Motherhood is a given or at least a desire for a lot of women.  This goal or desire, when fulfilled has not gotten in the way of many great accomplishments by women.

In some cases, women have gone right back to work just weeks after the birth of a child. And at the same time, always had dinner on the table, always made sure the children had what they needed, and always made sure their home was functioning. They may still do this even though they have a number of projects going at the same time.

The findings of a 2011 journal article ‘Motherhood and entrepreneurship: gender role identity as a resource,’ considered gender role identity as an informal institution shaping female entrepreneurship. It suggests that a strong identification with their family roles, in particular the role as a mother, lead women onto the entrepreneurial path. A strong gender role identity has also influenced the ventures, products and services they provided. But can motherhood also be a hindrance to entrepreneurship? Businessuite sought some answers.

“Motherhood can both be motivating and be a challenge to entrepreneurship at the same time,” commented one mother who grew her successful business (a distribution company) by herself, without a father figure around. Motivating in the sense that you have better control and flexibility of your time and thus are able to be by your children’s side when it matters most. Motivating also in the sense that it gives the entrepreneur mother a purpose to want to achieve for a better future for the young ones.”

“It can be a challenge in the sense that being a mother is a full time job and can be demanding, especially if assistance in caring for them is limited. This may cause strain on the time you may want to devote to your business.” she concludes.

“The challenges occur in trying to balance school duties with the children” commented a young woman   who owns and operates a pastry/baking business with the support of her spouse. She feels delegation is a must but for specialty products such as pastries, one has to put in more personal time to get it right, maintain quality, and a high level of customer service.  She also acknowledged that having a spouse that is involved and supportive has also been very beneficial to the process of motherhood and entrepreneurship.

Ingrid who is a hairdresser and owns/operates her own salon also agrees that the two roles offer both a challenge and motivation. The mother of two boys, age 17 and 8, she points to the fact that being a mother can be, and is a full time job to many. Children she acknowledges require a lot of time and attention and the two can often compete and conflict. Ingrid however points to the intrinsic need of most parents to provide for their child/children and ensuring that they are provided with not only the basics in life but a very good education and the necessary resources to make them happy.

With this in mind, entrepreneurship for women can offer flexibility, opportunities to use their innovative creativity, and more over provide a vehicle that serves to build personal and family wealth; something that is sorely lacking in communities of color

Sonia was pregnant with her first daughter 23 years ago when she and her husband decided that she would pursue her passion and use her skill full-time. Since then she has been making clothing, curtains, pillows and pretty much anything made of fabric from out of her home. It’s a decision she has not regretted even once, even as she added another daughter to her family 5 years after the initial decision. “I can truly say that motherhood has motivated me to succeed with my business from the start. My profession before motherhood required me to work outside the home. By staying at home, I was able to nurture my children and continue my business. It was a delight to be able to serve a warm meal for my family when they got home from school. I was able to pass on good values and morals to them as well as other children from the community,” boasts the proud mother of two girls and self-sufficient businesswoman.

While motherhood and entrepreneurship, may present a challenge, the rewards can be tremendous, and in the end, it is what works best for each woman.BM