Become A Well Balanced Entrepreneur

“With the right amount of passion, hard work and dedication ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE.”

Wonderful, wise words from two incredible ladies who have proven their mantra right. Meet sisters Leona Burton and Estelle Keeber who, in 2017, put their heads together to create the highly successful online group, Mums In Business Association, or MIBA.

As female entrepreneurs and mothers, the duo discovered what it’s like to juggle two separate facets of their lives and the struggles many others similarly faced in melding family life, education and running a business. They became tired and frustrated with the constant push to successfully maintain being a career women and a mother. They realised that so many women doing this juggle simply end up losing themselves, working around the clock and burning out.

So, with passion, hard work and dedication in spades, the sisters found a way forward and set about showing others that it is possible to perfectly meld two lives and not end up overwhelmed, tired and resentful of either.

“Our purpose in MIBA is to provide female entrepreneurs with a safe space to grow their businesses whilst still being able to be present for their families, which we understand isn’t easy at times,” Leona said.

“Estelle and I had discussed many times the frustrations of being female entrepreneurs who also had children. There were things we knew women weren’t talking openly about and we know a problem shared is a problem halved.”

In just two years, the group has grown to 41 thousand members and has a following of around 100,000 globally. It has become the go-to for female entrepreneurs around the world to seek out support, resources and understanding of the day-to-day juggle.

Youth in Business magazine asked Leona and Estelle their top advice for young people looking to start their own business while juggling other commitments; be that education, family commitments, sport or any other important facet of their lives.

Mix business with pleasure

The number one tip for young entrepreneurs is to have fun, but balanced with a little bit of sacrifice.

“Fun is so important whilst growing a business. Go party, just not every night! Sacrifice is something that all successful entrepreneurs have to do. It can be hard and frustrating but totally worthwhile. Stay focused,” Leona said.

Invest in yourself

YOU are your business’ greatest asset! Take a few moments to list down your strengths and what you can build on, then seek out an online course, book or audible that will help you upskill. From marketing, to design, grant writing, customer relationships, finances and more – there is a course out there for you.

“Never stop learning, you can never have enough knowledge.”

Be a social butterfly

There has never been a time to be in business like right now. The ether is exploding with resources, opportunities and the ability to reach a vast number of people in literally seconds. Use this to your advantage!

“We wished we had understood the power of social media in our previous businesses, it has enabled us to create an income of £250,000 in our first year of business. No paid ads. No paid marketing. Social media used correctly can be your biggest asset in business,” Leona said.

“Young people today have the ability to make money unlike generations before them. The internet is a powerful resource. You have an incredible asset at your fingertips. Go play with it and figure out what works best for you.”

Don’t be scared to evolve

The world of business is fast-paced and ever changing, so the reality is that every successful business must move quickly or get left behind. Leona and Estelle advise any business owner not to let their enterprise become too stable. Take every opportunity you can to tweak your processes, learn a new and improved system or implement a new protocol that will boost sales and keep your customers happy.

ALWAYS, do what you love

“Lastly, we want to encourage each and every single reader to go out into the world today and follow their passion. Whether that be selling Pokémoncards or flipping houses. Do what you love, and if you fall out of love with it, then change…Work hard and, most importantly, have fun!”