A short while ago you may have remembered that we asked you all to take part in our Mumpreneur Survey to find out when and why you started your business, where you conduct your business and what hours you work. Well the results are all in and this is what we discovered. 

When?

When it came to starting your business 38% of you did so after your first child, and an even bigger  40% after your second. This confirmed our belief that having a child changes a woman’s perspective on work, and also suggests that juggling a  job and child-care with one child may be achievable, but with two can become impossible.

Why?

The most popular reason given for starting your own business was ‘Something I had always wanted to do’ at a high 59%, with the second most popular answer ‘Other job wasn’t flexible enough with hours’.  Lots of people can have an idea, but sometimes it only comes to fruition when the circumstances and timing are right. For many women the desire and reality of working for somebody once you have children can be different even from your own expectations. Employers have strict guidelines when it comes to ‘work-life balance’ and ‘parent-friendly working’; however what these guidelines say and what mums in the workplace face as a reality are often poles apart.

39% of women we surveyed were still working for someone else whilst setting up their own business, but more surprisingly 61% were focusing purely on their own business. For some women, leaving the financial security of their current job whilst their new business is in its infancy, is out of the question. For others, who are on maternity leave or have already left work and got used to the absence of a second income, this can seem like a good time to try something new.

At what time?

The most frequent working hours are unsurprisingly from 8pm onwards with 71% of mumpreneurs using the evening time to run their business. A significant percentage also worked during daytime hours, whilst children are at school or childcare. Early morning, 6-9am and early evening 5-8pm were the least common times to be working, when most of us are busy with breakfast/school run and tea/bath/bedtime.  

Where?

Nearly 59% of women we asked conducted their business mainly from home, with the second most popular answer the internet at 24%.  53% of women had an office or separate room to work in whilst an additional 39% said they had a dedicated space within the home – some of whom may be the 30% who said they worked from the kitchen or dining room table.  Working from home is by far the cheapest and most convenient way to start your business, especially with wireless broadband and laptops. Interestingly many of the replies suggested that a dedicated work space within the family home was something they could only dream of, with replies such as “In the living room near my the children so I am available”, “Anywhere on the laptop, mainly in the front room, but even in bed!”, “Armchair or in bed(!) – wherever I can perch my laptop!” and even “The ensuite – honestly!!” amazingly common!

So have we unearthed anything revolutionary or surprising from our survey…..well, actually – no. However it is good to have had such a great response to the survey, and some actual data to back up what we suspected were trends in the growing mumpreneur workplace – i.e. that many of us are conducting our businesses with laptops balanced on our laps, whilst at the same time tending to small children, and working late into the night – but we wouldn’t have it any other way!

A really big thank you to everyone who took part in our survey – we reached the magic 100 responses (which made the data crunching easy if nothing else!).

Popularity: 5% [?]

With just a week to go til The Mumpreneur Conference I am getting more and more excited about meeting ‘in the flesh’ so many people I have been tweeting with for months.

I have followed their ups and downs, their struggles and their successes as they have mine. I have learnt from them, been supported by them and on many an occasion, cheered up by them­­­. They have made what I do seem worthwhile. And knowing they are all out there, doing what they do, makes me feel inspired and part of one of the best ‘gangs’ there is!

Sometimes, more than others, it is difficult to value what you do. You lose your confidence, your vision and your enthusiasm. It is precisely at these times that you need your peers – people who understand exactly the challenges you face on a day to day basis, whether they be work or family-related. Locally we are so lucky to have a fantastic network of business mums who meet once a month, to remind each other what a great job we are all doing. Without it, I’m certain some of us might have lost our way.

No man is an island – and neither is a mum. We may try to hold everything together, to do it all and have it all – but we all need a support network to keep us afloat and to catch us when we fall. In an ideal world these are your friends, family and colleagues. But in the fragmented world we live in sometimes that support comes from people we have never met. Until next week that is………

Popularity: 3% [?]

We can all do with some inspiration when it comes to mealtimes and thinking up new and enticing ways to get our children to try new foods. To that end Waitrose has teamed up with Mumsnet to produce a web TV series, to show how you can have culinary achievements everyday in your kitchen, even though you are a busy working Mum!

