company: List Plan It, LLC

reason for starting business:: I always wanted my own creative business. I have just spent all of these years thinking about something that I could really be excited about and stand behind.

years in business:: 6 months

secrets to your success:: Perseverence. It is not as easy as I had hoped to work as often as I would like with 3 young children.

tips for balancing work and family:: A lot of planning go into my balancing act. I happen to know a pretty good place to get planning pages! I have to keep a good calendar, set goals for both work and family, and make sure I am prepared with grocery lists and library books each time I leave the house.

company: Everyday People cartoons

reason for starting business:: had to express myself creatively

years in business:: 9 years

secrets to your success:: thick skin

tips for balancing work and family:: always have work with you in case of impromptu out-of-house naps

company: Dreemie Preemie

reason for starting business:: To provide a beautiful product for beautiful babies that deserve to have a comprehensive baby book. I have know many preemie's and their milestones are different but yet, very important to remember. I started it out of love for my niece.

years in business:: 1

secrets to your success:: I work very hard to provide a high quality, beautiful and comprehensive product.

tips for balancing work and family:: Time blocking, involving family, multi-tasking

company: Gumdrop Swap

reason for starting business:: I discovered how fast babies grow and that they barely wear their clothes and then they've outgrown them. You are constantly buying new clothes and need to get rid of the outgrown things. Why isn't there one place that let's you do both?

years in business:: 1

secrets to your success:: Providing excellent customer service and listening to my customers' suggestions.

tips for balancing work and family:: You will never be "caught up" so set an end time and enjoy your family.

company: Corporate Mom Dropouts

reason for starting business:: Wanting to have the freedom to use my creativity, make money and be there for my family. I was tired of working for someone else and reaping no rewards or self-gratification. I wanted a lifestyle that worked for me and my family.

years in business:: 7

secrets to your success:: Staying Focused on one thing, being Determined and Taking Action

tips for balancing work and family:: 5 Tips for Balancing the Supermom Act – Identify where you want to be: The most important thing is to know what you want and where you want to be. Think about the end result. If you have a clear identified target of desire to succeed, you can walk that path with confidence. But you must know where you want to be and what does that vision look like. (Create a vision board.)Work your super star pitch: Know that you have 20 seconds to make a wow impression, but first things first. Always mention: who you are, what you do, and what type of industry your in. Add in some personality so that the person your talking to feels your passion. Be able to describe who you are and what you do in the time it takes to ride an elevator.Develop a clear strategy: Strategy is one of the steps in the planning process and success cycle. The sequence in creating a clear strategy is having a Vision, Mission, and Goals. Take a look at your business model and write down what worked and what did not work. Then list the things you have not tried and combine that list with your “this worked” list. Begin to craft an execution strategy plan and be deliberate in your actions.Refuse to lower your standards: Many times we lower and drop the value of our personal and professional goals and values in exchange for something or a project that requires more commitment or more sacrifice for less value. Understand your value and refuse to lower your standards if it is not a win-win situation.Realize your purpose and understand that its not about you: You are in business to service others, this is not about you and how you feel, its about creating that ultimate experience for your clients and prospects. What is your purpose and how is it fulfilling the needs of others? How does your product or service make others feel? What problem is it really solving besides for example (saving them time, creating a brand, marketing their service or etc…)?