It's a Mom's World Between preschool and kissing boo-boos, more Moms are starting a biz. Do you have what it takes to be a mompreneur?

Moms know everything. They know where their kids left their socks, they know what time the carpool leaves, they know how to get a cranky 4-year-old through a shopping mall. Given their mastery of multitasking, is it any wonder mothers make such good business owners?

Not if recent statistics are any clue. There are 10.1 million women-owned businesses in the United States, generating $2.3 trillion in annual revenue, according to the Center for Women's Business Research. Women are starting businesses at nearly twice the rate of men. And women with children are jumping in--each with a different business goal, a different family situation and a different strategy to balance it all.

Entrepreneur went hunting for some inspirational mompreneurs to talk to--and we found them all over the country.

Some work at home; some have branched out into family-friendly office spaces. They all have one thing in common: They are extraordinary women with successful businesses. What can you learn from them? Just about everything.

Mom Knows Best

It was motherhood itself that inspired Laurie McCartney to start Babystyle, a retail brand that encompasses everything from maternity and baby clothes to children's furniture. In 1998, when she was pregnant with her first child, she was dissatisfied with the dearth of stylish, functional and affordable maternity clothes. McCartney spent her pregnancy formulating a business plan to offer what she knew other women would desire, and she set up her online store right after the birth of her son, Jack.

Armed with her newfound knowledge as a mom, McCartney, 36, enlisted the help of other working moms--not only to see what they wanted from Babystyle, but also to learn how other working moms balanced their businesses with their kids' needs. Their advice? "Keep a schedule, and focus on work when you're at work and the family when you're at home," says this mother of two. "It makes it easier, so you're always giving 100 percent to your kids when you're with them and 100 percent to your business when you're with it."

When McCartney started Babystyle out of her home, the brand grew by leaps and bounds. After a few months, she moved into a separate office space and has added a catalog and four brick-and-mortar stores. Sales have soared for this Los Angeles-based company, growing 30 percent from 2001 to 2002 and about 40 percent in 2003.

Though it's not easy to balance a business with raising children, there are strategies to make it more manageable, says Lesley Spencer, 38, founder of Home-Based Working Moms, a support network for moms who own businesses in Austin, Texas. Starting part time is one way to make the transition easier, she says. That way, you can better acclimate your children and yourself to your business' demands.

What we learned from the mompreneurs we interviewed is that scheduling is everything. "Develop a schedule that allows you to focus during work time," says Spencer. "Consider hiring someone to clean your house, a part-time assistant or a part-time nanny." Develop a support to delegate child care and household duties--with your spouse, friends, family or other working moms in your network.

For most mompreneurs, help and support from their spouses is critical, whether it comes in the form of taking care of the kids in the afternoon or evening or providing business support. Older kids can even help with some of your business duties.

And as important as your business is, don't continually sacrifice family time to work on it, says Spencer. "Periodically review how you are spending your time. Decide what is important to you, and work toward that goal. Eliminate time-wasters and things that [distance] you from those people and things."

Segmenting your business obligations into smaller chunks can also help--you can accomplish a smaller task while on the go, like composing a marketing letter while waiting at the dentist's office or sending an e-mail while waiting for dance class to start. Jennifer Dugan, founder of Dugan's Travels, a travel agency in Los Alamos, New Mexico, has become a master of multitasking. This 29-year-old mother of two runs all her personal and business errands at the same time--and she uses her cell phone and laptop to keep her business running when she's on the go with her children.

Starting in 1997, Dugan would work at building her business while her little ones napped. "It's too hard to have set hours," she says. "There are going to be times when your kids really need you." Dugan takes two hours to go to the park with her children, and then makes up the time after they've gone to sleep.

Though balancing it all is a daily challenge, Dugan has shared what works for her with other homebased business owners--and she's even developed a training program to help them become travel agents with Dugan's Travels, which now brings in more than $1 million in annual sales.

Home Is Where the Heart Is

Most mompreneurs find the transition to business owner is easierwhen the business is based at home. Though there are many resourcesto help you find such franchise or business opportunities, becautious when considering those opportunities. "The biggestmistake I hear moms making is jumping into a business beforethey've done the homework and found whether it's a goodfit," says Spencer. "Or if it's an opportunitythey're investing in, [they don't investigate] whetherit's a scam."

When deciding what type of business to start, consider what yourtalents are and what you're most passionate about. Spencernotes that for work-at-home moms, any business involving theinternet--from web design to an online store--can be a particularlygood fit.

