Giving birth to a baby, and a business at the same time, appears to be a crazy idea, to those who haven’t tried it. Come to think of it, even those of us who have embarked on this daunting double whammy, agree that there are easier ways to live your life.
Happy hormones combine with an inevitable shift in circumstances, and create a tantalising mood of change. Questions persist, in moments of reflection, when you take the weight off your swollen ankles and ponder your bulging waistline. Do I really want to go back to work? Wouldn’t it be nice to have some flexibility? What on earth am I going to do about childcare? Surely all I need is a laptop and a phone line? I must be able to do something else….
Of course, the little voice in your head that says whoa..we have enough on our plates, is easy to shush when you are in daydream mode. Magazines you never had time for pre-pregnancy now seem to burst with high achieving multi mums. You start to tell yourself that it must be a doddle. Look at them! Coping well, making money, time to entertain journalists in their fab houses, looking beautifully content.
Are you waiting for me to burst that bubble at this point? Well, I honestly can’t. True, I don’t live in luxury, my earnings have been erratic to say the least, and stress is far from a distant memory workwise – however, I am unable to entertain the notion of working for someone else ever again.
Running a business is mostly fun if you’re doing it right, and I hope that my three children will go into the world with that message. I am not around all the time, but I do not have to worry about missing important events in their life, or working from home when one of them needs me (or the sun comes out and the garden is irresistible.)
There are a growing number of mumtrepreneurs in the UK, taking their place in the big league and challenging outdated perceptions of the typical entrepreneurial profile, i.e. male, driven, cavalier.
For some, a second or third child brings a realisation that having it all is frankly impossible, and working from home, or taking charge of your own destiny is a lot less stressful than attempting to please employers and colleagues. So, if you haven’t taken the plunge, do some research into your big idea, seek some advice from a trusted source, and go for it!
The Big Idea – the hardest part of the preparation with any start up business, is to accurately assess the feasibility of your idea, or product. Get some help to do this, but choose your helpers carefully! Doom mongers may pick holes in your plans, others will rave unconditionally, depending on their own agenda in some cases. The difference between success and failure is often the level of determination, so research and a variety of opinions will help fuel your fire, and keep you motivated when things get tough, which they will.
Communications
It is a good idea to have flexibility with your telephone, so you can work from different locations, (home, office, Starbucks!) We have found UK2 Numbers to have a good choice of ‘non geographic’ numbers (0845, 0700 etc), and their service has been excellent.
Have a look at what they offer here… http://www.uk2numbers.co.uk
Useful info:
www.essentialbusinessguide.com – Truly excellent guide to starting and running a business, written by a Mumtrepreneur, Julie Stanford
www.motheratwork.co.uk Fantastic advice and support for working mums
www.businessbricks.co.uk Readable, down to earth advice for small businesses
www.enterprisenation.co.uk Packed with advice, and aimed at those working from home
www.bytestart.co.uk Small business portal, covers all aspects of starting up and growing a business.
www.auroravoice.com Aurora provides women’s business and career events, recruitment advertising, and specialises in helping companies market themselves to women.
www.newbusiness.co.uk Lots of advice for all stages of business growth, and start up.