Mompreneurs: How Mothers Took Family Issues and Turned Them into Businesses

Jul 22, 2014 | The ONE Thing | 0 comments

Most moms are superhuman workhorses that have mastered problem solving, family finances and prioritizing all aspects of life so things flow as smoothly as possible. These entrepreneurial attributes are now helping mothers transform the economy.

mompreneurs

The Internet has helped make mompreneurship a force to be reckoned with over the last decade. Mothers around the country have harnessed their mom-skills, business savvy and tech resources to both become their own bosses and solve common family problems. Recently Fox Business Center reported that the number of female entrepreneurs has been growing at a dramatic pace over the last 17 years. It’s a trend that doesn’t appear to be slowing down, and mothers are at the forefront.

While the businesses that moms create span all industries, many of them have come about because the mompreneur was able to take a family issue and turn it into a product or service that provided a solution.

Today’s Top Mompreneurs

We’ve all heard of how J.K. Rowling went from a struggling single mom to the head of the multi-billion dollar Harry Potter empire. However, you may be interested to hear about the other amazing mompreneurs behind some of today’s most successful family-inspired products.

Julie Aigner Clark – The Brainy Mom behind Baby Einstein™

Before becoming a momprenuer, Ms. Clark was an arts teacher, which explains why educating her baby from an early age was a top priority. Noticing a lack of options for stimulating the right side of a baby’s brain with exposure to the arts, Ms. Clark made a learning video of her own. She then approached a baby retailer who tested the product in six of their stores. It was a huge success and has been ever since.

Christine Moss – Saving Moms and Dads from Messes with Snack Traps

Sippy cups have been around for some time, but that didn’t solve the problem of bowls full of food getting knocked to the floor. After two kids and a lot of spilled snacks, Christine Moss took matters into her own hands. She developed her Snack Trap cups in her garage using a few cups, heavy vinyl with slits in the top and a glue gun. Today Toy-R-Us and other national retailers sell thousands of units each year. Now if only she’d make an adult version the whole family would be set.

Iris Shamus – Easing Parents Concerns about Food Allergies with Creative I.D.s

It wasn’t until she discovered that her son was allergic to nuts that Iris Shamus realized 1 in 13 children have a food allergy. More startling was the fact that every year over 300,000 kids under the age of 18 have to be rushed to the hospital because of food allergies. There are I.D. bracelets for adults with ailments, but there weren’t kid-friendly options that identified food allergies.

Ms. Shamus and her son brainstormed and came up with crazy caricature I.D. tags and bracelets that kids can wear. The life-saving products have been expanded to include options for asthma, epilepsy and diabetes.

Romy Taormina – Morning Sickness Turned Psi Bands Into Sweet Relief

Pregnancy spawned the creation of Romy Taormina’s Psi Bands, but they are now helping everyone handle nausea. Ms. Taormina was suffering from serious morning sickness and trying to find a practical, safe way to handle the nausea. She came up with Psi Bands, which are based on acupuncture. They have been scientifically proven to help relieve nausea from pregnancy, motion sickness and even chemotherapy treatments.

Jamie Wallace – A Straw-lution to Messy Kids and Adults

Jamie Wallace is a mom who was determined to stop messes before they could happen. Ms. Wallace’s kids, like many others, seemed to have trouble keeping their straws in their cups. So she took the initiative to come up with a better straw design. What she developed was a straw that goes in but doesn’t come out! It can be stuck into juice packs, pudding or yogurt containers for mess-free enjoyment. Now kids, adults and seniors can use Straw-lution Straws at home and on the go.

Think Big to Get Big Results

These amazing moms turned their focus on fixing ONE Thing they knew was a problem for parents, and ultimately created something big that makes life easier for everyone. They were able to accomplish this by thinking big, which is a key takeaway from The ONE Thing. Going big with your goals and doing something differently can make big changes in the world.

When you set out to accomplish a goal ask yourself one question: “Am I thinking big enough?” Chances are you’ll find you can go bigger to achieve larger-than-life results.

 

Original Source: http://www.the1thing.com/small-business-advice/mompreneurs-how-mothers-took-family-issues-and-turned-them-into-businesses/