1. Tap your talents and passions. Evaluate your interests, personality, and capabilities to help narrow down your options. What service or product will others pay you to provide? Many moms of children with special needs launch businesses that solve a problem they’ve encountered in parenting a child with disabilities.

2. Do your homework. Make sure there’s enough demand for your idea. The Internet offers a wealth of speedy resources for doing market research—from checking the competition, setting prices, surveying potential customers and clients to investigating patents and trademarks. You can also find one-on-one advice and entrepreneurial training at local Small Business Administration (SBA) business development centers (www.sba.gov) and SCORE (www.score.org).

3. Single out a specialty. Think about ways to make your business stand out from the competition. For example, instead of simply offering administrative services or business support, gear those services to the growing force of small and home based businesses. If you’re targeting parents, think of niche markets, like the special needs community or those who adopt abroad. Don’t try to be or do too much. The narrower your focus, the more defined your market will be.

4. Go in with a plan. Like a road map, a business plan helps you chart your course. Every business should include a mission statement, business goals, marketing plan, and estimates of start-up costs and earning expectations. Enlist the assistance of an accountant or attorney to help structure your business, work out cash flow, income projections and financing needs. You can find business plan templates at www.score.org, www.SBA.gov and www.BPlans.com.

5. Watch the bottom line. A simple service business, like a home based public relations or consulting firm, might cost only a few thousand dollars to start up. But if you‘re inventing a product and taking it to market, understand that it can be a long and costly process, running anywhere from $10,000 for something simple, to over $50,000 for something complex. Don’t forget to factor in liability insurance, patent fees and attorney fees. And remember, it could take years for a costly invention to become profitable.

6. Build your brand. Start by choosing a catchy business name that conveys and reinforces your image, and then register it as a “DBA” or “Doing Business As” with the county clerk or state tax office. This is also known as a Fictitious Name Statement. Next, reserve the business as a domain on the Internet. A memorable name and marketing materials (well-designed business cards, letterhead, brochures, and web site) will give you a “brand” to market, making even a one-woman show seem like a sizeable business. If the name is unique, consider trademarking it to prevent others from using it too. Expand your brand by blogging as an expert in your field.

7. Protect your work and family time. When you run your own business, working nights and weekends can become a fact of life. But you’ll be a lot more productive—and a lot less stressed—if you set a schedule for yourself. Decide when you’ll work, and when you won’t. Think about what you can realistically get done around doctor appointments, therapy visits and school schedules. And if you must put in weekend hours, limit them, so you’ll still have time to relax with your family.

8. Be your own spin doctor. Talk up your business wherever you go—whether it’s at a PTA meeting, or on the sidelines of a Special Olympics event. Always have business cards on hand. Keep your web site up-to-date with press releases and other company news including testimonials from satisfied customers. Drive traffic to your site by linking with other web sites that complement your business.

9. Build a support network. Join online communities that connect you with other mom entrepreneurs. They will become your lifeline for advice, resources and friendship. Visit www.mompreneursonline.com, www.specialmompreneurs.com and www.ladieswholaunch.com.

10. Grow at your own pace. Mom-owned businesses tend to grow organically, nurtured along much like mothers nurture their children. Enterprises that grow slowly and steadily allow for more control over work/family time and more flexibility. They are also less risky - no venture capitalists or hungry investors looking to pull the plug if profits aren’t substantial enough. While it’s important to keep the payroll small during growth mode, it’s also essential to delegate when necessary, hiring extra help to keep you sane. It all comes back to achieving the balance that all moms crave; the balance between their professional and personal lives so neither has to be sacrificed for the other.