should you even start an online business?

In business, Mumstyle CEO by admin mummadigital

Ok so all the ‘cool kids’ have a ‘side hustle’ these days. And it either seems like 1 of 2 scenarios.

1 – They’re doing amazingly, it’s effortless for them, they’re making a ridiculous amount of money – and you don’t think you can get there.

2 – Business owners have no free time, it seems like way to much work and you’ll never make any money, and even if you could figure out how to actually start a business.

You might be thinking – why should I even consider starting a business?

The truth is, starting, building and running a business is hard work. Yep, no way around it. It’s hard, for everyone. But so is being a mumma and having to leave your kids in care, and show up everyday looking presentable for a job you don’t love with people who don’t value you. 

Too many mummas I speak to are in that position of being forced back to work way sooner than they’d like to. It was the same for me. 

When we found our dream block of land – 2 hours from work – I requested some work time from home. I was met with a flat, ‘No.’ And then worse , ‘Actually, we want you in the office full time’.

4 days a week of flexitime and a 30 minute commute was already killing me, I knew that an extra day plus 4 hours commuting was not what I wanted. So I gave notice – and I didn’t look for another job. I worked freelance for a year before going all in and starting a digital marketing agency with my hubby. That was now almost 2 years ago. 

My dream was freedom, and balance. Cliche right?! 

Well we got it.

Our kids are now 6, almost 4, and 1.5. We work from home with a worldwide, virtual team. I choose my hours, drop my kids at kinder/school, help out in the classroom, go to the special assemblies, spend weekdays feeding the ducks and going to beach – and work around my family. 

Yes, it’s hard and I used to feel pulled in a million directions and stressed out all the time like I wasn’t doing anything well. 

But then it clicked. After almost 2 years I embraced that it’s going to look very different to the normal work life balance. I accepted that taking time for our family was ultimately priority, and that it’s ok that our biz won’t grow as quickly as it could if I gave it more time.

I’ve finally found a schedule and semblance of balance that means that everything is moving forward. I get my God time, my exercise time, my me time and get enough rest.  I’ve learnt to push aside the guilt that I’m not working hard enough, or not spending enough time with the kids etc. I just follow the schedule. Yes, it means that things happen slower. But we’re playing the long game. For us we feel we have to – the kids are only young once, and I didn’t want to live the rest of my life on 5 hours sleep a night and having a house in chaos. 

But let me clear up something – balance doesn’t mean that everything has equal run time. Balance for me means that there’s enough of the ‘have to’ in there to feel productive, and enough of the ‘want to’ in there to feel fulfilled.

Living this life, I’m so happy and so fulfilled. I cant imagine having to work for someone else. I don’t want to and I don’t want other mummas feeling like that their only option. 

Hear me though – If you have a  job and you love it, fantastic! I just don’t meet many mummas in that position. 

So – should you start a business?

Well, ask yourself. Do you need to bring in an income? 

If yes …

Do you have or can you find a job that:

  • Gets you what you need financially?
  • Fills you up in the ways you need intellectually?
  • Is flexible enough to work around your family / family commitments?
  • You feel valued?
  • You’re happy to leave your kids to go to?

If yes – then great! Wonderful! Don’t change a darn thing. 

If not though, know that you do not have to settle. I truly believe you can find a way to support your family financially, and love doing it. 

No, it’s not going to be easy. But it will be worth it, if you stick the course.

You’ll have to research, and invest your time and energy, and even your funds. You’ll have to learn new things, and challenge yourself, and be afraid, and fail. But if you do, and you pick yourself back up and keep going, you can do it. You. Can. Do. It. Yes you. Don’t doubt it for a second. Yes, you’ll need help, but we live in the best time. Everything is available to us on the internet, for free. You can learn every single thing you need to know, online. 

And you can build you business online. That’s why I started this blog. To encourage you and inspire you and empower you and to show you how.

There’s no need to do it alone mumma. 

Join our brand new Facebook group to meet other mummas just like you, deciding whether and how to start and build their very own online business. 

https://www.facebook.com/groups/mummadigital

Hope to see you in there!

A xo