Being a Mumpreneur – Page 6 – Business Plus Baby

September 14, 2014September 14, 2014

Think you don’t have time for training? Think again…

I had a very interesting conversation with a business mum last week. She was telling me about a recent marketing campaign that hadn’t gone as well as she had expected.

She had been using a combination of Facebook ads and local leafleting to encourage people to come to an event she was running.

I asked if she had used Facebook ads before.

She hadn’t.

I said that I had details of a free webinar on successful Facebook advertising and her response amazed me:

“Oh I don’t have time for training courses – I’ve got a business to run”

Now, I get it, I really do.

We are all busy, we all have families to feed, homes to look after and businesses to run.

But if we want to make those businesses successful, we need to have the right skills.

How could this lady expect to run a successful Facebook ads campaign if she had no knowledge, no experience and no training? Continue reading “Think you don’t have time for training? Think again…”

August 12, 2014

Why being a virtual assistant is great for mums

It’s no surprise that the thought of working from home can be a daunting prospect for expectant or new mothers. Perhaps a substantial amount of time has passed since you were in the workforce or maybe starting to work again seems impractical given your daily responsibilities around children – it’s all completely understandable.

One increasingly popular option is to set up as a virtual assistant (VA), basing yourself at home. Here are some key reasons which might help explain the recent VA boom…

About to go on maternity leave? Did you know that it’s sometimes possible to earn money whilst taking maternity leave as a self-employed person? This is separate to maternity pay from your employer and keeping in touch days. This initial work provides a great platform to launch your VA business from. Do check your employment contract first though – some companies don’t allow work outside of its employment.
Being a VA allows full control of your own work schedule which for example means you can fit working around the school runs and potentially cut back on nursery sessions. Workload can be managed and controlled to fit around the family. Of course, you will still need to do some work within business hours so it isn’t advisable to remove childcare altogether once running your own VA business, but at least you can minimise what is required. For example, I have a young boy and often work when he is asleep in the evenings and I am always on call via email. This freedom means my son is only at nursery in the afternoons rather than for a full day.
Being a full time mum can be an almighty change if you are used to being in full time employment – your life suddenly becomes centred around the child and new mums often miss that independence. Having your own business is something just for you and provides the opportunity to do something completely separate from your family alongside caring for them.
Being a VA allows amazing freedom. We run annual surveys through the Society of Virtual Assistant and the word ‘freedom’ comes up time and time again when we ask what people love most about being a VA.
Perhaps you’re sick of office politics? Not keen on your boss? Full of ambition but feel held back or under rewarded? Working for yourself is one of the very best ways to take control of your career – free from other people’s limitations. There is no upper pay grade limit or delays for overdue promotions!
No suits – wear what you like! I wear jeans to the office every day (ok, ok – I’ll admit it, sometimes I wear my pyjamas!)
Being based at home means there is no commute. I used to sit in traffic for over an hour each way in my last full time job before having children. It used to make me grumpy, irritable – and I was spending a small fortune in fuel! Running your own business means you can use that precious time to do something you love.
Variety is the spice of life – how true! You never get bored working for a wide variety of clients and as a VA you are constantly learning new skills.

So what are you waiting for? The VA industry is quite unique in the sense that we are all so approachable and friendly to newbies! If you need advice on getting set up just ask. This is not a closed door industry. Our latest survey is now available to download. The information in this insightful document is key to anyone starting out as a VA.

Caroline Wylie is the founder of the Society of Virtual Assistants (SVA), the largest membership organisation for virtual assistants (VA) in the UK. The SVA connects VAs of a certain standard with businesses of all sizes.

July 13, 2014July 11, 2014

The 6 Secrets to Starting a Business Whilst on Maternity Leave

Having children is a life changing event and when you first get pregnant, you may think that you will go back to your current job without too many changes, and for some women this will happen.

But for others, when they’re holding their baby in their arms, they just know that things have changed forever and the thought of returning to work fills them with dread.

This is why using your maternity leave is a great opportunity to evaluate your career and decide what you want to do after your leave ends – return to your job, become a stay at home mum or start your own business.

The most important thing to remember though is that you are doing what’s right for you and your family so please don’t feel like you have to follow ‘the rules’.

If you do decide to take the plunge and start your own business, follow these 6 simple steps and it will make the transition a lot easier for you and your family:

1. Decide on your business idea

Let me be very clear from the start. Running a business is hard work and definitely NOT a get rich quick scheme – if that’s what you’re after, you need to go elsewhere!

That’s why it’s really important to choose something that you’re going to enjoy doing a lot of.

There are lots of business opportunities out there, whether you are selling your own products or services, or buying into a franchise or MLM business, you will find something that is a fit for your skills, experience and goals. Continue reading “The 6 Secrets to Starting a Business Whilst on Maternity Leave”

June 27, 2014June 30, 2014

Three easy ways to be more eco-friendly this summer

The summer holidays are almost here and that makes it hard for us work at home mums to get much work done! So I usually use some of this time to do a little work around the house, and I get the kids to help too.

This includes some (late!) spring cleaning, but I also look at where we can save energy, remove clutter and maybe even save some cash too. It’s not hard to do our bit for the environment at the same time. And all those small steps really add up over time.

Here are some of the little steps we’ll be trying to take this summer:

1. Using less water

These are all easy to do, it’s just a question of getting into the habit so we remember to do them every time:

Turn off the tap while you brush your teeth
Take showers that are a minute or two shorter than usual
Flush the the toilet a little less often
Only do full loads of laundry and dishes

2. Using less energy

Although you can buy a hybrid car or power your house by solar energy, you can also make a big difference with small changes like these: Continue reading “Three easy ways to be more eco-friendly this summer”

June 18, 2014March 4, 2015

How to beat the afternoon productivity slump

So you’ve got your little one down for a nap or off to preschool, or maybe you’ve settled them with some TV or a DVD for a while. It’s time for work, but then it hits you…the afternoon slump.

Whether you work from home or out, the afternoon slump can be a daily occurrence. Millions of people across the globe find themselves almost falling asleep at their desk half way through the day. Your brain gets foggy. Your productivity comes to a standstill. In short, the rest of the afternoon becomes a total waste of time.

While it’s frustrating, you don’t have to give in to the mid-day slump. There are easy things you can do to move past it. Here are some ideas to try –

1. Move Your Body

When you feel the mid-day slump beginning, get up from your desk immediately. Take a quick five to ten minute walk – or even a run. Do some skipping or step outside and get some fresh air.

2. Grab Some Coffee or Tea

Unless you’re extremely caffeine sensitive, this is a great time to grab a cup of coffee. However, skip the sugar and added cream or milk. Those will spike your blood sugar and cause your energy to spike and then plummet. Continue reading “How to beat the afternoon productivity slump”