We have entered another era, the Era of the Momtrepreneurs, the new breed of Supermom. They are really the ones who I cannot believe how they do so much. Balancing work, home, children, husband and run their own business. I have asked two moms of different ages, a twenty something and a thirty something to answer a few questions in a brief interview on how in the world they juggle all of this madness? In doing this, I will see how my findings in helping mom bloggers, can be translated to these businesses to build their social media presence online.
Kayla Wakefield, a preschool teacher by day, entrepreneur by night and mom around the clock has a thriving business for LuLaRoe, a comfy and fashionably trendy clothing line. It takes planning and time to slot herself into the many facets of the person she needs to be depending on the time of day and what she is doing. The other, our first time mom, Courtney Tompkins, a multi business owning mom, with a hashtag #landlordlife, that will keep you in stitches, not only has a real estate business with her husband, she runs a very profitable business by Perfectly Posh, a natural skin and body care company.
Both ladies are internet based mainly, and in today's age that has replaced the home party. Long gone are the days of showing up and actually visiting with girlfriends while we look at Lia Sophia jewelry and drink cocktails. But with that being gone, we can shop and sell in our pj's if we want to. With a click of a mouse through Facebook, these ladies are doing their best to get it done to make substantial extra income and better quality of life for their families. What women inspire me? These women. Real women with real issues in today's ever changing internet world of work from home businesses.
I put some questions to these ladies to see how they do it and you can judge if being a Momtrepreneur is right for you.
1. How do you find balance between work, home and side business?
KW: Finding balance between work and being a mom is sometimes difficult. At moments I get caught up in work, especially being a full time preschool teacher I am always bringing lesson plans and activities home with me to prepare for the next day. When I work on LuLaRoe, I get jammed up with the purchases, pulling orders, and making sure I am taking care of my hostesses.
However, it is important to understand your children comes first! What a great blessing it is to have a companion who is supportive, and takes on all the responsibilities of the parent when I am occupied with LuLaRoe. Luckily, I have a wonderful lady who watches my child while I am away teaching my preschoolers. With these two combinations I am able to have time for my little boy.
CT: Balance is an every day challenge. Some days I’m a great mom and we do crafts & play at the park. Some days I rock out my project to do list and get a ton of work done. Some days I clean the house and make an amazing dinner. I can’t do all those things the same day though! So I try to prioritize my little one and remember she matters most, then I try to be as efficient as possible when she is sleeping or playing on her own. And then I TRY to give myself grace when I’m frustrated because I can’t do all things amazingly well the same day.
2. How do you see your businesses growing in the next 3 years?
KW: I would love to see my business grow even more than it has over the last three months. Within the next three years I want to grow my customer base, increase the amount of inventory I carry, and potentially have a LuLaRoe Closet allowing people to come shop from inside my home. Also, become a sponsor by building up my own team, and helping them through the LuLaRoe journey.
CT: My Perfectly Posh business is taking off because more and more people are paying attention to what’s IN the products they put on their body (and therefore IN their body) so people are flocking to these affordable products. Our real estate business keeps growing as we work hard to create beautiful family homes.
3. What do you use to promote your businesses?
KW: I use a variety to means to promote my business with the biggest one being Facebook. I have my own group page on Facebook to post and share LuLaRoe clothing, and any exciting announcements I may have. This is also where most of the claiming of inventory is taken place. Within Facebook, I have begun using the Facebook Live feature to hold sales with new inventory. Once the live sale is finished, I take pictures and post the new inventory in albums with the rest of the inventory. Having hostesses for each LuLaRoe party is a huge one as well, and brings in outside customers. Another method of promotion are my business cards and self-advertisement. I use myself as a walking billboard. I am always wearing at least one item of LuLaRoe daily, and when people comment on my outfit I tell them all about LuLaRoe while handing them a business card.
CT: All three of my businesses are driven by word of mouth and social media. We get so many amazing referrals for rental homes, homes to buy, graphic design and marketing needs and skin care and pampering. I am sooo grateful to those who trust me with their business enough to refer friends. I do some boosted posts on Facebook and I also use Facebook, Instagram just to build our brands and credibility.
4. What would you like to learn about social media marketing to grow your businesses?
KW: I would love to know if there is anything else I could use besides Facebook, or even other features within Facebook, I could use to draw in more LuLaRoe customers. Also, if there are other means to which I can post inventory for online parties.
CT: I feel like it’s a constant learning process to outsmart the algorithms to get content seen and interacted with. Any tips and tricks for improving interaction and engagement are always appreciated!
5. What is the best part of being a momtrepreneur?
KW: Working as an independent consultant for the company LuLaRoe is in itself amazing. I love the clothing, the way it makes me feel, and I thoroughly enjoy helping others find clothing they would love. It excites me when customers post pictures of themselves wearing the clothing, and how much they love LuLaRoe. Having the flexibility to make my own schedule, and how to invest in my company is an empowering feeling. Though I am still new to the business, I would eventually love to make this my full time job and spend even more time with my little boy.
CT: I love having the flexibility to be with my munchkin when she needs me most. Some days she just needs mommy and work can wait til she’s asleep. I feel incredibly blessed to have the type of businesses I do that allow my family to come first. Also, she’s learning so much. She’ll know all kinds of house repair and good design tips at a young age, and she’s totally in love with Posh soaps and bubble bath!
They surely have a cape tucked in close to give them the momentum needed to accomplish so much for themselves and their family. As a growth hacker for mom bloggers, I also can give insights from my findings to these ladies to help increase their sales and develop their business leads through social media.
This will be the first of a two part series. My next installment will be reviewing these comments and find a plan to help them increase and build their social media marketing presence. Make sure to follow along to see if these tips will help you in your business. Thanks to Kayla and Courtney for some awesome answers and sharing their business info with me.
Find more on these businesses featured in my article:
LuLaRoe:
Perfectly Posh:
No comments:
Post a Comment