WomenEntrepreneur.com dishes out inspiration from current mompreneurs.
– Royn Pellei of Vive Vita thought she was getting her big break when a big company became interested in one of her baby products. That company soon decided the product was unacceptable. Pellei went back to the drawing board, created an even better product and sealed the deal. She says she will never forget that initial impulse to refuse to fail.
– Joann Wooley, Sign4Baby founder, said her biggest obstacle was balancing motherhood with the poor economy. Restructuring to adjust for business needs didn’t match her goals for motherhood. She remained true to her mission to be a mom first and foremost, and her loyal customers followed and filled up new classes.
– Elke Govertsen couldn’t get financing for Mamalode because her husband’s business got a loan first. She wasn’t going to let a little thing like money hold her back! Rather than produce a prototype for her print magazine, she created a media kit and started selling something that did not yet exist. It worked! Her sales have increased 800 percent in the past two months, from $350 to $2,800 per month for the website alone. Print sales are also growing. Says Govertsen, “Apparently ad sales are still a good vehicle for growth if your readers are the market businesses want.”
– Tobi Kosanke of Crazy K Farm didn’t set out to be an entrepreneur. A scientist by trade, she’s a prime example of the saying “Necessity is the mother of invention.” She loved her career as a geologist, but her employer was not supportive when she needed to take care of her special-needs daughter. She was forced to make a decision between her work or her flex schedule. She created a business on the family farm, which allowed her to stay home and care for her family. With the success of her business, Kosanke is proud to give back to the community and donate a portion of profits to charity.