Released on = February 27, 2007, 6:58 am

Press Release Author = Ellen Parlapiano or Patricia Cobe

Industry = Small Business

Press Release Summary = With their fingers on the pulse of the mompreneur® movement,
the authors have noticed many exciting trends that will make it easier for today's
mothers to launch their own enterprises.

Press Release Body = Contact:
Ellen Parlapiano or Patricia Cobe
Mompreneurs® LLC
914-472-7322
mail@mompreneursonline.com
www.mompreneursonline.com

Mompreneurs® Still Going Strong-10 Years and Counting!

It was just over 10 years ago, in September of 1996, that authors Ellen Parlapiano
and Patricia Cobe released their first Mompreneurs® book-catapulting work-at-home
mothers into the spotlight, and coining and trademarking the catchy word
"mompreneurs" to describe entrepreneurial moms. As work-at-home moms themselves
(both were home-based writers/consultants raising young children), Parlapiano and
Cobe decided to pen the book when they couldn't find anything on the market
addressing the special needs of mothers running businesses from home. "Wherever we
went-whether to the playground or the supermarket-other moms would ask how we did
it," says Parlapiano. "So we decided to write our own how-to book about starting and
running a business from a mother's perspective."

That first book, Mompreneurs®: A Mother's Practical, Step-by-Step Guide to
Work-at-Home Success (Perigee, 1996), caught the attention of the media, landing
the authors on Oprah, Good Morning America and several other national shows. It
also led to follow-up books and a five-year stint as featured Mompreneurs® experts
on iVillage.com, where the authors dispensed home business advice.

Today, Cobe and Parlapiano offer support and advice at their own website,
MompreneursOnline.com ( www.mompreneursonline.com ), which features message boards,
articles, and a unique Mompreneurs® Marketplace showcasing mom-owned businesses.
They are recognized by the media as the go-to experts when the topic is
work-from-home moms. Last month, Parlapiano offered tips on The CBS Early Show's
three-part series about women entrepreneurs, which also highlighted two
MompreneursOnline community members, Ester LaPollo of MamaAfrika
(www.mamaafrika.com) and Kathie Papera of Lilypad Baby (www.lilypadbaby.com).

Mompreneur® Trends 2007

With their fingers on the pulse of the mompreneur® movement, the authors have
noticed many exciting trends that will make it easier for today's mothers to launch
their own enterprises:

●Technology makes working from home easier than ever! "The Web provides a
gateway to careers that were practically unheard of when we wrote our first book,"
says Cobe, citing examples like e-tailing, personal coaching, online tutoring and
virtual assistants (who provide office support services via the Web). Even lawyers,
bankers, nurses, teachers and other professionals-who would have been hard-pressed
to find work-at-home jobs in their specialties 10 years ago-are carving out all
kinds of interesting career niches, without having to switch professions. Attorneys
are running advocacy websites for special-ed students, travel specialists launch
online agencies, former Spanish teachers help preschoolers become bilingual, and
public policy experts run thriving consulting businesses. With high-tech tools like
blogs and podcasts, mompreneurs are able to reach a wider audience without leaving
the comfort of their homes.

●Mothers of invention are creating new niches. Today's creative moms are
inventing gadgets and safety products that solve problems they've discovered in
their own family lives. For example, after running out of space to display her
children's artwork, Suzy Fanning, of Plymouth, Michigan, created MacKenzie Kids Art
Files (www.mackenziekids.net), a smart storage and display system. The designer of
the Stowers Swaddler swaddling blanket (www.stowersswaddler.com), was inspired by
her own experience as a mom and a labor-delivery nurse to create a swaddling blanket
with a pocket and Velcro closures. The Web makes it easy for enterprising moms to
research patents, trademarks and other legalities with the click of a mouse.

●Moms want to make a difference. "We are seeing a big increase in
cause-related companies-businesses with a social conscience," says Parlapiano. For
example, Mama Afrika (www.mamaafrika.com) is an online business that benefits
African women and children. It was founded by Ester LaPollo, a Lompac, California
mom who sells African crafts and specialties on her site, and donates a portion of
her proceeds back to the African countries.

●Funding is easier to find. Though mompreneurs® still tend to rely on savings
accounts and credit cards for start-up expenses, grants and low-interest loans are
more accessible, if you know where to look. Great resources include: Count Me In
(www.count-me-in.org) and Accion USA (www.accionusa.com). Also check local small
business development centers and women's networking groups to see if they can
recommend potential lenders. The Make Mine a $Million Business® contest, sponsored
by Count-Me-In and American Express Open helps moms grow their businesses through
monetary support, mentoring, marketing and technology tools. (Enter at
www.makemineamillion.org). One of the 2006 winners was Renee Wood, founder of The
Comfort Company ( www.thecomfortcompany.net ), an online retailer of condolence
gifts, and a charter member of MompreneursOnline.com. "It was so gratifying to watch
Renee get the opportunity to take her business to that million dollar level," says
Cobe, who was in the audience cheering when Renee won.

●Work-from-home moms are now getting the respect they deserve! With about half
a million moms running their own businesses, entrepreneurial mothers are finally
being taken seriously by the "traditional" work world. Corporations often hire
work-from-home moms as consultants, and mompreneurs® find they no longer have to
keep motherhood a secret. Moms are on a mission to attain more family flexibility
and have proven that they can successfully run a business and family under the same
roof. They are confident and capable. "It's not about opting out, it's about
creating new options," says Parlapiano.


Web Site = http://www.mompreneursonline.com

Contact Details = Contact:
Ellen Parlapiano or Patricia Cobe
Mompreneurs® LLC
914-472-7322
mail@mompreneursonline.com
www.mompreneursonline.com