Heather Allard started her own company, 2 Virtues, which made wearable blankets. After her third child was born, she sold it to Summer Infant. She is pictured with, from left, children Hope, 8, Brendan, 2, and Grace, 5.

Courtesy photo

Heather Allard. of Pawtucket. wants to help “mogul moms” — mothers who are trying to raise families and run a business at the same time. She writes about the particular problems these maternal entrepreneurs face on her blog, “The Mogul Mom: Everything You Need to Build Your Mom-Owned Business from Someone Who’s Done It,” at www.themogulmom.blogspot.com.

In 2004, Allard said, she started a company called 2 Virtues Inc. (named for her two daughters, Hope and Grace) that sold wearable blankets for infants and toddlers. The company did well, Allard said, but after her third child was born, she decided she couldn’t devote as much time and energy to her growing business, and she sold it to Woonsocket-based Summer Infant.

In the course of running 2 Virtues, Allard said, she heard from a lot of other mothers who were looking for advice, so she decided to start the blog. “It’s a juggling act between growing the business and growing the kids,” Allard said. “You’re always doing everything on the fly.”

Allard said there are two basic kinds of mom-owned businesses, one selling a business service, such as copywriting or marketing, and the other trying to market a product. Allard’s own experience is mostly in the product end, although some of her advice can apply to any business.

At the moment, the blog includes basic advice for turning a product idea into a business, titled “Don’t Get Burned by Your Lightbulb Moment.” There are also interviews with other mom/entrepreneurs, advice on where to find business resources and nitty-gritty tips on topics such as product liability insurance and how to put a media kit together.

Allard, 39, is a Providence College graduate. Before starting 2 Virtues, she had worked in sales and marketing for several large corporations, taught elementary school computer skills at St. Augustin’s in Providence and started a freelance copywriting business.

Allard said there seem to be more and more mothers interested in running home-based businesses. Many of them, she said, are women who left the working world to raise their families but also want to use their business skills — and make money. At the same time, she said, the downturn in the economy means there’s less opportunity to land jobs at existing companies.

But the downturn is also making it harder to start businesses, she said, especially when it comes to raising capital. Banks are tightening up credit, Allard said, which means would-be moguls might need to save money from a part-time job or go more slowly than originally planned.

Allard has some advice for budding entrepreneurs, starting at the moment of conception. When you come up with that fabulous, sure-fire, make-a-million idea, she said, make sure no one else is doing it first. Check Google. Search the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office Web site. Try the idea out on friends and family, and see what they think. Go to stores where you think your product might sell, and see what’s already out there.

In general, Allard said, it’s best to keep start-up expenses to a minimum. Remembering some of the mistakes she made when she started 2 Virtues, she advises not to invest in an extra-fancy Web site, hire a publicist, or spend a lot of money on advertising, at least not right away. “Think big, but start small,” she said.

But she does recommend getting a good business lawyer on board, because the right legal expertise can save a lot of trouble (and money) down the road. “That’s especially true if you’re going to enter into any sort of licensing deal. You need a good attorney who’s going to watch out for you,” she said.

Running a home-based business, Allard said, can be very lonely. There’s no office to go to, no one to gossip with in the hallways. So it’s important to surround yourself with a strong support system, which might be a group of like-minded entrepreneurs online.

And if there’s a husband in the picture, Allard said, it’s helpful to have him on board from the start, even if it’s only to watch the kids while you take care of business. (Her husband, Scott, works for Fidelity in Boston.)

Occasionally, Allard said, a small business can get big in a hurry if, say, a large corporation suddenly wants to order your product in large quantities. On the one hand, that might well be the realization of the dream you had when you started. On the other hand, it’s going to mean a drastic change in the business, a change not everyone is ready for. It doesn’t always mean a financial bonanza, either. So you should carefully consider the pros and cons before moving ahead.

In her case, Allard said she’s delighted to be able to share her expertise. She’d like to increase the readership of her blog, and perhaps write a book someday. “To be able to go online and hook up with other moms is very exciting and empowering,” she said.

asmith@projo.com