I like to look outside the mumpreneur community for inspiration sometimes. It’s good to hear how other people came to run their businesses, what they do and how they cope with challenges.
I found the post Thinking on our feet in tough times by Jon Stow on Birds On The Blog the other day. In the post, Jon talks about how he was made redundant in the last recession and how he had to get creative to get himself an income. So he started a cat-sitting service alongside his new tax consulting business! Jon’s blog is called ‘On Our Bikes’ after politician Norman Tebbitt’s quote about his own father getting on his bike to look for work.
Jon makes the point that even though you may have main skill that you used in your old job (e.g. tax specialist in his case), that doesn’t always mean people will want to buy that skill from you on a freelance basis. Look at all your skills and hobbies and see if you can do something new with them.
Jon also says that you don’t need to think in terms of a whole new career. Any self-employed work could lead on to bigger things, keep your self-esteem healthy and bring in some much-needed income. It doesn’t have to be forever. I think this could easily apply to mums in business as many do go back to employment once their children are older.
What do you think? Do you see your business as a way of filling a gap until your children are older? Or do you expect it to be a long-term career?
photo credit: AlphaTangoBravo / Adam Baker
Hi Helen, thanks for the mention 🙂
I would struggle with what my job/career/work is. I seem to be half writer, half internet marketer, half girl geek (and one that cannot add up either!).
My youngest is just starting to school now and I am thinking – time to get a real job now. How damning is it? Have I on some unconscious level not taken the job that I do seriously enough? or is it media programming that mums with young kinds are not really working?
Hi Sarah, no problem!
Antonia Chitty said a few months ago that most of the business mums that started out with her 8 years ago have now gone on to other things (employment, further study etc). I wonder if that’s a sign that once their kids are settled in school they feel the need to get a ‘proper job’? It’s a shame because I don’t see why doing what we do can’t be a proper job?
Although as someone who went back to permie life after 6 years a freelancer, I can understand how attractive a permanent job can be!
I think that if you work irregular hours around a family it would be easy for someone outside of this world to think you’ve got it easy or it’s not a proper job. Part-time work is usually low in status so I guess part-time self employment is even worse! And I agree, the media doesn’t help.
I hope we can change people’s minds, though…