Here are all the best resources I’ve found for starting and growing a business as a mum. It’s taken me a couple of years to gather this list together and I’ll keep adding to it as I find new tools of the trade. I’ve also included some books that I have written myself and links to the Business Mums Blog Carnival pages.
Some of these are affiliate links (so I get commission if you buy from them, but you won’t pay any extra than if you bought the item direct). I’ve tried virtually all of these myself, have found them to be great and would recommend them even if I wasn’t being paid to do so. For the few items I haven’t been able to try personally, I’ve been recommended them by people who have used them (people whose opinions I trust) and I’ve then checked online reviews to be completely sure.
Business Mums’ Blog Carnival
What it is, how it works and how to enter the Business Mum’s Blog Carnival. (Tip: it’s a quick and free way to promote your blog!)
The blog carnival schedule is here.
Do you fancy hosting the blog carnival?
Your website
Create – The fast, cheap and easy way to get a business website or online shop even if you have no technical skills. Prices start from £2.99 a month.
WordPress.org – If you are able to buy a domain name, web hosting and install WordPress (or you have a friend who can do it for you), you can use this blogging software to build a website. The big advantage with WordPress, apart from it being free, is that you can then update your content whenever you want. You can get WordPress shopping cart plug -ins, although I haven’t used any personally as I use Ejunkie (see below).
Clook is the web hosting company I use. They’ve been 100% reliable over the 18 months that I’ve been with them and their customer service is fantastic.
Mums Business Directory – List your website on this directory and it’ll be seen by lots of other mums.
Making an income from your blog/internet marketing
EJunkie – Want to sell e-books on your website as an extra income stream? Ejunkie’s shopping cart is cheap and very easy to use. You can also use it to sell mp3 tracks and albums, software, icons, fonts, artwork, phone cards, event tickets, cds, posters, books, t-shirts and almost everything else.
3 Day Money – You’ve started a blog, worked really hard on making it look good, written some great posts and got some readers who really love what you’re doing. The trouble is that you still aren’t making enough to buy yourself a coffee at Starbucks. So you search the internet looking for the answer and find nothing but hype and get-rich-quick schemes. Try 3 Day Money – it’s written by a guy who really knows his stuff, it’s hype-free and you get A LOT of training for your $49 (about £30)
Income CPR – You’ve written an e-book but you’re only selling a handful of copies (wow, now you can afford a coffee AND a cake from Starbucks :)) Try Income CPR – loads of information but for only $10 per month (about £6) plus course leader Nicole Dean will even recruit affiliates for your e-book.
List Building for Bloggers – One of the best ways of making an income from a blog is to have a mailing list, yet most bloggers are either neglecting theirs or don’t have one at all. If you don’t have a list, set one up with MailChimp now (it’s free). If you have a mailing list that’s not exactly inspiring, List Building for Bloggers will show you how to ‘turn your blog into a rocking-socking, butt-kicking, inbox-busting, fully automated email marketing and subscriber retention system’.
Free e-books and e-courses
Business Plus Baby: Ten Things You Need To Know If You’re Starting a Business as Mum to a Baby
Mumpreneur In a Month – tons of info and advice on not only getting started as a mum in business, but also how to get a full time income in part-time hours. Highly recommended.
Books and e-courses
The Mumpreneur Guide – Antonia Chitty. Essential reading if you’re starting out as a Business Mum
Write For The Web – how to become a freelance writer (you can read more about becoming a freelance writer in my article: becoming a writer.)
Start a Family Friendly Business – Helen Lindop and Antonia Chitty. Useful if you’re still looking for your business idea or if you’re not sure if your business idea is right for you.
A Guide to Promoting Your Business – Antonia Chitty. Packed full of easy, low cost ways of promoting a small business.
Build a Brand – getting your message across as a mumpreneur. Here’s a post on why branding is so important for mumpreneurs and here is my review of Build a Brand.
Earn What You Deserve as a Mumpreneur e-course – fed up with working hard but not earning much? My 4 week e-course will put more money in your pocket.