Rachel Neill
Not too long ago, I found myself a single, teen mother.
In an instant, my life trajectory changed: Suddenly I was facing an uphill battle when it came to college and a career. I vividly remember getting my first job and, while waiting for my first paycheck, not having enough gas money to get to my office. It was a humbling experience to have to borrow $10 from a new colleague until payday.
When I think about it, I can still feel the pit in my stomach from having to ask for cash that day. So embarrassing!
What I didn’t realize at the time was all the lessons I was learning — juggling schedules, problem solving, leveraging outside resources, getting creative. In retrospect, this was a crash course in entrepreneurship.
Contrary to what you might think, entrepreneurship can be a natural fit for a single mother. Whereas an ordinary job would likely keep you confined to the 9-to-5 workday, the entrepreneur enjoys considerably more flexibility in her schedule. This can be a boon for a busy mother. And if starting your own business sounds intimidating, you don’t have to go it alone — you could join a fledgling startup or find co-founders.
Aside from the flexible schedule an entrepreneur’s workday affords, as a single mother you already have a lot of the requisite skills for succeeding at business: You are nimble, a problem solver and are good as asking for help.
Read the full story here.
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