joint venture may be just one of those businesses, and the others you continue to run on your own. For instance, if you’re both life coaches, you can offer more seminars in more places for mutual benefit. A shared company name will also help to brand your services.

However, be careful. Make sure the venture is on an equal footing. It’s probably a good idea to get a legal agreement that clarifies exactly what is shared and who is boss, things like that. A legal document gives you the way in and the way out, if you need to end the venture.

It’s imperative that there’s a business plan for the venture. The plan should detail what the goals are and how you’re going to reach them together. You can’t be working at cross purposes if you want to succeed.

Of course, the most important factor in a joint venture is trust. Without mutual trust and openness what could have been a successful venture (the usual result of a joint venture is success) will fall flat on its face. PREPARE YOUR BUSINESS FOR SUCCESS.

Many times we get so consumed with our businesses that we don’t actually communicate to our family members, especially the little ones, about what we are doing and why we are doing it. There is a lot of doing going on and not enough explaining.

A simple explanation can cure some of the distractions because family and little ones will understand that Mommy is helping someone become better. Part of the Business Baby Shower concept is to help you as moms and women understand that it is the little things that count. If we could just get some support, an explanation, or just Stop, Look and Listen at what we do and why we do it, it would help us continue to burn the entrepreneurial fire.

It is important to pull yourself away from the busi- ness of the business and look at the little things that count like reading a book, having a conversation with a peer, or getting support you need from a fellow friend. All of these help tremendously when it comes to moving on and moving up in your business.

If you are one of those busi-moms who is smothered in busi-ness, it is time to take a step back and look at what little things you have pushed to the side that can either make or break your next season in business. Will you celebrate Christmas in April? Or will you have winter in June?

It is time to reward yourself by taking a look at your business and see what little things you can’t do without in your next season. Make sure you sign up for the Business Baby Shower Contest to start your season greetings with Christmas in April.