When a Competitor has Fallen: Musings of a Mompreneur

Everyone is in business to win. Competition exists and most times its existence only makes us stronger. Both parties do their best to secure a larger market segment. In the end, the consumer is better off.

As a mompreneur, I have managed both my family and personal life in a rather unbalanced way. When I am at home with the kids, I am constantly thinking of what needs to be done for work or employees are calling and interrupting dinner. Perhaps customers need me just when I want to go to lunch. But this chaos is soothing because it is addictive.

What happens when ones primary competitor has fallen? The very same ones who push you, pull you, entice you to keep going. Yeah, yeah, I know that should not be the motivation! Right! We all want to win so competition motivates all of us.

Do I continue to live this highly multi-tasked lifestyle or do I begin to relax? The obvious answer is to keep pushing. But it is not so easy especially when you want to jump up and say I win, time to OOOOSAAAHHHHH!

Instead, here are 5 things you can do:

1. Don't get comfortable, once a profitable market exists, new competitors are on the horizon.
2. Learn from the mistakes of your fallen competitor and take that word fallen with a grain of salt because anyone can rise above the ashes and be greater than they were before.
3. Analyze you current business and place systems in place that will improve your bottom line.
4. Take a brief sabbatical......just to ooosahhh..a day, a weekend, a month, whatever you need.
5. Pray for yourself and them. We all need strength as entrepreneurs and we all can benefit from some self reflection and divine intervention.

What about you? What do you do when your competitor has left the market, whether intentionally or not? Share your thoughts below.

Fall Soup

Summer Lessons from a Busy Mompreneur

Let me tell you, I am completely and utterly exhausted. School has started and though is has been less than a week, it feels like it has been three months. I made some mistakes in my back to school prep and in my summer itinerary. You don't have to make the same mistakes, especially those of you who still have some time left before school starts. Here is what I learned and what I intend to improve upon.

Shop Leisurely

Firstly, do not wait until tax free weekend to do all your shopping; this is just my advice. You can do what you will, but for me it was not a nice experience. Everyone and I do mean everyone was out. The lines, the heat, and the jostling crowds all resulted in an unpleasant experience. There are sales throughout the year. Pay attention and stock up on items. End of season sales also provide opportunities for huge discounts. To wait just until tax free weekend was just too much for me.

Have Some Lazy Summer Days

Secondly, back to school would have been better if my summer was more relaxing. I traveled. I entertained. I had various home improvement projects. I worked, etc. etc. Buddha says "Do nothing, life is too precious to waste." While I am a practicing Christian, I can appreciate this philosophy. More lazy days of summer would have been good for my soul. It helps one to rejuvenate and focus on what is really important: family, friends, spirituality, health and wellness.

Pursue my Interests

Thirdly, read, sleep and play more. Yes these three. I know they seem unrelated but in fact they feed on each other. Rather than engaging in organized activities and events, I would strive to pursue my interests. Read in areas related to my passion; learn a new indoor game that my family and I can play together. Catch up on some rest. Studies abound regarding the positive social, emotional, educational, and health benefits of these activities.

Summer is fleeting; I feel extra tired at the start of this school year because I did it all wrong. Next summer, Gods spares, I will shop leisurely, relax, read, sleep and play more. For those of you who are still enjoying the last remnants of summer rays, let me know what simple strategies you are implementing to make it enjoyable and peaceful so that the start of the school year is full of excitement and vigor for you and your family.

3 Simple Ways to Get Things Done and to Stop Complaining

I have come to a point in my life where complaining is no longer a viable or valid option. It gets me no where. It just frustrates me even more and imbues negative feelings in my spirit. Instead, I have replaced the desire to complain with Being...Giving...Sharing. By Recalling theses three words each and every time I feel the need to complain, I get a lot more done.

Be

For me, to be is simply to be in the now. When we are in the now we do not dwell on the fears of the future nor the regrets of the past. Instead we learn to appreciate where we are, what we have and what we are doing. I am constantly reminded by my kids to pay them some attention. This Memorial Day we spent the day together. First we took a nice long walk in the morning. The outside air was so crisp and we were able to talk about life in general. Then we shopped and took advantage of the Memorial Day Sales. After that we went to Brewsters and the Movies. It was just wonderful spending the day with them. There was total bliss because I focused completely on my girls.

Give

In addition to just being in the now giving of your time or talents helps one avoid the act of complaining. The old saying "a rolling stone gathers no moss" applies here. Giving is an act of doing, so who has time to complain when one is busy giving to others. You will feel so much better about life and about yourself.

Share

If you have enough for you, you may just have enough to share. My cousin once told my kids sharing is caring. How can you share with others and still complain about the situation you are in? Trust me, you won't have time for that.

Ultimately, being, doing, and sharing puts me in a state of mind where complaining is improbable.

I have created a simple habit of when I feel like complaining focusing instead in the present moment and making changes to improve the situation and if I can't then doing what little I can to share my time and talents with someone who is in need.

We all can do this. What do you do to avoid the complaining modus operandi? Let us know by commenting below. Be blessed. Life is Good:)

Happy Mother's Day Mompreneurs

Happy Happy Happy Mother's Day Mompreneurs! It is your day to rest, relax and bask in the pleasure of being a Mom. Leave the work alone. It can wait another day. You are so deserving of all the love and attention you are getting today.

Here are 5 things I am grateful for this Mother's Day as a Mompreneur.

1. Wonderful, loving, God fearing kids.
2. A supportive, hardworking, magnificent husband.
3. The opportunity to pursue something I am passionate about in good health and peace of mind.
4. The opportunity to share my Mompreneur love with all of you.
5. The Love of God, family, and friends.

What about you? What are you grateful for this Mother's Day? No pressure, nor need to share, just bask in your gratitude as you celebrate this day with your loved ones.

Life is Good :)