- Inc. Online
- ABC's The View From the Bay
Clever Parents.com
Who: Lesley Spencer Pyle
What: HBWM.com Inc.; Home-Based Working Moms
Number of Years in Operation: 11
Why We Love It: The site is jam packed with information; the “Mom’s Assistant” feature can tell you how many calories are in your favorite fast food indulgences.
Lesley Spencer Pyle, Founder and President of HBWM.com, Inc. has revolutionized the work-at-home mom experience by fostering interpersonal business relationships.
According to their website, Home-Based Working Moms is a professional association and online community founded in 1995. Some of the great features on HBWM are free advertising, newsletters, networking opportunities, and general business information.
Lesley is also the author of The Work-at-Home Workbook: Your Step-by-Step Guide on Selecting and Starting the Perfect Home Business for You
Our Interview with Lesley
Mommy’s Company (MC): How would you describe HBWM?
Lesley Spencer Pyle (LSP): Home-Based Working Moms is an online community for parents who work at home or who would like to work at home We strive to provide our community with a wealth of information on working from home and being a great parent and spouse.
MC: When did you know that your business had gone from concept to
reality?
LSP: When I began being called regularly by national and regional media outlets
and magazines for interviews.
MC: What were your proudest entrepreneurial mom moments?
LSP: The proudest moments are undoubtedly becoming a mom to my daughter and then
to my son. From a business standpoint, one of my proudest moments was being featured full page in Family PC magazine and being called by the producers of Oprah to be considered for one of their programs.
MC: What was your scariest business moment?
LSP: It would probably be when I thought I lost all of my data and the restore feature wasn’t working. I did have to re-enter much of my business entries. It taught me a valuable lesson about having a automatic daily back up!
MC: What was your biggest obstacle in creating HBWM?
LSP: At first it was reaching my target market with a very limited advertising budget. I started my business with virtually no start up money. I was a new mom desperate to be at home with my baby, and I was determined to do
whatever it took to be able to stay at home with her. I have never regretted a single day. Eating ramen noodles and being a one-car family for a season
was well worth it!
MC: How did you overcome the obstacle?
LSP: Fortunately I was able to use my PR background to get quite a bit of publicity. In my first year, BABY magazine did a small blurb about HBWM and I also had several regional parenting publications mention us. Two years later, in 1997, I launched my web site and was excited about the possibilities of reaching moms via the Internet.
MC: What is your first thought in the morning?
LSP: How blessed I am and what a wonderful God I love and serve. He has blessed me beyond measure. He has restored my soul and replaced the years the locust stole away, and He has given me the most beautiful and wonderful family. I am incredibly grateful.
MC: What do you enjoy most about being an entrepreneurial mom?
LSP: I love the freedom and flexibility to work when and where I want to. I love spending the afternoons and evenings with my kids and husband. I love being home when my kids get off the bus and sitting down for snack and homework with them. I love that I can lighten my husband’s load by taking care of some of the household duties and errands while he is at work. I love being at home with my family AND making an income! And I love helping moms make working at home a reality so they too can spend more time with their children.
MC: What product/service could you not live without?
LSP: I love my laptop and wireless card that allows me to work from anywhere! I also love my 1AutomationWiz service that automates much of my business. I also love my Go Mom planner, which was developed by a fellow HBWM Member and keeps me organized.