The series features chef Neil Nugent and nutritionist Moira Howie. and will cover everything from how to take the stress out of Sunday lunch to bringing back the love for the lost art of baking. You can find out more about the series here http://www.mumsnet.com/microsites/waitrose-web-series

And you can view this weeks Everyday recipe here – looks yummy!!

Popularity: 7% [?]

As soon as tickets went on sale for this year’s Mumpreneur Conference we booked our tickets.  We organise events on a local scale and just having 10-20 business mums in one room always leaves me feeling positive and motivated, so the thought of a whole room full of mumpreneurs is bound to be inspirational!

The event is taking place on Saturday 3rd October 2009, 10am – 4pm at City Inn, Brindley Place, Birmingham City Centre, and tickets cost £11.50 per person, available from www.mumpreneurconference.com 

If you haven’t booked your tickets yet then here are my Top 10 reasons for wanting to join the party: 

1. It will be a great celebration of business and motherhood

2. It will be a fantastic opportunity to meet up with all the lovely ladies I have been tweeting with for the past 6 months

3. I know how hard it is to organise a local event, so I want to support Amanda, Laura & Jane in what they have organised nationally

4. You can never know too much so I’m looking forward to attending the seminars and picking up some more tips for our business

5. I’m looking forward to a day out on my own!

6. I always feel inspired when I spend time with my peers

7. We’ve entered an award and it would be just SO fabulous to actually win it!

8. Lunch is included

9. The greater the success of this event, the more publicity will be generated for mumpreneurs everywhere

10. What’s not to like about Birmingham?!

Women are notoriously bad at self-promotion but you shouldn’t be shy – you have until Sunday 20th September to nominate yourself for an award, book your ticket and come and celebrate your business and your beautiful family with lots of like-minded mums!

Popularity: 3% [?]

Our lovely sponsors at Euroffice have given us  an online code for 10% off printer ink for our blog visitors (valid to the end of the month):

http://www.euroffice.co.uk/Ecoupon_Landing.aspx?code=MTBink10 

So if you are going to printing lots of fliers, posters, handouts or vouchers ready for the Christmas rush then why not stock up on your  ink jet cartridges and other consumables now and get ahead of the game!

Popularity: 2% [?]

Today Mum’s The Boss is holding the first in a series of 3 start up events in Bedford, aimed at mums who may be considering their working options now that their children have started or returned to school. To run alongside the events we are holding a Prize Draw to win a whole host of fabulous business prizes, including a new website, a Blackberry and a HP Multifunction Printer. 

One of the things that makes us unusual in the world of business networking (apart from our delicious cakes!) is the fact that we run a creche at our meetings. Running a proper creche, with insurance and OFSTED compliance, is not cheap and every month our creche runs at a loss, as we only charge a nominal £3 per child as part of our low-cost ethos. This year we were overwhelmed to receive a donation from copywriter and mum Nicola Cooper-Abbs who runs All Words Ltd which has sponsored the running of our creche this year. However, with times being hard and purse-strings tighter this year we are finding it increasingly difficult to get sponsorship locally for 2010.

So for this reason we are trying to raise the money ourselves by running a Prize Draw, the proceeds of which will go towards our creche provision next year. We want our meetings to be accessible to any mum, at whatever stage she is at with her business,  so it is important for us to run the creche each month, irrespective of how many children are in it, and how many contributions we receive.

We have been overwhelmed by the generosity of companies and individuals who have donated products, services and their time as prizes – and to them we are extremely grateful! We hope they all get some business from our promotion!

Tickets will be available at all 3 events taking place at Bedford i-kan on 15th, 22nd and 29th September but you can also enter the national prize draw by clicking here and paying for your tickets with PayPal.

Sponsors

i-kan Business Centre
www.bedfordi-lab.com/home/i-kan

Not only are i-kan a sponsor of Mum’s The Boss Network meetings, they are also sponsoring our start-up events
by allowing use of their building as a venue.

Euroffice
www.euroffice.co.uk

Euroffice.co.uk is the UK’s largest home office supply website. Featuring a wide range of envelopes , labels & lots more!

Heart 96.9FM
www.heartbedford.co.uk

heart fm have very kindly offered to sponsor us through publicity,  a page on their website and
use of the heart angels for the events themselves.

