The word ‘mother’ conjures up a picture of nurturing and inspiring. And a reality check
reveals that whether it’s children, a business or brands, they need time, attention and
nurturing.
It is indeed an emotionally moving experience when a mother feels the first signs of life.
It would be correct here to imagine the stirrings of the creation of a new entity – like a
business. Like mothers go through the experience of pregnancy leading to the moment
when the life created comes into being, a business founder also feels overwhelmed with
love when the business comes to life! And, along with this is a sense of responsibility to
nurture it, so that it evolves or grows into an entity that is wonderful and successful too.
All business owners, in a broader perspective, face the same issues that is involved in
bringing up kids. You are the one planning the business or brand’s growth and also
guiding the direction the brand should take vis-à-vis both the target market and
competition. Is this all structured and scientific? Not always, for planning a business’s
future involves being prepared for roadblocks and U-turns and the occasional crises too.
In many ways, motherhood is like a training session for starting a business. There’s a lot
at stake, and entrepreneurs have to be innovative and adaptive. They must learn along
the way, as well.
So, all ‘maternal instincts’ are in full swing, when a woman (and mom) entrepreneur
gives the push to her start-up; and this can actually give you a cutting edge in business.
Here are some points for harnessing the ‘motherly’ instincts to nurture your business:
Multitasking (and juggling) skills
Mothers are always used to juggling activities. After all, they have a baby to look after
and hundreds of household chores too. So, multitasking quickly becomes a part of the
daily routine. While running a business, it’s not very different. Unexpected disturbances
can crop up in a business (just like it can happen with kids). They’ll appear in dealing
with customers, employees, vendors, or tech issues, and it’s not uncommon for any or
all of them to need your attention at the same time!! Since moms are used to carrying
on or completing several tasks at once, they’re prepared to absorb, proioritize and
accomplish any task that is sprung at them during the workday.
Exceptional intuition
Another factor that is naturally associted with Moms is – problem-detecting and problem-
solving. Babies may not be able to tell us why they’re crying – but the mother
instinctively realises what to do. The term “mother’s intuition” is a common one, and for
good reason. Science supports the idea that the biological changes which take place in
a pregnant woman, enhances her intuition. Just as these skills are applied to
parenthood, they can also be valuable to the entrepreneurial environment.
Thinking and analysis skills are critically important when launching or growing a
business, and when it comes to success, it’s intuition that comes in to play a critical role.
Remember, intuition isn’t just a “feeling,” it’s also informed by an accumulation of
experiences. The knowledge you accumulate during motherhood is like none other;
and, most significantly, it can easily be adapted to your professional life.
Negotiating with compassion
On thing in particular is that Moms constantly have to negotiate, when communicating
with kids. So, as a result, they’re quite adept at it. When it comes to negotiations, they
instinctively try to arrive at winning solutions. This quality of ‘being tough, but fair’ can go
a long way in establishing a successful business. No one wants to feel they aren’t
receiving good value for their money (like your customers) or proper compensation for
their work (like your employees or vendors). Here, women can often find natural
solutions that works for all involved.
In a business, if you want to succeed, you need to “win”. And, you also have to “win”
over consumers and nurture a loyal customer base, and an efficient ability to negotiate
goes a long way in accomplishing this.
Nurturing instinct
Speaking of nurturing, kids need their parent’s help to grow and thrive. Here, women
are the primary caretakers, meaning that they really have to hone their nurturing skills to
help their kids grow up happy and healthy. Similarly, for a company to succeed, it needs
focused ‘caretaking’. Thus, nurturing is a perfect skill – for seeding a business. Women
entrepreneurs are capable of nurturing whoever they work with: clients, employees,
suppliers, vendors and so on.
Inventive thinking
Kids often question or give their opinions on almost everything. A woman’s ability to be
inventive comes in handy when facing tasks, challenges, or decisions. Moms often have
to use their creative side to fix many problems that kids face. We see women
entrepreneurs today, who are successfully starting their businesses and taking care of
their families too. Many Moms view launching a startup business as a smart solution,
when they have a family to take care of; and running their own business enables them
to establish a schedule that works for them and their families.
The autonomy and freedom that accompany being your own boss is indispensible. So,
why not do it? As a woman and Mom, you have exemplary skills and attributes that you
can bring to the marketplace. Importantly, these qualities can become strengths that will
form the backbone of your winning, successful businesses.
Avtar Madan
Himanshu
Shree Lahiri
