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With the UK’s
current economic climate it is becoming more important for both parents
to contribute to the family income. If a mum needs to work, it can seem
impossible to find a job that allows time to meet family needs. There
are an estimated 167,353 self-employed mums working from home in the UK
and joining this increasing number of Mumpreneurs could be the answer.
 The
Mumpreneur Guide,
a book due for release on 1st September 2009, has been written by
mumpreneur and family friendly working expert, Antonia Chitty, and
guides readers through the stages from getting their business idea to
finding customers, and looking after their life to taking their business
to the next level. As a mumpreneur herself Antonia knows the joys and
pitfalls only too well and has written The Mumpreneur Guide to
help other mums get on the right track.
Getting the idea ...
- the
first steps to being a mumpreneur
Once you have children, going
out to work every day can feel less important than spending time with
the family. If you need to work it can seem impossible to find a job
that allows you time to meet family needs. Becoming one of the growing
number of mumpreneurs in this country (see note 1) could be the answer,
believes Antonia Chitty, author of The Mumpreneur Guide (released on 1st
September 2009) and family friendly working expert.
“Being in control of the hours
you work, having the flexibility to pick the kids up from school and be
home if they are sick is the ideal scenario for many mums. It is
possible, but having this flexibility and still making a valuable
contribution to the family income is not always plain sailing,” says
Antonia Chitty.
As a mumpreneur herself, Antonia
knows the joys and pitfalls and has written The Mumpreneur Guide to help
other mums who want to start their own business. To get mums on the
right track, Antonia has some top tips on how to come up with an idea
for a business:
-
Do
you love your hobby? - Why not turn your hobby into a business? This
is not a way to get rich quick but plenty of women, and a few men,
find that they can boost the family budget whilst doing something
they enjoy. You may be an avid collector and want to turn your hand
to selling as well as buying. If you are a crafty type, you could
start selling your creations at local craft fairs or through online
craft marketplaces like
www.etsy.com.
-
Set up a service - You may have a skill that will allow you to go
freelance, like web design. If you have good secretarial skills, you
could become a virtual assistant offering typing and admin services
from home. You could offer to do ironing, collect dry cleaning or
wait in for deliveries for busy office workers. Think about what you
could do that would fit into school hours, evenings or nap times.
-
Retraining - If you have small children, there are lots of
initiatives to help you retrain for a new family friendly career.
Ask your local Sure Start Children’s Centre for information on
courses with crèches. Call into the local college. Look at training
in a complementary therapy: you could offer appointments at times to
fit in with the kids. Alternatively, you might like to brush up on
your computer skills and set up as a virtual assistant or web
designer. Or join a creative course and start selling what you make
at craft fairs on the weekend.
-
Direct selling - Direct selling involves selling to consumers away
from a traditional fixed retail outlet like a shop. It covers
door-to-door selling, personal demonstrations and party plan. There
are many companies offering direct selling opportunities where you
pay up to £200 for a starter kit, including sample products and
promotional materials. If this interests you, pick a product you
like and which will sell well in your area. Check that there aren’t
lots of other local reps competing for the same sales. To be a
successful rep you need to look beyond family and friends, and make
the most of opportunities to sell at groups and get people to hold
parties for you.
-
Find a niche - Try to work out a way to make what you offer
different to your competitors. Try to find something that will make
your business have a unique appeal. It could be the service you
offer, the hours you open, or the people you are targeting. The
internet has made it far easier to offer a specialist product and
reach out to those who will be interested.
“Once you have an idea, sound
out friends and family about your plans. If it is something no-one has
done before then ask them to sign a non-disclosure agreement to say that
they agree to keep your idea secret. Note down what you might need to
get started and think carefully about the resources you might require in
the way of time, money and equipment. Then make a start,” advises
Antonia.
Antonia has written a
number of books (Family Friendly Working, What to do when your child
hates school, Special Educational Needs: A Parent’s Guide, Insomnia: The
Essential Guide,
Commercial Writing: How to Earn a Living as a Business Writer and A
Guide to Promoting Your Business). She also runs a successful blog,
www.familyfriendlyworking.co.uk
For more about Antonia’s
work and to
receive her free monthly newsletter of practical tips and case
studies, go to
www.themumpreneurguide.co.uk |
