In the various business groups and Facebook groups, I belong to, I often see the question, “what’s your why”, come up. So what is your driving force behind owning your own business?
My why is a 3’ 6” tall, 5-year-old little boy. Shortly after giving birth, I returned to work at my family’s business. I was extremely fortunate to have been able to come back part-time and bring my son with me. Not many moms have that luxury, so I never took for granted my situation. But when my son was about 13 months old we decided to sell the business and I needed to make a decision.
I took some time off and ultimately decided that it was best to look for another full-time job. It was so hard for me to have to leave my son every day. I would leave the house at about 7:30 am and sometimes not get home until about 6:00 pm. It was a combination feeling like I was missing out on him growing up and the fact that my new job was just not working out. It was a startup and It was clear they didn’t quite have it together, which put a lot of unnecessary pressure on me. So I decided to leave after a few months. It was both the best and scariest decision of my life.
I didn’t really have a plan but I knew I had always wanted to go into business for myself. So I started to blog. At first, it was just a way to talk about life and being a mom and then I started to connect with brands and stepped into an influencer role. Although it was fun, it wasn’t quite paying the bills.
I really need to find where my passion lied so I took stock of all the skills that I had acquired while working over the last 10+ years and what I enjoyed doing the most. I had gone to school for business and marketing and have always loved being creative but most importantly, I loved helping people and solving problems.
It was like a lightbulb went off! The perfect solution to my “working-mom” dilemma! I created Willow Business Solutions to help other small businesses to fill in the gaps. As a small business owner myself, I know that you are spread thin with an even thinner budget. I wanted to offer affordable services while helping others be able to focus on the most important aspects of their business. I love creating content and coming up with new ways to help my clients share their messages and products.
The best part of being my own boss is that I make my own schedule. I can be there for my son when he has a field trip or is home sick from school and I wanted the flexibility to take vacations whenever I wanted to. And given the current circumstances with COVID-19, working remotely has never been more appreciated. Also, going through a divorce this year and having my son 100% of the time means I can take the time I need to be with him.
If you are on the fence about starting your own business and need some advice or just need some to vent to, please reach out. I’m happy to help and I wouldn’t have been able to start my business if it wasn’t for others stepping up and lending a hand!
willowbusinesssolutions@gmail.com
– Andrea Young
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