Many say that motherhood is one of the peaks of life. However, dreams differ for everyone and while becoming a mom is a major milestone, it’s not the only dream worth having.
What about a business? A café, maybe? It might seem difficult at first, but it’s not entirely impossible.
A growing trend among resourceful and savvy moms in their 20s and 30s is starting their businesses, even while caring for their kids. They aren’t just entrepreneurs. They’re mompreneurs.
So, if you want to turn your café dream into a reality, keep reading.
Photo credit: Hrecheniuk Oleksii via Canva.com
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How to Navigate the Journey of Starting Your Dream Cafe
Understandably, becoming a mompreneur can be confusing. As such, the steps below will make the process easier for you.
Define your cafe
It all begins with your vision. What do you want your café to be? Dedicating time to clarifying this will save you a ton of stress and frustration once you’ve invested in property or started hiring workers.
Your idea will touch every part of its operations, from your target audience and menu items to your interior design and branding.
Expect to do a lot of introspection at this stage, too. Managing a café that doesn’t align with your personal values and goals will feel burdensome to carry daily, but you don’t have to do it alone. Talk to trusted people and learn their opinions. Chances are, you’ll get good insight and see things from a different perspective.
Look at cafés near you. Think about what made them successful. For Starbucks, it might be because their interior design invites people to stay longer. But for Tim Hortons, it could be the brew of their unique pasties that keep customers coming back for more.
Draft your business plan
Consider other cafés you’ll have to compete with and explore what makes them so popular and what you could do better. Take note of others’ strengths and investigate how you might improve on their weaknesses.
Moreover, get to know your target customers. For example, you may want to consider selling to other busy moms looking for a child-friendly café to relax and spend time with their family. Imagination is your limit.
Make sure to your goals, including how you’ll manage your finances, and your marketing tactics. It will serve as your guide as you grow your business.
Prepare your finances
The financial aspect of running a business is unavoidable. You’ll need to develop a money mindset and explore possible funding options, such as through your personal savings or applying for a business loan to get your café off the ground.
Make a list of all your startup costs so that you have a clear understanding of what you require financially. Make sure to note all business fees like the costs for setting up an LLC or other business structure.
Also, consider your current financial situation and long-term goals when deciding how to get your funding.
Ensure you follow a budget, especially buying equipment, like your kitchen must-haves, without affecting the money you’ve set aside for your family. Your budget and how you stick by it will be instrumental to your café’s long-term profitability.
If you’re struggling to balance your business expenses with your family’s, you may want to consider contacting a financial advisor or expert to ensure your finances are safe.
Balancing motherhood and entrepreneurship
Being a mom already consumes the majority of your time. The mompreneurship life will test your time and energy management skills. What sits on the other side of the struggle is a rewarding life with a high chance of fulfilling you. However, before you reach it, you’ll have to manage the demands that being a mother and business owner has for you.
This can mean deciding when to spend uninterrupted time with your kid and focusing on growing your café menu. Balancing work and staying engaged in your child’s life is challenging. In those moments, don’t hesitate to reach out to loved ones for help. Boundaries are also great for optimizing your time and energy.
Practice to maintain your physical and mental health. Remember, a well-rested and supported mompreneur is better equipped to navigate the entrepreneurial journey while nurturing a family.
Create a captivating café experience
Think about what will give your café that ‘wow’ factor. It can be as simple but rare as a breastfeeding-friendly space for busy mothers. Whatever you choose, it needs to attract your target customers.
The food you serve can also become the defining element of your café. For instance, you can become the only café in your area that serves delicious pastries that promote milk production for breast-feeding mothers. The power of social media can help you spread the word about your café, promoting what makes it unique.
Build a supportive network
Entrepreneurship doesn’t have to be lonely. You can find other budding mompreneurs like yourself on Facebook Groups or on other social media platforms. They can be excellent sources of help when you need advice, looking for new ideas, or emotional support when things inevitably get rocky.
Local business associations are also great to join. They typically host events and conferences where you can meet other professionals you can learn from and can help you grow your café business.
Prepare to overcome challenges
Whether it’s burnout or a dry sales month, you’re bound to encounter obstacles along the way. It can feel difficult and almost impossible to push through these moments when they come from nowhere, so preparing as early as possible is important.
Create backup plans and adjust your expectations to help you better manage these hurdles. It also helps to seek mentorship from other experienced mompreneurs to guide you through these moments. They’ve likely been through what you’re going through, so they can empathize with you easily.
Celebrate milestones
Balancing a business and motherhood is no easy task, and you deserve a reward for it. So make sure to celebrate milestones to maintain your motivation along your unique journey. From your first anniversary to the month you’ve reached your revenue target, these milestones are reminders that you’re on the right path toward achieving the goal you set for yourself.
The Secret to Brewing Success
Before diving into the world of mompreneurship with your café, you need to establish a few things. What will the concept be? Who is your target market? How will you start marketing? These are critical questions you need to have clear answers for to direct your café toward success.
Wrapping Up
It’s going to be challenging, but at the end of the day, it’s about the journey. Learn to embrace its ups and downs. Always remember why you started it in the first place. Let that drive you toward the unique fulfillment of becoming a successful mompreneur.
