5 Reasons I Love Being a Mom and Running My Own Business

Being a working mom certainly comes with its share of challenges, but I really wouldn’t trade it for anything. Here’s why…

I love being a mom. I love my kids, I love taking care of our household, I love being present for family activities. Sometimes I even wonder what it would be like to be a full-time stay-at-home-mom. I start thinking about how wonderful it would be to have full days to devote to my family and how much I could accomplish if I didn’t have to work. But then I remember that I like to work. I like my job. I am so thankful for the opportunities that my career allows my family to have.

#1-Financial Flexibility

Most of us work for the purpose of making money. We get paid for the work we do, and that allows us to pay for the stuff we need and want in life. I choose to be a working mom for that same reason. I want to contribute to my family’s financial well-being.

The difference between running my own business and working for someone else is that I get to decide how much. When you work for someone else, you do the work they tell you to do for the amount of money you agreed to work for. There isn’t usually a lot you can do to make more money when you work for someone else.

Since I run my own business, I can really hustle and pick up more clients and extra work if my family needs more income. I can also scale back a little and make do with less income if my family needs more of my time.

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#2-Setting My Own Schedule

The flexibility of my schedule is every bit as important to me and my family as the flexibility of our finances. Running my own business is giving me time to be present with my family in so many amazing ways!

First of all, I am homeschooling my kids (3rd grade and Kindergarten this year). We get up and do school every morning and finish up by lunch time. After lunch, the kids either hang out with my husband or my in-laws while I work. Some days I go into the office, and other days I work from home. When I work from home, I can also take a minute to put dinner in the crock pot or start a load of laundry.

I stay intentional about balancing my schedule so that I don’t either run myself out of time to get my work done or get so caught up in my work that I forget to set a stop time!

#3-Working Anywhere

We’ve been able to go on extra family trips because I could take my computer with me and do some work while we were out of town. Last year, we spent a long weekend away from home in each of seven months of the year. We hiked, fished, played in the lake, and so much more.

I’m able to make those memories with my family because I had the flexibility of working away from the office for a few days at a time without worrying about PTO or getting someone else’s approval for my time away.

I have to stay committed to my clients and get the work done for them when it needs done, but I don’t necessarily have to be in an office 40 hours a week (or more) to accomplish that.

#4-Constructive/Creative Outlet

Raising a family and running a household requires so much creativity and skill. It’s a most worthwhile and all-encompassing position, and there are some days when it is just plain hard. The house is a mess, dinner is late, the kids are arguing, and I’m frazzled. Running my own business gives me a constructive/creative outlet that keeps my mind active and allows me to exercise my skills and expertise in different ways.

This is especially important for me on the days when things at home just aren’t going smoothly. I work with a lot of numbers in my business, which can be a nice change of pace from my normal mom duties. It also allows me to have something of my own that is specific and measurable and achievable, something that I can see progress in from day to day and week to week. Most importantly, having a constructive/creative outlet can help me reset my focus and my priorities so that I can get back to being at my best for my family.

#5-Community

One of the best things about being a working mom is having a community of clients, employees, and business associates to go through life with. I get to work with so many great people and learn from their insights and experiences, both in business and in family matters.

We aren’t made to do life alone, but as an introvert, I don’t naturally reach out to people. Having a business-based community gives me a starting point and a common ground for good conversations and meaningful connections. I especially appreciate the connections I’ve made through with other moms who are running their own businesses. It’s so inspiring to see the ways that different people are making it work for their families!

There’s a lot of conversation out there about the expectations placed on moms. Should moms work? Stay home? Work only from home? There’s not one right answer. Each mom and each family needs to decide what is best for them. It’s just important to know there are options for the working mom!

Running my own business helps me be a better wife and mom. Being a wife and mom helps me be a better business owner. Because I do both, I have to be intentional and focused. I have to define my priorities and set my boundaries. Being a mom and running my own business is allowing me to carve out the life I want for my family!

Curious about my full-time business? Check it out here.