Sherry Nouraini's Page

What is your name?

Sherry Nouraini

Are you currently heading a woman-owned business?

Yes

If you are in business, what is the name of your business?

Mom Business Associates

Where did you get your idea for your business or the business you'd like to start?

I am an independent consultant with Cookie Lee Jewelry and a mom. Through the course of marketing my business, I found the business community to be very unaccomodating to mom business owners as moms. I created Mom Business Associates (MBA) as a means of netwroking with other mom business owners who have the same challenges as I do to balance work and family life.

Where is (will) your business located? (City and State)

San Diego, CA

If you already have a website, what is the address for your business?

http://www.mombusinessassociates.com

How long have you been in business? (Or when do you plan to open?)

I started this networking group in July of 2007

How many employees do you have, if any?

0

What is your annual revenue?

$0-$999

Describe your product or service, or the product you plan to introduce to the market.

We are basically a business networking group that caters to mom business owners. Our networking meetings and events are all child-friendly. We also focus on personal growth as well as professional growth by offering free seminars on both of these topics. Another aspect of our organization is providing mentorship for moms that want to start a home-based business, buy connecting them to moms that already own a business. We also do a lot of charitable work, by forming parternships with non-profits organizations to hold fundraising events.

How did you (or plan to) fund your business startup?

Credit cards, personal savings

What was (is) the biggest hurdle in getting your business off the ground?

There really has not been a big hurdle as I have support from my husband who does the IT aspect of the business, and also encouragement from mom business owners that really identify with the issues I am trying to address. My biggest challenge; however, is not having enough time and financial resources to do everything I want to do.

What would you advise other women interested in starting a similar business?

Research your idea, and once you believe in it, go forward and don't let anyone discourage you. Sometime, people cannot see your vision until it becomes a reality.

What has been your biggest mistake?

MBA has a number of chapters in San Diego County, each with it's own leader. In the beginning I was not very careful to set solid criteria as to who I want as a chapter leader. It took closing one of the chapters for me to realize that I should take the time and chose my chapter leaders more carefully.

What has been your smartest move?

To combines the business networking aspect of MBA with charitable work.

Are you willing to answer questions from other women business owners about your business?

Yes

What is your email address?

gemmom@gmail.com