They say it takes an entire village to bring up a child. And the same holds true for building a business as well. But a few brave women have single-handedly embarked on entrepreneurial odysseys, quite successfully.
These momtrepreneurs, who have taken on the dual challenge of motherhood and business, say they were driven by the need for flexible work hours, a passion to create, the joy of nurturing a venture and a great learning experience.
And what’s more, they also lend a helping hand to other moms on their paths to entrepreneurship and ensure that their workspace is a mom-friendly zone.
Compared to working in a full-time corporate job, being on your own provides better flexibility in work hours.
“Challenges exist in both full-time jobs and entrepreneurship. But time management is easier when you are on your own, rather than trying to fit yourself into rigid schedules,” notes Debadutta Upadhyaya, co-founder Timesaverz, an online home services provider.
Neeti Jain, co-founder of RangRage, a design house for hand-painted products says being her own boss provided her the freedom to work around her baby’s needs. Doing something you are passionate about is the other incentive to entrepreneurship. “A job gives you a salary, but not the joy of creating something from the scratch,” says Monika Pal Sood, co-Founder, Youshine Fashion Jewellery. Reema Batta, co-Founder of Baby Hugz, an online provider of baby products concurs. “Of course, there are difficult days, but loving what you do makes it all worthwhile,” she says.
Many moms also draw parallels between their business and baby: “It is a pleasure watching both — baby and business — grow”, says Jain.
An educationMany moms went on to acquire new skills during their maternity sabbaticals.
“It is an opportunity to equip and enhance your career. So use the time to study, further your knowledge and improve your skillsets,” says Ratna Chadha, CEO and co-Founder, Tirun Travel Marketing.
Doing something on your own, even in a small way, offers a lot of learning and these talents come in handy when you re-launch yourself, she adds.
Mothers who run business are also keen to provide career avenues to other moms.
Take the case of SeaSoul, which supplies spa and skin care products to beauty salons across India — “About 85 per cent of our employees are women. We also help women aspiring for beauty-related start-ups by providing loan assistance when they sign up as a franchisee,” says the firm’s co-Founder, Manisha Chopra.
These momtrepreneurs have even made their work environment mom-friendly by offering flexible working hours.
“We also have a play area in our office for children, so that moms can work at peace. Merging motherhood and job makes things easy for women,” sums up Jain.