University of Bedfordshire – Learning Hub
www.beds.ac.uk/knowledgehub

The Knowledge Hub is the gateway for business support at the University of Bedfordshire

Popularity: 4% [?]

Today was Mum’s The Boss 1st Birthday group meeting…and what a year it has been. From humble beginnings of just 6 mums having a coffee in  a cafe, to a  2 hour event, with a crèche, a brilliant talk from Efficiency Coach Heather Townsend, 19 visitors and of course birthday cake  - we have come a long way!

All mums know how important birthdays are for their children, and the first is arguably one of the most special. It often evokes memories of the anticipation and expectation of a new baby, as well as its arrival (in gory techni-colour!), but also how much has changed in that first year; all the triumphs and disasters along the way.

We are no different and for us it has been a rollercoaster ride almost as eventful and emotional as having a real baby.  We have always been united in a vision and passion for what we wanted to achieve, but have often met hurdles along the way. But today felt like we had won the 110m business women’s hurdle race!

Among our visitors  were 4 ladies who had been to the very first meeting a year ago, one of whom is now a mum of 2 not 1! No longer just visitors and members these people have become more like friends. There were 7 new visitors, from as far afield as Milton Keynes and Dunstable, which whilst not a million miles away,  suggests that what we had to offer was different and appealing enough to make the extra effort and journey. One more recent member, who only started her own business a few months ago, came along with a friend who is now her business partner in another venture. Add to the mix other regulars and members, as well as 9 children in the crèche and it was a very lively (not to mention noisy!) meeting.

I think today has proved that what we are doing is worthwhile, unique and above all really appreciated, as the feedback we get is fantastic. So here’s to year 2…and all the exciting ways in which we are developing and growing………but feet up with a glass of wine for us …….for tonight at least!

Popularity: 5% [?]

Having been inspired by Sam and her no-jeans challenge and her success, I am going to do my own challenge. This one is ‘work based’ rather than ‘me’ based….and contrary to most work challenges involves doing something less, rather than more…..intrigued?

The idea came about last Thursday. It was the first day of term and I knew that my son would be not only desperate to see me but also tired out from a whole day at school after a summer of ‘mummy days!’ So I pledged that I would turn the laptop off at 3 and I would not put it back on again until children were in their ‘post- tea glazed over TV mode’ just prior to Daddy’s golden hour – otherwise known at the bath & bedtime battle in our house!

It was fantastic! I left on time for school pick up which meant I could actually get a parking space, and catch up with the other mummies. My son had my undivided attention, as I wasn’t being distracted by the rectangular screen on the table.  Tea time went very smoothly as for once I wasn’t multi-tasking – just simply cooking & chatting to the children.

By the time I did turn back on for the ‘late shift’ it felt like I had had a proper break away, time to re-arrange my thoughts, and the added bonus of feeling great about being a proper 100% attentive mummy rather than 50% WAHMmy  mummy! And as could easily have been predicted, nothing earth shattering had happened in my 3 hour cyber absence.

With son 2 already part-time at school and soon to be full time I knew I was going to have to readjust how I work and what happens at different times of day. However this has shown me that although they are here less, my time with them can and should definitely be QUALITY rather than quantity.

And so this is my pledge: The laptop will remain OFF between the hours of 3pm and 6pm, and that will be my dedicated children/home/family time every day.  Can I stick to it?  I will keep you posted on my progress.

Do any of you have ‘work rules’ or set hours that are sacred to the children & family? Please share.

Popularity: 3% [?]

September 1st saw the launch of Antonia Chitty’s long awaited book, The Mumpreneur Guide, which was perfect timing for mums considering their working options now the school holidays are over and want to start a business that fits in with their family.

Mother and business advisor Antonia has put together this ultimate guide for parents which is full of practical advice to help you start a business. This book is for you if you are short on time and resources and have to stop at 3 every day to collect the kids, or can only work when the baby naps. 

The first thing that struck me, when my copy arrived, was that this A4 Guide is much more a workbook than a bedtime read. While it is undoubtedly packed with information, every chapter contains almost as many practical exercises, which, when complete, would form the foundation for your short and long term business plans.