Olivia Mullin found the perfect fit when she started herpersonalized stationery and gift company in Brentwood, Tennessee.Mullin started out doing wedding calligraphy for local brides. Thatled to making personalized stationery she peddled to local giftshops. Her products were selling so well, Mullin brought thebusiness she started in 1995 out of her home and into an officespace after about a year and a half.

The idea for the Olivia Mullin Co. was born after she gave birth to thefirst of her two daughters. A registered nurse, Mullin was on-callaround the clock--and she wanted to be more available to herchildren. "Over time, as my children were growing up, mybusiness was growing up," says Mullin, 42. "It's likehaving another baby. You're with your children when they'reawake, and when you put them down for a nap, you start working onthat baby."

For Mullin, the key to growing her company to more than $1million in annual sales is organizing her time, surrounding herselfwith talented employees and advisors, and not being too hard onherself when she's not perfect. "Nothing is done 100percent perfectly," she says. "You have to learn to be OKwith that. You're going to forget things; you're going tomiss meetings. You cannot beat yourself up."

And Mullin's daughters, now 14 and 11, are being groomed forthe family business. Mullin is using her business to instill asolid work ethic and the idea that "the things that are mostimportant are the things you worked the hardest for," shesays. Her oldest, for example, had a school trip, and Mullin paidhalf of it--with the provision that her daughter would work at thebusiness on the weekends to earn the rest. Says Mullin,"She's going to understand what it means to spend [money]and how hard you have to work to earn it."

Hard work can also be fun, which is what Cindy Schwartz isteaching her children with ConciergeConnection Inc., the Coral Springs, Florida, concierge businessshe started in 1997. Schwartz left her job because it was takingtoo much time away from her children. "I quit because I knew Iwould be my own boss," says Schwartz, 42. "My kids wouldnever be without their mother on a sick day or a schoolholiday."

It helps that the bulk of her concierge duties involve funthings like securing tickets for clients to shows--and that herchildren get to rub elbows with her celebrity clientele from timeto time. Schwartz notes that her son, a professional wrestling fan,got to see his favorite wrestling stars in action and even got tomeet some of the big names by virtue of his mom's business.Says Schwartz, "I want them to think about things theyappreciate and things they've done."

Schwartz says her priorities are what keep her business runningat about a quarter of a million dollars in annual sales. The factthat her kids are always first is key. "It's liketriage--when you're hitting a hot point, when you have a kidwho has to be at the doctor's office by 4 o'clock and youhave a client on the phone ordering tickets," says Schwartz."You can't be late for the kid, and you [have to] takecare of the client. I live on my cell phone, and I love thechallenges of this [business]."

If you're in the market for a challenge, balancing abusiness with a family certainly qualifies. But if you plan yourstrategy, start slowly, enlist some help and follow your passion,you can--like these moms--grow your business while growing yourfamily tree.

Higher Learning

You know how you feel about starting a business, but what areyoungsters thinking when they see their moms working out of theirhomes? Jennifer Dugan's 7-year-old son grew up watching his momrun her Los Alamos, New Mexico-based business, Dugan's Travels,and he understands (and is helping his 5-year-old brother tounderstand) that Mom works--she just works at home. Dugan says whenshe's in her home office, her boys are often playing in thesame room. They're occupied, but they know she's there ifthey need her.

For older kids, seeing the ins and outs of entrepreneurshipfirsthand can imbue them with an innovative spirit. Cindy Schwartz,founder of Concierge Connection Inc. in Coral Springs, Florida, hasset an example of self-employment for her kids. "I don'tthink my kids will do traditional work," she says. "Ialso know I'm not the only example. My ex-husband runs his ownbusiness out of his home, and he's extremely successful. Mykids know you don't have to be a doctor or lawyer--you can dosomething unusual. And they know that both their parents put themfirst."

Look It Up

Starting a business as a parent isn't easy, but check outsome of these resources for education, assistance, inspiration--orjust to network with some other mompreneurs.

• Bizymoms offers a website where you can chatwith other mompreneurs, get business ideas, browse an e-book store,and get information from myriad articles.

• The Center for Women's Business Researchhas an abundance of statistics, resources and links about womenbusiness owners.

• NationalAssociation of Women Business Owners is a coalition ofwomen entrepreneurs with chapters all over the country.

• The Stay-at-Home Mom's Guide to Making Money From Home:Choosing the Business That's Right for You Using the Skills andInterests You Already Have (Prima Lifestyles) by LizFolger