Mom Entrepreneur: Kimberly Reddington
Business: Cereus Women
Website: www.cereuswomen.com
Cereus Women offers resources and coaching to moms to help them turn their strengths, talents and dreams into a successful home based service business.
After studying the struggles and successes of many entrepreneurs, I created the 5 Step Moms in Business Success Formula, which I use to guide my clients down a successful and passionate business path. The Formula will help you jumpstart your business using your skills and talents and take the guesswork out of what to do next.
I place a strong emphasis on guiding moms to find and follow their passion and on the marketing of their business, since those are two of the most important areas of growing a business, yet also cause the most challenges and struggles.
I have been an entrepreneur and a mother since 1995 involved with 3 businesses, and I even sold Avon when I was in High School. I have always been an entrepreneur at heart, and I just love helping other women to achieve the same level of success in their life as I have experienced.
What inspired you to start your business?
I was looking for a career change. I thought a lot about my previous career and what I liked about it and what I felt it was lacking. I really felt I had no support system as a computer consultant working in a male-dominated field. I decided that I really wanted to work with women, moms, people like myself that I could relate to. I wanted to work with other moms who were juggling children and a business as I was.
I also felt that I wasn’t making a difference in the world with what I was doing. I wanted my work to make a difference to someone.
I decided that I wanted to be able to help other moms to live a lifestyle that I had been living for years. So many moms want to work from home so they can be there for their children, but they have no idea how to get started or what to do. I am here to help those moms figure it all out, learn the steps they need to take and to take action on those steps.
How long have you been in business?
I launched Cereus Women in Nov 2008; however I have been a mompreneur since 1995. Before Cereus Women I owned my own freelance computer consulting business. My clients were primarily startup businesses looking to provide a web application on the internet. I designed and developed the web applications.
What did you do in your past work life?
I did work in the corporate world for about 3 years and hated almost every minute of it. Since being an entrepreneur I have learned to love work and to feel energized by it.
I also am part owner of another business called Cardvio.com where I was a developer and marketer on the team.
Describe your ideal workday.
This has varied over the years as my children have grown. It also varies by the day. I do have set hours that I generaly work and set hours that I spend with my family. Setting hours does help everyone around me to know what to expect. However, I allow myself to have flexibility in my day. Things come up that are unexpected, and I allow my schedule to follow suit.
What have been some of your major successes?
I was able to thrive and have a wonderful business making six figures working part-time in a field where almost everyone else was working full time. I had to find ways to stay ahead without using up more of my time.
Being able to keep a successful business running while raising 3 children. I started as an entrepreneur when my first child was about 15 mths old.
What have been some of your major challenges?
Wow. So many challenges. Learning how to get clients. learning how to juggle all the many hats I wear. Learning what to say to clients when you need to change plans because you are putting your children first. Learning to put systems into place to allow me to get more work done in less time.
At one point in my life I was overwhelmed with everything I needed to do, I felt like I was drowning. I needed to find a way to pull myself afloat. I needed to learn how to remove things from my plate that were already there without making anyone upset or angry. I learned what my tipping point was and no longer let myself get to that point of overwhelm.
On those impossible days, what motivates you to keep going?
My love for my business. My love of being my own boss and setting my own rules. My family depends on my income and there’s no way I will work for someone else. I love being able to help other moms feel the same way about their life and their business. I love the feeling when I’m working with a client and things just start to click for them. They start to find clarity and can figure out what to do next. It’s a great feeling to know that I was a part of helping them to get there.
If there was one piece of advice you could give your children about running a successful business, what would it be?
Follow your passion, build the business using your strengths and learn how to make a difference in the world. It’s not about the money; it’s all about what you are doing for those you are helping.
What is your balancing secret in managing a business and family?
I could talk about this forever. The main thing I would mention is that you need to set your priorites. Follow the priorities that you set and don’t let lower priorities eat up all your time.
You need to create a to do list. Follow the list. It will help you to stay focused. If something unpredictable happens, let it happen. Don’t let it stress you out. Adjust your priorities as required. We are only human and we are mothers, remember that it’s important to take time to heal and regroup when you need to and always put your family first.
Do you have a favorite business tool and/or resource?
The Mom Entrepreneur Support group is my absolute favorite forum on the internet. This group is very supportive and active and is full of people of various stages in their business. Some are more successful than I am, and some are just starting, and others are all in between.
What is next for your business?
My goal is to help as many moms as possible reach their lifestyle dreams. Starting a home based business is a journey, and I want to share in those journeys.
Your two cents sales pitch?
I strongly believe that passion is the foundation to any successful business. Passion is like the metal structure holding up a building. If you forget to put that in, the building, or your business, will collapse.
But, it’s not enough to just find your passion. You must build your entire business around your passion, your skills, your unique talents and your goals and dreams. Your business is a reflection of yourself, and only if you are following who you really are can you be a success. Your passions and talents must be reflected at each stage of building your business.
From starting with your business idea,
to your niche and unique message that you are telling to your special target audience,
to the offerings that you provide to your clients,
to the methods and models that you use to market your business.
What makes up YOU, should be the focal point of all that encompasses your business.
I have been both a mom and an entrepreneur since 1995. It has worked great for me, my family and my family’s finances. I learned how to do it all by learning the right knowledge, finding the right tools, and taking the proper action. I have learned through trial and error over the years about what works and what doesn’t work. What works for my family and what doesn’t work. I have read and re-read many books and listened to many entrepreneurs talk about their successes and failures. Let me share with you everything that I know, so that you are able to jumpstart your business and take years off of your learning curve and possible avoid many of the failures that I experienced throughout my own journey.
Discover “4 Lifesaving Keys to a Successful Service Business for Mothers” by visiting http://www.cereuswomen.com/freereport.html
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