IT USED to be unconventional for mothers to take up jobs to support their families? needs. Nowadays, however, moms are successfully juggling careers with family life ? and a lot also find time to manage their own businesses.

Giving these ?mompreneurs? (mom-entrepreneurs) a nudge in the right direction is Mompreneur Manila, a social network and support group for mothers who are full-time businesswomen. The network is headed by Janice Villanueva and Elena Verlee, both working moms looking to ?inspire and educate? other mommies like them.

?Mompreneur Manila is the first of its kind here in the country, as it specifically caters to a unique group of mommies,? says Villanueva. ?We want these working mothers to get the support they need for their businesses.?

Launched last April at an intimate meet-up at SM The Podium in Ortigas, Mompreneur Manila will teach mompreneurs the basics of running a business ? like how to create a sound business concept, and how to properly market its products and services.

Benefits

Talks on Internet Marketing will be available to Mompreneur Manila members, to be facilitated by Anton Diaz, founder and digital publisher of OurAwesomePlanet.com. Creativity workshops will also be conducted every year.
?We?ll also have regular get-togethers so the moms will get to know each other and build their network of mompreneur contacts,? Villanueva says.

Members of the group will also get special discounts on publications, e-books and e-newsletters. They will also get privileges and benefits when it comes to participating in promotional events such as expos and trade shows where they can promote their goods. Becoming part of Mompreneur Manila is as easy as signing up on their website, mompreneurmanila.com.

?It?s all about giving mompreneurs the right knowledge and exposure for them to become better in their business ventures,? Verlee says. So far, Verlee and Villanueva have compiled a database of mompreneurs in Metro Manila.

Mommy needs meet marketing strats

The network is a marriage of Villanueva?s longtime experience in providing for mommies? needs and Verlee?s strong background in marketing and PR. The Mompreneur Manila partners met two years ago when Verlee, a PR, marketing and lifestyle strategist based in Canada, came home to the Philippines.

?My company, PR In Your Pajamas, which I put up 12 years ago, started out as something simple: I wanted a job wherein I would be able to manage my own time. After four years, my income was hitting seven figures,? Verlee says.

With her success in PR and marketing, Verlee studied and was certified in 2005 to be a life coach. ?All the success I was experiencing made me want to give something back,? she adds. Verlee, 41, has two boys, ages 8 and 2.

Villanueva, on the other hand, mother to three kids (ages 13, 10 and 4), has long been active in providing products and organizing events for mommies. She started with a nursing line in 2000, and soon put up Mommy Mundo (www.mommymundo.com), a portal of resources on motherhood and active parenting. Mommy Mundo has events like Expo Mom, a trade show for mompreneurs, and Mommy Milkshake Marathon, an annual fun run advocating breast-feeding.

Villanueva is also founder of MomShare! an organization she created to help moms and families recover from the damage brought about by Typhoon ?Ondoy.?

?When I first started, all I had for help was my personal assistant,? says Villanueva. ?So I know how important it is for working moms to get all the support they need.?

?In putting up any business, that?s really one of the most important things ? support,? adds Verlee. ?It could be emotional, financial, moral ? as long as moms are getting the support they need, they?ll do fine with their ventures.?

Tips

The two accomplished moms share their own tips on handling personal businesses:

?Have a team,? says Verlee. ?That way, you can designate tasks to others and focus more on more important matters. Also, manage your time. I can choose to spend an hour on Facebook, or I can use that hour to do more productive things. Be intentional.?

?For moms, any business you enter makes your spouse your automatic business partner,? Villanueva adds. ?It?s all about involving him and at the same time delineating your tasks in running the business.?

?Again, it all comes back to support,? Verlee says.

?And passion ? your business won?t work if it?s not something you really want to do,? Villanueva adds.