Must-Have Resources for Mompreneurs

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Dreams are awesome. But a dream without a plan is just a wish, right?

I’ve loaded you mompreneurs up with links to resources that have helped me build 2 brick and mortar businesses.  These are just some of the practical tools and resources that I’ve discovered..and remember I’m a newbie so there are WAY more out there that I don’t even know about yet.

Mompreneurs

 

Passive & Active Learning:

I like to take a lot of info in, and then discard most of it…because I see if it fits with my internal compass or not, and discard all but what is essential to me. It’s ok to disagree with information you learn too! You’re the expert on YOU and your business.  No. One. Else.

That being said, I’m an information hound. It’s like a blood game for me to seek and find info. Even if I ‘know’ whatever topic, hearing another voice say it, being refreshed about the topic, learning a new resource, just reminding myself to freaking do it..I’m always always always learning. To a fault at times, where I hide behind the learning and don’t go DO. That’s the difference between dreamers and do-ers though. And I’m finally there. Learning happens in the background and when push comes to shove and I have to figure something out in order to move forward.

Podcasts are by far my favorite way to learn. Please say, oh I don’t have time to listen to anything. Or I’ll sit down and listen someday. I just laaaaaugh and laugh…sometimes I tell them when I listen, sometimes I just let it roll – they aren’t learners anyway so I need to drop it.  I listen in the shower, I mean I wouldn’t want to miss out on 5-7 minutes of something great!  I listen while getting ready, while cleaning, while cooking, everything. The only time I don’t listen is while drying my hair – I’ve tried to do the earbud thing, you can hear great…BUT I have on several occasions ripped my earbuds out of my ears, which takes the phone with it. Grrr. So hair drying is the only time it gets paused.  As soon as I get in the car, I press play. I listen on all drives anywhere, and then I let it play in my pocket while I open shop, and get organized. Only when I sit down to work on something else is when I turn it off.


Podcasts

Some of my favorites: It rotates, and I’ll love some then delete them then they come back on the rotation. I will also be doing my own podcast in the next year. That’s right…I just put that out there (!!!). For now, enjoy these absolute gems.

Start Up School

The Learning Leader Show

Build Your Tribe

The Accidental Creative

Chris LoCurto 

Andy Stanley Leadership

The Moment 

Smart Passive Income

Entrepreneur on Fire 

Glambition Radio

This is the basic list – there really are so so so many wonderful ones on any subject – marriage, sales, religion, anxiety, how-to, parenting, nursing, working moms, etc. Go exploring!

You can also listen on Stitcher too!


Blogs:

Seth Godin (this is the only one I actually get the emails for, as I just check the others when I want to)

Hubspot.com/blog


Learning:

Ted.com

Lynda.com

Udemy.com

Youtube.com


Website/Graphics:

WordPress.com

Bluehost.com

Canva.com

Fiverr.com

Elance.com

Mailchimp.com


Finances:

Quickbooks/Quickbooks Online – There are other tools like freshbooks and sage, but I find that all my accountants I’ve ever worked with for personal or business are simply most familiar and well versed in QB.. so ya that’s the necessary part).

Everydollar.com – To keep your own personal budget completely in check (variable incomes are VERY different from a typical 9-5 salary job and you have to be ON TOP OF IT!)

Crowdfunding:  IndiGoGo, Kickstarter, SmallKnot, Kiva, etc etc etc. If you’re not putting in your own money, don’t have investors/co-founders etc yet…crowdfunding is a very real possibility these days.


Legal:

Gotta have it! Here are some general resources, and some specific to Dayton, Ohio.

I can’t find a great small business attorney for you…but know that if you want to scale beyond just you and maybe a freelancer or two on the side..you’ll have to do some legal jazz. You might as well accept it and get in the details because successful business owner knows..the devil is in the details!

Bureau of Worker’s Compensation – A must have once you hire even 1 employee. Get to know it well, there are great incentive for small businesses.

Ohio Department of Taxation 

IRS Small Business  – Just get used to this site, get comfortable with it, love it, live it. :/

Ohio Business Gateway

Ohio Department of Jobs & Family Services – Once you get employees, you’ll live, eat, breathe this site.

SCORE – Dayton – Wonderful, free resources. Don’t go at it alone.

Small Business Administration (SBA) – Same as above. Also, if you’re doing a loan, you’ll want to consider an sba loan and there are lots of options depending on fields.


Processes/Software:

Capterra.com – For software reviews, it’s not perfect…but it’s a start that’ll link you out to check out the various tools. The tools and processes are KEY to scaling…so take your time.

Meet Edgar (there is Buffer too…but I’m just not a fan..) For scheduling and repurposing content.


 Collaboration:

Meetup.com 

Google Drive

Google Forms

Dropbox

GoTo Meeting/Citrix

Skype/Facetime/Ovoo/Google Hangouts..you’re likely familiar with these!


Please share with us your MUST-HAVE, can’t live without, game-changing resources with us….cuz you know I’m salivating for more info!!  

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Kate
I’m the most extroverted introvert you’ll ever met. I’m happiest curled up reading and not talking to anyone. But, find immense reward in taking BOLD chances. My background is as a physician - I am a hardcore science nerd, spending my former years attending medical school and being all things “doctor.” Then I traveled the country with my husband being an official baseball wife - which is hilariously not glamorous. Once back in Dayton, spent a few years as a personal trainer working with clients suffering from cancer, chronic illness, and the “I can’t do it syndrome.” In 2014 I co-founded Kate’s Plate, which is a healthy cooking service here to transform lives and the way we do family dinner. Also, I am the ‘CEO’ of Beyond The Game Sports Training, my hubby’s sports facility, and teach healthy cooking classes at Dororthy Lane Market’s Culinary Center. I very much struggle to switch modes from balls-out entrepreneur to gentle mommy mode on the daily. My son, Cooper, is 1 and a spitting image of his father, Jeff. He is obsessed with his grandpa and has the darndest little smirk. Jeff and I are Centerville natives, and came back here to plant our roots and give back to the place who made us who we are today. Random facts: I hate to shop, I eat a lot of butter, I'm a hippie at heart, I’ve taken flying lessons, I don’t watch TV or do Pinterest (gasp!!) Favorite things about being motherhood: Nursing (calorie burning bonus, hello!), watching daddy make the kid laugh so hard he can barely breathe, and the way the moments of parenting bring me back down to earth, back to the here and now