The Following Post was written by new Fairy Godmother Julie Lenzer Kirk. It’s my pleasure to introduce Julie to the Start 
Up Princess Kingdom of Women Entrepreneurs. I met Julie a couple of months ago and we had a delightful get- to-know-you chat while she was vacationing at her family’s lake house–I was very impressed with Julie’s passion to mentor “parentpreneurs”, plus she’s an award-winning entrepreneur and mother of two, grew her business to multi-millions in revenues while raising her family. She cashed out of her company and now teaches entrepreneurship at the University of Maryland while providing workshops, consulting, and keynotes as the President & CEO of Path Forward International. She is the author of The ParentPreneur Edge: What Parenting Teaches About Building a Successful Business
Like being a parent, owning a business is the toughest job you’ll ever love. What most people don’t realize is that the right business is also one of the best ways to take control of your life and make money while arranging your work around your family duties. Here are seven secrets for starting a business while raising a family from women who have done it!
1. Develop a game plan. Just like you planned for the arrival of your baby, you need to plan for the birth of your business. Look into the future and decide what you want to get out of the business and then create a roadmap to get there.
2. Save up money or get used to not eating out. It is true that it takes money to make money, so you will need to put some money into starting a business. It also takes some time to make money in any new business. The good news is if your kids are young, you probably haven’t been eating out often so that isn’t hard to give up.
3. Line up the support squad. Many mom entrepreneurs get their work done while the kids are asleep, but there will be times when you need to focus on work beyond nap time. If your spouse or a family member isn’t available to assist, line up a high-school student to be a mother’s helper or, even better, swap child-watching time with another mom so you both get a break.
4. Find a business in an area you know. The chances for a business to be successful increase when you are in an industry you know or a business you have worked in before. If your skills or passions take you to a place you are not familiar with, see the next secret.
5. Ask for help! A little-known secret successful entrepreneurs understand is that most people will help if you ask them. Find someone – either locally or online – who has done what you want to do and ask them to advise you. Learning from someone else’s successes and mistakes is priceless!
6. Include your kids where possible. Our children learn from our actions. Don’t hide your business from your children – make it a learning experience for them. It is even better if they can somehow be involved in the business by packing boxes or putting labels on packaging.
7. Find your passion. Starting a business isn’t easy, but neither is parenting. Find something that when the going gets tough, your passion for it will keep you going.
There is a lot more that goes into starting, growing, and running a successful business but if you follow these seven secrets, you’ll be off to a great start!
