An Exploratory Examination of the Mompreneur and Multi-Level Marketing: What Does She Do and Why Does She Do It?

Abstract

The number of small businesses owned by women in the United States is on the rise, due to a variety of reasons. One business model, which is attractive to mothers who lead busy lives, is multi-level marketing. The purpose of this study is to examine the motives of mompreneurs and gain a better understanding of their experiences with the multi-level marketing business model. Data collection involved both a survey and phenomenological interviews. The results identified a variety of motivations for engaging in multi-level marketing, ranging from economic to brand relationships. The women utilised social media tools to access their social capital in order to advertise and sell products to a large network of other women. Moreover, they received significant support from their family and friends related to their business. Several success factors and challenges were identified, as was a finding related to the serial nature of multi-level marketing business ownership. Theoretical and managerial implications are discussed.