Mary Davis, author of "The Entrepreneurial Mom: Managing for Success in Your Home and Your Business," tells mothers the biggest asset they have is themselves and that therefore, they need to be "selfish" about their time.

Translation: Delegate responsibilities.

Davis, who manages her own interiors and flooring business, is married with two children. She discusses the need to balance the dual roles that many women find themselves in today.

Question: What led you to write "The Entrepreneurial Mom"?

Answer: Today, more than ever before, women are starting their own businesses, at a rate of two-to-one over their male counterparts. And while this fact may be new, one thing remains the same: Women still struggle with many of the same, age-old questions, like: "How can I possibly run a business and also raise a family?" "Will my kids suffer if I work outside the home?" "Can I control my own lifestyle and earnings and still be an effective mom?" and "Is it right for me to pursue my own dreams, or am I being selfish to even think about starting a business?"

I, too, wrestled with these questions when I started my business in 1992, but there was not a book like "The Entrepreneurial Mom" at that time. So, after 16 years of simultaneous business and parenting experience, I felt compelled to create my book as a roadmap for other women who want to be both a mom and an entrepreneur. I want other women to enjoy the benefits of entrepreneurship, as I have. And I want women to know that they don't have to pick one identity over the other anymore.

Q: Talk about the reactions you've received from people who read the book.

A: Several months ago, I received an e-mail from a young mother who had been in an abusive marriage for years. Looking for a way to support herself if she left her marriage, she read "The Entrepreneurial Mom." She said that after reading it, she felt confident that she could create a life for herself and her sons by turning a hobby into a viable business. (Statistics show that 14 percent of women turn a personal passion into a business.)

With the help and support of family and friends, she not only got out of a bad situation, she started a business and regained her self-respect. That day was a turning point for me, when I realized how profoundly women could be impacted by a little bit of knowledge and encouragement.

Q: Your book is geared toward women, but most of your tips obviously are beneficial to both genders. Do you get favorable reactions from men, or entrepreneurial dads?

A: Actually, I've been very surprised to find how many men are also reading "The Entrepreneurial Mom." The most interesting response, though, was from a man I met at a Las Vegas book signing. After his wife read the book, she asked him to read it. And, as a result, he said he better understands the constant juggling his wife does as an entrepreneur and mother. His wife told me she appreciated being able to hand my book to her husband to explain to him what she'd been trying to get across for years.

Q: Do you think most mothers realize, when they sit and think about it, that they are learning valuable business skills raising a family and maintaining a household?

A: Absolutely. There are so many parallels that can be drawn between parenting and business, like scheduling, budgeting, contract enforcement, mediation, time management, communications, conflict resolution and negotiations — especially if you have teenagers.

Q: What is the best piece of advice you've received as a mother? How about as an entrepreneur?

A: As a mother, it was to teach my children to read early and make reading a part of their lives. And I firmly believe that reading has been a major foundation in the academic successes of both of my children.

As an entrepreneur, the best advice I ever got was to learn to be selfish. I now tell other entrepreneurial moms to learn to delegate, both at home and in their businesses; don't try to do it all themselves; take time off whenever possible to re-charge; and to learn to value themselves and their time. If women don't do these things, they'll lose their most valuable asset: themselves.