5 Reasons Why Moms Make Great Entrepreneurs

By Yael Kochman, women2.com,12-03-2014

Far from making life harder, motherhood gives you the perfect skills to launch a successful startup.

Before I was a mom, I used to think that the best time in my life to start a company would be before I had kids. But I never felt ready for it until I went on maternity leave. Three months after giving birth to my first son I “gave birth” to my first startup. It turns out, motherhood was the best preparation for entrepreneurship that I could have asked for.

Women make great entrepreneurs.

In fact, studies by the Kauffman Foundation and the Dow Jones company have shown that venture-backed companies led by a woman typically produce higher revenues (by 12%) and launch on a third less capital. Additionally, women-led companies are proven to be more resilient to financial and market crises than their male counterparts.

Why is it, then, that less than 10% of startup founders are women? You may think it is the lack of role models, professional network barriers and limited access to funding. While these are all true, I believe that the main reason is that most women are also mothers, and they are afraid that they can’t juggle motherhood with the intensive entrepreneurial life.

As a mother and an entrepreneur myself, I’m here to tell you this – being a mother actually qualifies you more to become a successful entrepreneur.

You heard me. Don’t let motherhood hold you back – I is actually an advantage much more than a disadvantage! Raising your own startup is hard, and so is being a mom. I believe that as mothers we acquire many of the skills that are essential as we become entrepreneurs.

Here are the top 5 skills I learned since having my first child that have helped me become an entrepreneur:

Work Under Pressure

You know what I’m talking about. It’s time to get out the front door and your kid can’t find his favorite T-shirt. He won’t wear anything else. You help him look for it and the baby starts screaming from the other room. You know that you’ll be late for your meeting and reach out to your phone to text your boss that you’ll be late, only to find a text from your babysitter that she’s sick and won’t make it today. Isn’t this a situation us moms face every day when dealing with our family? You’ll be surprised how similar that is to managing a company.

Negotiation Skills 

You think it’s hard selling your solution to a potential customer or negotiating a deal? Try selling vegetables to a stubborn 5 years old! Believe me, if you have kids, you must already be a great negotiator. Closing deals is a piece of cake for you.

Creativity and the Ability to Crowdsource 

As an entrepreneur with minimum financial resources, the ability to come up with creative strategies as well as access other people’s knowledge, connections and resources is crucial. As a mom, you are used to asking your friends, family and even strangers for their help and advice, and they come through for you.

How did you find that awesome and cheap cleaner? You asked your community. How did you acquire your second hand baby equipment? You asked your community. As an entrepreneur, knowing how crowdsource is crucial. And, again, as a mom you have the upper hand.

Putting Your Ego Aside 

Entrepreneurs are smart, resourceful and hard working. However, knowing how awesome we are, we sometimes have BIG egos and can become arrogant, over-pushy and… well, annoying.

As a mom and the person managing your family, you know that being smart is not always about being right. There are times to win an argument and times to back down if it serves your long-term interests. Being able to put your ego aside while managing your business can be crucial when you want to get people on your side.

Weathering the Ups and Downs

Many startup founders describe entrepreneurial life as a roller-coaster. One day you get a great review in the paper or a big business opportunity appears; and the next day an investor backs down or your system crashes.>>>