When the pandemic began, stay-at-home orders put many parents (especially working moms) in a position where they had to choose between continuing to work and staying at home with their kids. As a result, many working moms were left to bear the brunt of trying to find a balance between both.
According to Stats Canada, “Women are more likely than men to hold jobs that can be done from home. For example, 50% of unattached women can work from home, compared with 33% of unattached men.” Similar patterns have also been observed among dual-earning families, where “62% of women in these families hold jobs that can be done from home, compared with 38% for their male counterparts.”
Now, with children back to school, moms continue to face difficult decisions around 
balancing life and business. More than ever, moms are finding it hard to juggle work with family – especially entrepreneurial moms who are running or hoping to start a small business.
October is Small Business Month, so in recognition of the support needed by Canadian moms, a national initiative has launched. Sponsored by The Scotiabank Women Initiative and Powered by Visa Canada, Canada’s Total Mom Pitch was created to empower, support, and help women across the country to launch, build, and grow small businesses successfully.
Related: Check out our current issue for 5 things to consider when going on maternity leave
The initiative encourages Canadian moms to “Dragon’s Den” style pitch their business. The program is designed to help ambitious moms across Canada by networking with powerful women, asking for recommendations, and getting valuable support when needed most.
To participate, interested entrepreneurial moms can pitch a small business plan by November 12, 2020 for a chance to win a $10,000 cash prize along with $20,000 in business services, including mentorship from A-list coaches and entrepreneurs.
Once submitted, a group of esteemed judges (all Canadian moms in business) will narrow down the pitches and name the semi-finalists. The list will then be open to public voting. On December 11, 2020, the top 5 finalists will be announced and the 3-month accelerator will begin. The live pitch finale will happen on March 15, 2021, after which the final winner will be announced and the award granted to one lucky mom.
“It was an amazing opportunity for me to stand up in front of a panel of successful judges, pitch the company and answer some tough questions about the problems we are trying to solve, our business strategy and our long-term goals. The experience also gave me the confidence to be involved in several other pitch competitions and speaker events in the last couple of months which have all helped to further promote our brand.”
