Venture Mom: From Idea to Income in Just 12 Weeks - Softcover

Über die Autorin bzw. den Autor

HOLLY HURD is founder and CEO of the online marketplace VentureMom.com. A mother of three, she is a lifelong entrepreneur whose projects range from financial products to home d'cor.

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Millions of mothers are eager to ditch their jobs—but they’re not so eager to give up the income. The solution? Setting out on their own and finding the satisfaction they’ve longed for.

You can, too. Venture Mom makes starting a business remarkably easy. You don’t need a complicated plan or start-up capital. Designer onesies, kids’ classes, home organization, cupcakes, tutoring—anything can be turned into a profitable business in just 12 steps, each achievable in a single week. Stories, examples, guidelines, and more will help you:

Choose a great idea • test to make sure it will work • brainstorm a name • design a logo • figure out the best price • create a website • and post, tweet, pin, and blog like a pro.

Long-time entrepreneur Holly Hurd shares her personal advice on how to break past fears that may hold you back, and shows how running your own business can bring joy and balance to your life.

Ready to leave the pressure-cooker work world behind? Or bring more fulfillment to your stay-at-home world? Venture Mom turns your dreams of starting a business into reality.

Advance Praise for Venture Mom

“Hurd offers an easy, step-by-step guide to turning your passion—be it gardening, writing, cooking, or anything—into a viable, money-making business.” — Samantha Walravens, author of TORN: True Stories of Kids, Career & the Conflict of Modern Motherhood

“In a user-friendly format, Holly takes you step-by-step through the process of developing your idea, pricing it right, bringing it to market, and everything in between. Blend-ing support and guidance with years of business know-how, Venture Mom is seriously more practical than business school.”— Leslie Josel, Founder, Order Out of Chaos

“Holly Hurd offers the real-world stories of women just like me—and soon, you?—who have taken our talents and our chutzpah from the kitchen table to the bank—and guidance on how to get there. May this book help kindle many more brilliant sparks.”— Lynda Fassa, Founder, Green Babies, Inc., Better World Goods

Holly Hurd is Founder and CEO of the online marketplace VentureMom.com. A mother of three, she is a lifelong entrepreneur whose projects range from financial products to home décor. Connect with Holly at:

www.venturemom.com

Twitter @VentureMom Facebook: VentureMom Pinterest: @venturemomhh

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one

Week 1:

Discover Your Venture

Leslie Josel had no plans to start a business that would help organize life

for children with ADD. But when her son was diagnosed, she read everything she could on the subject and discovered that kids with ADD do

better when their world is organized. She started with organizing her

son’s room and then the entire house, creating systems for each task

throughout the day. When Leslie told other moms how it had helped her

son, they asked her to systematize and organize their homes as well. And

because they were willing to pay her, Leslie had a business venture. Without any plans to start a business, she had solved a problem in her family and one that other families wanted solved too. Leslie calls her venture Order Out of Chaos.

Let’s get started. This is your week for self-exploration. It’s time to examine

what really makes you happy and figure out what you love to

do or what you already do that you’re really good at. Like Leslie, you may

be poised to launch a business you hadn’t planned. You just have to realize that you have a potential venture and get organized.

Begin your venture journey by getting a notebook to record ideas,

notes, answers to assignments, and everything you think of along the way.

Each chapter contains assignments to help guide you towards your

venture. Work to complete the assignments during that week so at the end

of 12 weeks your business is up and running. Use your notebook to record

answers and complete the assigned tasks each week. Try to complete each week’s tasks on schedule. If you fi nd you can’t, give yourself another week.

Remember, this is about fi nding work you love, not adding stress to your

life.

Week 1 Assignments

To guide you through the process of self-exploration, you have eight assignments to complete during Week 1. Even if you know what your venture is, I encourage you to complete all the assignments. They might lead you in slightly different direction or help you to create something to enhance your current idea.

Assignment #1: Track Your Time

Keep a time journal for the week in your notebook so you can see where

your day goes and how your week lays out. Record whether you spent

your time on work (inside or outside your home), exercise, errands and

chores, with friends, with children and family, or working on a hobby. At

the end of the week analyze where your time went. Tally the hours spent

in each area. Take a good look at the hours that aren’t devoted to routine

tasks. What are you doing when you are the happiest? Who are you with

when you feel fulfi lled? Where do you like to spend the most time?

If you’re thinking, “Ugh, I don’t want to track my time,” do it anyway.

Remember, you’re looking for time that you can carve out for your new

venture. At the end of the week you’ll be surprised how you spend your

time and may realize that with just a few adjustments, you’ll have more

time for yourself, your family, and your venture.

IN YOUR NOTEBOOK

• Record your activities for each waking hour of Week 1.

• Tally the time spent in each area.

• Analyze how you’re spending your time on nonroutine tasks.

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Week 1: Disc over Your Venture 5

Assignment #2: Perform Imaginary Introductions

Imagine how a friend would introduce you when she wants to tell others

what you do or what you’re good at. “This is my friend, and ________.”

How would she fi ll in the blank? Here are some examples:

“She makes the coolest jewelry.”

“Her oatmeal cookies are the best I’ve ever had.”

“She plans the most inventive kids’ birthday parties.”

“She helped me choose colors for my whole house.”

“The photos she takes could be in an art gallery.”

“Her gardens are beautiful, and I wish she’d plan and plant a garden

for me.”

IN YOUR NOTEBOOK

Imagine how the following people would fi ll in the blanks: “This is my

________ (who you are to that person) and she ________ (your talent or

skill).” Record their imaginary introductions.

• Yourself

• A parent

• A friend

• A child

• A coworker

• A mate

Assignment #3: How Would You Spend Your Free Time?

Imagine you had an hour, a full day, or a week with no mommy commitments.

You could do whatever you wanted with that time. What would

you do? Would you go to the gym, take a yoga class, make a cake, plant a

garden, take photos, or go shopping? What project would you work on?

What hobby gives you immense joy? Write down how you would most

like to spend free time.

IN YOUR NOTEBOOK

What would you do without any other commitments?

• In an hour?

• For a full day?

• For a full week?

This week is for brainstorming about what you already do, what you

love to do, and what your talents are. Gather your thoughts on what...