Cyber Monday Sale! 50% Off All Access

Top 10 Must-Haves for Mompreneurs Successful women biz owners weigh in on the people, places and things they can't live--or work--without.

By Lisa Druxman

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

Over the years, I've had the opportunity to interview many mompreneurs, from Julie Aigner Clark of Baby Einstein fame to maternity wear designer Liz Lange. For self-serving purposes, I've asked them all the same question: What can you not live without as a mompreneur? Most answered with things like "a sense of humor," "passion for business" and "unrelenting determination." I then asked for something more tangible. Many gave the same answers and tips. I think you, too, will agree with this must-have list!

Jo Ilfeld, Co-Owner,Let's Go Strolling
1. Phonetag.com--This website is a must-have. It's a service that transcribes phone messages, which are then sent to an e-mail account. With all phone messages transcribed, you can discretely check voicemail via smart phone while at school assemblies, standing in line, etc. The service provides the entire voicemail message including call-back phone numbers. It's great for checking the status of voicemail messages left on the office machine without having to call in all the time.

Julia Tanen, President and CEO, The Tanen Group
2. Daycare--My must-have is fantastic, reliable daycare. Your hours might not be 9 to 5 as a mom entrepreneur, so you need to be able to depend on your child care situation so you can attend essential meetings, answer phone calls and work.

Julie Aigner Clark, Baby Einsteinand The Safe Side
3. Housekeeper--A good housekeeper is my No. 1 must-have. It doesn't matter who makes your bed or does your dishes. Get those household chores off your to-do list and you'll have much more time to spend on the important things in life. Plus, a good housekeeper can watch your children when you have to take a call or leave for a last-minute meeting.

Beth Butler, Bocabeth.com
4. Helpareporter.com--HARO is a must-have for mom entrepreneurs, especially if you can't afford a publicist. On average, business owners receive 15 to 30 queries each day about various media opportunities. It's free and it just takes a few minutes to see if a query is a good match for your business.

Alicia Forest, Founder and CEO, Client Abundance
5. Husband--OK, not everyone has one. But if you do, appreciate him and acknowledge that he can offer great support for you as you run your business. Not only can he can help with the kids, he can also be your sounding board. If he thinks he's a part of your business, he'll be more likely to lend a hand.

Liz Lange, Liz Lange Maternity
6. A Smart Phone--Whether it's an iPhone, a BlackBerry, a Treo or something else entirely, it allows you to juggle multiple priorities anytime, anywhere. It lets you balance work and motherhood.

Stacey Kannenberg, Author and Publisher, Get Ready To Learn Mom
7. Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn--Get profiles up on all the social media sites; it's free and some of the heavy traffic these sites get will be transferred to your site as people find your profile and click on your business's website and blog links. Be careful not to let it suck too much time from your day; designate a specific amount of time each day to attend to social networking sites and stick to it. Use sites like twitterfeed.com to feed your information from Twitter to your other social networking profiles.

Stacey Ross, Founder, San Diego Bargain Mama
8. Dedicated Work Space--Your hours might not be traditional and you may be homebased, but you need some adequate work space if you want to be productive. Create a home office that's organized and inspiring. Make sure you have enough time each day to work while someone watches your children.

Maria Bailey,Trillion Dollar Moms and Marketing To Moms
9. A Good Accountant--Get somebody who will help you make decisions to prepare for the growth of your company. While this may seem like something you can do yourself, it's best to have a professional make sure your business is financially sound from the start.

Lisa Druxman, Stroller Strides

I'll take No. 10. I think a virtual office is most important. Make sure you have a web-based system so you have access to your e-mail, faxes, files and calendar wherever you go.

Mom entrepreneurs continue to be some of the most creative, resourceful and passionate people in business. They have a fierce determination for success and openness to learn from others. Learn from what these successes mompreneurs have shared here and these invaluable time-savers will benefit you, too.

Lisa Druxman is Entrepreneur.com's "Mompreneur" columnist and the founder and CEO of fitness franchise Stroller Strides. Druxman is also a nationally recognized speaker and author, and is considered an expert in the field of fitness, particularly pre- and postnatal fitness. She hosts a free monthly webinar during which she answers questions from fellow mompreneurs. If you are interested in participating, contact her at lisa@strollerstrides.com.

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Business News

Elon Musk Still Isn't Getting His Historically High Pay as CEO of Tesla — Here's Why

A second shareholder vote wasn't enough to convince Delaware judge Kathaleen McCormick.

Growing a Business

Her Restaurant Business Is Worth $100 Million — Here's Her Unconventional Advice for Aspiring Entrepreneurs

Pinky Cole, founder of Slutty Vegan, talks about going from TV producer to restaurant owner, leaning into failure and the value of good PR.

Legal

How Do You Stop Porch Pirates From Stealing Christmas? These Top Tips Will Help Secure Your Deliveries.

Over 100 million packages were stolen last year. Here are top tips to make sure your stuff doesn't get swiped.

Leadership

Leadership vs. Management: How to Understand the Difference and 6 Ways to Bridge the Gap

Here are the key differences between leadership and management, highlighting their complementary roles and providing six strategies to develop managers into future leaders.

Business News

'Something Previously Impossible': New AI Makes 3D Worlds Out of a Single Image

The new technology allows viewers to explore two-dimensional images in 3D.

Business News

'I Stand By My Decisions': A CEO Is Going Viral For Firing Almost All of the Company's Employees — Here's Why

The Musicians Club CEO Baldvin Oddsson fired 99 workers at once over Slack for missing a morning meeting. But there's a catch.