For many mumtrepreneurs, their business has been a labour of love and operated on a shoe string budget out of the family home. Some have turned their hobby or passion into a profitable venture, others are capitalising on their career skills from home. Social media and the internet has made it easier for stay at home parents to start businesses, but with limited time and resources, many find it hard to take their business to that next level.

Table of Contents
Tell Your Story
Creating an emotional connection is one of the most essential parts of the sales process beyond meeting your customer’s needs. People love to get behind a story, and applying that human element to your marketing and communications can really help to make people like your business and want to support you and see you succeed.
Use Your Resources
You don’t have to go it alone. There are many online and offline business development and marketing agencies like http://www.marketsmartly.com/ who are there to help you. Check out what is available in your local area – some may be completely free, others may have a nominal charge but a small business incubator centre can help you with everything from legalities and accounting through to grant eligibility and applications. Do a web search or have a look in your phone book to see what is available to you and use them – the assistance and advice you get can be invaluable, not just for marketing but for your overall business operations and development.
Network
Whether you join a formal organisation like your local chamber of commerce or business women’s network or simply reach out to people via social media, expanding your network will help you to get referrals and word of mouth advertising for your business. Just make sure that you reciprocate – networking isn’t just about you. Actively engage with the people you come in contact with and show a genuine interest in building a connection with them.
Get Inspiration from Brands You Love
Do some research and see what some of the big brands you admire are doing. Don’t be put off by their giant budgets – often the general principals and ideas can still be applied to your own business and budget. You can take a look at their campaigns to get an idea of the type of imagery, colours and words that suit your target audience and incorporate them into your own marketing activities.
Have a Business & Marketing Plan
This one may seem a little obvious but many businesses do start without a solid plan or strategy in place and while this may work ok in the start, if you really want to lift your business and ensure that it grows and becomes or remains profitable, you need to be working towards some goals. There are many free templates online that you can use, or your local business development centre may also offer free or low cost sessions to help you get started.
It is incredibly difficult to be the CEO, secretary, sales person, accounts department and everything else a business needs to survive and thrive, but when you throw parenting into the mix as well it adds a whole new dynamic. Starting a business is often the easy part – keeping it afloat and growing it are where the real challenges lie.
Are you a stay at home parent with a business? What is your best marketing tip?