For any mum who is literally right at the thinking stage of being her own boss, this book is perfect. Even if you don’t have a business idea yet, Antonia offers over 30 suggestions in the first chapter alone. She then guides you through the process of setting up your business step by step. And if you needed any more encouragement, peppered throughout the book are case studies of other successful mumpreneurs, which readers will find motivating and inspiring.

After talking you through getting that all important great business idea she then goes on to cover How to start a business, Business planning and organization, Business finance, Finding customers, Business on the web, Looking after your life & Taking your business to the next level. As many mumpreneurs look to the world wide web as a means of doing business, I found the sections on building a website and promoting your business online particularly useful. And for mums selling products or services there is great information about expanding by Party Planning, Franchising, Wholesaling and Affiliate Schemes.

The book is written in Antonia’s trademark practical yet accesible style. As a mum who set up her own business after the birth of her daughter back in 2002, she asks you to look realistically at your abilities and resources, such as time available and cash to invest, right from the outset. And being a year down the line already myself, I can fully appreciate the importance of getting it right from the start. Having a clear and realistic overview of your costs is something that simply cannot be underestimated.

I only wish this book had been available a year ago, as it would undoubtedly have saved us hours trawling through the internet for the information all new businesses owners need. However, this is not a book to read then put aside – if you are serious about starting your own business it will probably be the book you reach for, work through and refer to throughout the whole of your start-up year. So I would definitely recommend this book to any budding mumpreneur and it will make a popular and indispensible addition to our business book library.

And, if you buy TODAY, 8^th September,  your get MORE THAN £600 OF BONUSES: 

BONUS 1: ACCESS TO THE MUMPRENEUR GUIDE’S SECRET BLOG: VALUE £300
When you buy the book, you also get a link to The Mumpreneur Guide’s Secret Blog. In this blog, I share extra advice and answer your questions.

BONUS 2: ONLINE BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME: VALUE £5
The Mumpreneur Guide Online Business Development Programme will give you confidential help and expert advice to develop your business. Trial this programme to see how it could help you. 

BONUS 3: SORT YOUR WORK-LIFE BALANCE: VALUE £120
It is a dilemma for everyone – how to balance being a mumpreneur and having time for the family. In Bonus 3 coach Sam Pringle of Beeleaf Consulting helps you sort out your own balance. 

BONUS 4: MORE ME TIME: VALUE PRICELESS
Every mumpreneur feels short of ‘me time’ at times. Bonus 4 will help you look after yourself. Follow your plan from Heather Bestel, psychotherapist, stress management consultant & founder of A Little Bit of Me Time to become Calm, Confident and In Control 

BONUS 5: 3-PART MARKETING COURSE: VALUE £150
Your business is nothing without marketing. If you BUY TODAY you can also get a three part marketing course, created especially for The Mumpreneur Guide by Louisa Bird of The Women’s Marketing Forum.

BONUS 6: WIN A PLACE ON THE MUMS IN BIZ TRAINING COURSE
Everyone who buys the book TODAY will get a chance to win a place on one of Mums In Biz’s definitive ‘Start Your own Business’ Days.

BUY THE BOOK

Popularity: 5% [?]

The end of the holidays is finally here….and this coming week sees the start of school for thousands of children across the country . So here are some tips to make their first day at school go smoothly – and to help avoid any tears (for you and your child)!

1.  Be organised. Try and get everything ready the night before, uniform out, book & PE bags loaded and ready, even the packed lunch will be fine in the fridge overnight. Having had weeks of no clock watching and getting ready and out of the house early, the first few mornings are going to be a rush and a shock to the system. It is better to be ready early and enjoy an extra story/cuddle/cartoon than to be rushing out of the house, forgetting things and struggling to find parking space etc.

2. Be upbeat and positive. Children are quick to pick up on parental anxiety, and will be looking for an opportunity to share their own misgivings. Most will be slightly anxious, but also very excited so encourage that and make it seem like the start of a new adventure. Make the most of the fact it is a short week and will soon be the weekend again.

3. Be quick. Try to make the dropping off at school as swift and smooth as possible. DON’T linger, or give the impression that there is room for not going.  It always helps if they know somebody else, so if they have had a visit or know another child in the same class try to let them go in together. Most children will be very excited on their first day (surprisingly it is often a couple of days later the reluctance kicks in) so capitalise on that with a quick kiss and cuddle then leave. If your child is not good at settling they are in great hands – Reception teachers are experts at this!

