Lindsay Teague Moreno

work smarter

Top 6 Mistakes Made By New Momtrepreneurs

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New momtrepreneurs are always asking me what I would do differently if I could go back and start my business over again.

They want to know what mistakes I made so they can avoid them.

I think women can be our own worst enemy and even though we have a lot of motivation and vision, we end up doing things that could be avoided. 

I’ve worked with a lot of new momtrepreneurs and I’ve noticed the same things tend to trip people up.

I made out a list because I believe avoiding these traps can get you to your goals faster.

Top 6 mistakes made by new momtrepreneurs:

  1. Starting without a plan.

    Don’t get freaked out and think I’m saying you have to get a full blown business plan before starting. I’m not. BUT…you do need a plan. How many hours are you going to work? How will you market your business? What is your budget? What skills do you need to improve? Brainstorm, do your research, and write your plan down.

  2. Not being totally passionate about your idea.

    I fully believe that if you’re not completely passionate about the product or service you are selling, you’re going to have a hard time reaching your goals. People need to trust you in order to buy from you and if you don’t have passion, they will see that. It’s also really, really hard to get through bad days if you’re not totally connected to passion. And, there will be bad days.

  3. Going it alone.

    Most of us start our businesses alone because we can’t afford to hire people and that’s totally ok. You need a support system though. Even if you’re doing all the work, you need people there to help you by supporting and encouraging. Spouse, family, friends – bring them in on what you’re doing. It’s also a great idea to create a tribe of women who are doing the same thing as you. Support systems can be everything on those hard days.

  4. Copying everything you see.

    There is a difference between looking to others for inspiration and outright copying their work. This goes for marketing material you create, words you write on social media, and anything else you think can be perceived as copying. Be inspired, but put your own twist on it. Your audience will know when you’re not being true to yourself too and that’s a big part of the trust relationship.

  5. Waiting until everything is “perfect.”

    Let me say this loud – THERE IS NO PERFECT TIME. You will not wake up one day and think “hmmm, it’s a great day to start a business because all my fears and doubts have gone away!” Seriously. Start with what you have now and work for the rest.

  6. Not starting right now.

    The perfect time doesn’t exists so, what are you waiting for? One of the biggest regrets I hear from women is not having started earlier. Fear and doubt held them back and while that’s valid, you need to kick it to the curb. START NOW. Right now.

I’d love to hear about any mistakes you made in the beginning and how you would do it differently now.

XO,

How To Stay Focused Through Holiday Distractions

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We’re right in the middle of the holiday season and I’m being intentional to soak up every minute of it. I love, love, love December! One thing I have noticed about this time of year is that focus can be low and distractions are high.

There are so many things to keep up with, tons of fun activities we want to do, and for those of us in cold areas, maybe the desire to just hibernate for the whole day!

I get it. There is nothing more I’d love to do than stay in bed with endless hot chocolate, watching Hallmark movies.

But.

There’s still work to be done.

Especially for those who sell products. Hello, Christmas shopping!

I put together a few ways you can manage to keep your focus on work when the distractions are high.

  1. Get up an hour earlier. I feel you if you don’t want to hear that. It’s my least favorite thing in the world, but what if you could bang out a bunch of work in a quiet space and gain an extra hour later?
  2. Put your phone in another room, turn off your iPad, close the Facebook tab, etc. The more distractions online you can get rid of, the more productive you’ll be.
  3. Set a timer and commit to working uninterrupted for a certain period of time. The time will vary from person to person, but this helps you find your optimal work stretch before you need a break.
  4. Schedule something fun, but also schedule when you’re going to work. Have your friends over to bake cookies in the morning, but commit to working after they leave. Make a date with the kids to go look at Christmas lights, but make sure you’ve scheduled time before to get your work done.
  5. Go to bed an hour earlier. Say what? Why would I suggest you take away an hour when more time is what you need? Because a lot of us spend that last hour scrolling on our phones or watching TV. Sleep is really important and can make a difference in your productivity so if you’re wasting that time anyways, give this a try.

Now hear this, I’m all for enjoying the holidays and spending time with the family. I think that is really, really important.

These are really intended to help you work smarter so you have time for all the good stuff!

When there’s work to be done though, you’ve got to work. I hope these tips help you get your work done more quickly so you have more time for the fun stuff!

XO,