Your mother was right about everything, including your business

It’s Mother’s Day. Yes, today. Right now, actually. (If that fact has somehow escaped your mind, you should probably go make amends with, I don’t know, a bouquet from the supermarket or something.)

Anyway: Moms. What would we do without them? They impart countless bits of wisdom to us, their kids, that we then use every single day of our lives.

But we also think that Mom wisdom isn’t just limited to your daily routine — it can actually be incredibly useful when applied to a business.

Here are 6 momisms that, with a little bit of creative thinking, can actually help out your ecommerce site.

1. Say please and thank you

Why this is insightful: This isn’t about writing a thank you note when Uncle Chuck gave you a birthday present. This is about business relationships. And whether you’re dealing with a customer, a vendor, or a third-party business, good manners can take you a long, long way. If a person likes you, they’re more likely to help you get what you need.

2. Lights out at ten p.m. sharp!

Why this is insightful: It’s no fun being told what to do, but ultimately, setting goals and sticking to them is what makes any business successful. When we were kids, Mom would make sure we’d go to bed, eat our veggies, and get to school on time — in other words, she held us accountable. And because of all that, we could succeed.

Today, it’s on us to hold ourselves accountable. As business owners, we have to set our own goals, and keep our own feet to the fire if we don’t follow through.

3. Are your legs broken? Get up and do it yourself!

Why this is insightful: Although she probably said this to you when you were watching TV on the couch, asking her to bring you something, it applies to almost every scenario. Why? Because, as another saying goes, if you want something done right…well, you get the idea. This saying is all about self-reliance, and learning to depend on your own hard work, not the charity of others, to accomplish your goals.

4. If everybody jumped off the Brooklyn Bridge, would you?

Why this is insightful: Just like high school, in ecommerce, it can be really easy to trend chase. Every month, there are countless buzzy ideas put out there — from using certain fonts to target certain visitors to installing exit modals that pop up whenever visitors try and leave. And while many of these are great, not all of them will be great for you.

5. “I don’t know” is not an answer.

Why this is insightful: She probably meant something closer to “tell the truth” but there’s an important lesson here. If you resign yourself to not knowing, your business will have a hard time overcoming obstacles and growing successfully. The flip side is, if you admit that you don’t know things but remain open and curious, you’ll be able to solve the new problems that confront you. You’ll be able to learn and grow.

6. I don’t care who started it

Why this is insightful: Moms are about resolution and problem solving first, and apportioning blame later. That’s exactly the right attitude a business owner needs to have: when there are issues, the key is get them out of the way ASAP, not worry about who should get in trouble. This kind of solution-oriented thinking is central to many great business leaders (and everywhere).

Thanks, Mom

Yeah, she embarrassed you plenty of times. (You also embarrassed yourself, trust us.) But the business lessons hidden in her parenting are invaluable, so today, or tomorrow, or every day, really, go out there and thank your Mama!

And seriously, if you haven’t already, go get those flowers.