Making a Name for Yourself

You're Not Alone -- Two Resources For Work At Home Moms

17 January 2017 by Catherine Barnes

Before the Internet, most moms typically had to choose between working outside of the home or being a stay-at-home mom. There were some women, of course, that tried to do both by working part-time. But part-time opportunities that paid well and were flexible were often hard to come by. Thankfully, the Internet has changed the employment landscape for moms. According to Parenting.com, women are not just working out of their homes; many are also starting successful, lucrative business ventures. Some have even used their experiences as stay-at-home moms to create and market successful products for their fellow mothers.

Julie Aigner-Clark, for example, was a stay-at-home mom who started the Baby Einstein series, which she eventually sold to Disney. But working out of one's home can have its drawbacks. For some, it can have its lonely and sometimes overwhelming moments. And it is at those times that home-based business owners really wish they had a peer or two to lean on. Fortunately, there are ways for these women to stay connected through a social network and to also find fellow work-at-home moms (WAHMs) to bounce ideas off of.

Co-Working Spaces

There are many pluses to having a home-based business. A WAHM could, if she wanted to, wear her pajamas to work every day. And she could also arrange her schedule around her children's school and activities. But there will also be times when she may want adult interaction. And she's not alone. Many other entrepreneurs are also seeking those types of interactions. That is one reason why so-called incubators and co-working spaces are beginning to crop up all across the nation. 

Both incubators and co-working spaces offer home-based entrepreneurs all of the amenities of an office, including Internet access, desk space, copiers, and conference rooms. Some even offer receptionists. There are slight differences between the two. For instance: 

Incubators are typically geared towards young start-up companies and offer a space where budding entrepreneurs can work closely with others who are also fighting to get their businesses off of the ground. In an incubator, these entrepreneurs can have their own office space, but they also share common areas where everyone can interact with and bounce ideas off of one another. 

Co-working spaces are also popular with start-ups but are typically geared towards individuals or companies that need office space or a conference room on occasion. So if, for example, a freelance graphic artist wants to meet with a new client without having to worry about her children interrupting her, she could rent a conference room at a co-working space. Co-working spaces are also utilized by companies who have employees who work off site and occasionally need access to an office and all of its amenities. 

Online Sites

WAHMs often have questions that are very specific to their needs. For example, they may need to figure out if they can write their children's summer camps off of their taxes if they are working from home. Or they may have questions on how best to market their new company or to find sub-contractors. Fortunately, there are online sites that offer a wealth of resources for WAHMs that can possibly answer these and other questions. 

In addition, these sites also offer something that WAHMs need just as much as information. And that is a sense of community. Many of these sites offer forums where a budding entrepreneur can ask other WAHMs questions about everything and anything. Topics in these forums can run the gamut from business to family to the celebrity gossip of the day, thus providing a place for WAHMs to socialize and exchange ideas with others. 

So even though a WAHM may be working alone, she doesn't ever have to feel like she is all alone. 

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