4. Be prepared. Sunglasses and waterproof mascara are first day essentials if you are prone to ‘weepy mummy’ moments! At least then your children won’t be able to see you eyes fill up…..and you won’t end up looking like a panda on the way home or when you get to work! And if you know you are going to find their first day really hard, get them dressed up in their uniform and take photos the night before to avoid getting even more emotional on the big day.

5. Be positive. Try to be positive about how this change can now give YOU time to explore other opportunities. This may simply be having more time to spend with a younger child or looking at your working options, such as starting or spending more time on your own business.

Good luck to all mums waving their little one’s off for the first time this week – we are both doing the same and know just how you feel!

Popularity: 3% [?]

I’m sure I can’t be alone in having Paranoid Parenting moments. We are bombared with so much information about what our children should eat, wear, play with, think etc that I often have days when I feel I’m just doing everything wrong! I berate myself for not buying organic food. I chastise myself for letting my children watch too much TV. I worry that we aren’t taking the girls on enough trips out and exposing them to enough new experiences. I worry about whether we are being too strict – or not strict enough! And so the list goes on……

But time and time again, when I’m having a paranoid moment and feeling far from the Perfect Parent, I find myself thinking back to my own childhood and remembering what we did/ate/watched as kids and how my mum dealt with us. And I have to say, it always manages to put my paranoia back into perspective!

I was a child of the 70s (see photo above taken in 1975) when convenience food, particularly frozen food, was the latest thing. We were by no means well off so food was pretty plain.  My mum cooked the same kinds of meals each week – chicken on Sunday, leftovers on Monday, then a variety of things like beefburgers, fishfingers, eggs, mince, crispy pancakes and the like. We rarely ate rice or pasta – potatoes were the staple of each meal because they were cheap and filling. For pudding we had things like jelly or tinned fruit with evaporated milk, Angel Delight or rice pudding. Now compare this to what we are encouraged to feed our children today and the two are in sharp contrast -  not a stirfry or fritatta in sight!  My mum was feeding her family according to the trends of the time and according to her budget. I do not remember vast quantities of fruit  and vegetables in the house, never mind 5 portions each day. However I was still healthy and active and had plenty of energy, and somehow managed never to get scurvy!

In terms of activities and experiences, when I wasn’t at school, I was playing with my sister at home or with friends in the village. We went away on holiday as a family twice while I was at school, both times to Butlins and we certainly weren’t going on weekly day trips to theme parks, adventure playgrounds etc. As we lived in the country we did however go on a lot of walks – but hardly ever did our outings involve spending any money. And without a doubt we had far fewer toys with which to play at home, which I am convinced led to my sister and I being creative and having wild imaginations! But I remember us being very content with what we had and enjoying making up ways to amuse ourselves.

As for TV, I have so many happy memories of watching cartoons and kids programmes – from Mr Ben, The Clangers, Trumpton, Camberwick Green and Bagpuss when I was young, right through to educational programmes like Blue Peter, Why Don’t You and Magpie when I was older.  Admittedly, children’s programmes weren’t available 24/7 as they are today, but believe me, when they were on, my sister and I were watching (and my poor mum was probably breathing a huge sigh of relief!). But my point is, I loved those programmes and still think of them fondly today. And so, while these days we are made to feel that TV is the work of the devil, I hope my girls will look back fondly on the time they spent watching Peppa, Dora and Upsy Daisy!

And so, after a quick journey through my 70s childhood, I am always reminded that there is no such thing as Perfect Parenting. We are all just doing the best we can with the circumstances we are presented and the information that is available to us at the time.  As society’s progress they become better informed but sometimes all that information is bewildering and overwhelming, which is why looking to the past can help put things into perspective. Our mums may not have known all that we know now, but they survived – and so did we!

Have you got any golden memories from your childhood that would be frowned upon in today’s culture of perfect parenting? Or any family traditions that you have passed on to your childen that don’t fit todays ‘5-a-day’ mould? If you have we’d love to hear about them!

Popularity: 4% [?]