SMALL BUSINESS: Taking care of business - and kids

JAMIE HERZLICH
jherzlich@aol.com.

May 28, 2007

If you think running a small business is hard enough now, try tossing a couple of kids into the mix - and imagine how much harder it gets.That's the daily reality for millions of home-based female business owners trying to strike a balance between work and family.

In fact, of the 3.6 million home-based businesses owned by women, 2.1 million are run with children at home, according to the Center for Women's Business Research in Washington, D.C., based on the latest 2002 Economic Census data."The mom of today is part entrepreneur, part wife, part mother and part soccer coach," says Linda Shapiro, co-founder and vice president of St. James-based Moms-for-Profit (moms-for-profit.com), an organization that assists entrepreneurial moms. "She's really juggling everything and balancing her family at the same time."

Many entrepreneurial moms start their own businesses out of financial necessity, while others do it to keep a foot in the business world - and maintain their sanity - in between The Wiggles and toddler tantrums."Whenever I'm stressed out about something out of my control, I go to work," says Debra Cohen, president of Home Remedies of NY Inc. (homeownersreferral.com), a Hewlett-based referral service that connects homeowners with contractors. Cohen, who has daughters 7 and 11 years old, started her home-based business in 1997 after leaving a job as vice president of a Spanish-language aviation magazine.

Home Remedies was formed out of "personal necessity," explains Cohen, who was having trouble finding reliable contractors after she and her husband bought a home. Guessing other homeowners might be facing the same problem, she took out a $5,000 loan against her husband's teachers retirement fund to launch the business. Her hunch was right, and she was able to pay it back within six months. The company now boasts sales in excess of $100,000, she says.Being a mom and entrepreneur is truly a "juggling act," notes Cohen, 39. She says it helps if you have some type of support system, be it a spouse, a parent or even another mom you can trade off with."Any help that you can get is great," agrees Shapiro, who started Moms-For-Profit with partner Stacey Smith in September 2005. The two, who had worked at CMP Media in Manhasset together, share the workload and serve as each other's support system."Our kids have become like siblings and they entertain each other," says Shapiro, 37, who has sons ages 4 and 6. Smith has a daughter, 2, and a son, 5. To be sure, technology has helped to make their jobs easier. "One of the best things we did was invest in laptops," Shapiro says. "It definitely made us more mobile." Her BlackBerry is a necessity.

Another great tool for mommy entrepreneurs is a daily planner, notes Amy Platt, owner of Syosset-based LIParent Source.com, which she started in October as an online resource for parents. (Platt also is a member of Moms-for-Profit.)"I write everything down,"says Platt, 32, a big fan of momAgenda planners (momagenda.com). Platt recently cut her hours at her CPA job so she could focus on her developing business. A nanny helps out with her 13-month-old daughter, and her 4-year-old son is in nursery school. Child care can be essential when you're trying to run a business, says Pat Cobe, who with Ellen Parlapiano are known as the Mompreneurs, a name they trademarked. "You don't have to have full-time child care," says Cobe, who co-authored the book "Mompreneurs: A Mother's Practical Step by Step Guide to Work at Home Success." A couple of hours a week may do, she says, and advises that if you're short on cash, try swapping child care with another mom who needs a break."You should have a backup in case you have to meet with a client or go to a meeting," Cobe says. The bottom line is you can only do so much. "You can't make this a 24/7 operation," she says.After all, even moms need time out.

Tips on tackling the motherload:

Use a time management planner with to-do lists to plan your day, prioritize your tasks and keep you on track.

Periodically review how you are spending your time. Make sure each aspect of your life is getting the attention it needs. Don't continually sacrifice time with your spouse or children to work on your business. If you are constantly overextended or overworked, decide where you need help.

Don't allow your business to consume you. You can do only so much in one day.
Don't be afraid to say no to things you don't have time for.

SOURCE: LESLEY SPENCER PYLE, PRESIDENT OF HOME-BASED WORKING MOMS IN SPRING, TEXAS