Next year I’d like to attend the very successful and high profile Cybermummy Conference. Cybermummy is the number one conference for British parent bloggers – last year speakers included journalist India Knight and Mumsnet’s Justine Roberts. The event was written about in many, many parenting blogs, covered in the Financial Times, and featured on Woman’s Hour on Radio 4.
I’d love to attend to represent Business Plus Baby and you. Continue reading “Sponsorship Opportunity”
It’s that Monday time-of-the-week and that means it’s time for the Monday Challenge! (You can read all about the previous Monday Challenges here if you’ve missed them…)
Lately I’ve heard lots of business mums talk about not having enough time. Mums are permanently pushed for time so there’s nothing new there! But there’s no doubt the run up to Christmas puts us under even more pressure, especially if Christmas is a busy time for your business too.
So with all that in mind, this weeks challenge is to…
Here are some ideas: Continue reading “Mumpreneur Monday Challenge: Time Management Tips”
Business Plus Baby guest blogger Liz Weston, founder of Weston Communications and the New Baby Guides, has been awarded the title of “Future 100 Young Entrepreneur of the Year 2010”. Liz and her publications, the New Baby Guides have won a Future 100 Award for being “an organisation that can prove impact where people, planet and profit is concerned”.
The Future 100 Awards profile young entrepreneurs aged 18-35 who are demonstrating entrepreneurial flair and innovation in progressing a responsible business venture; one which demonstrates a balance between economic, environmental and social goals to achieve ultimate business success.
Liz says “I am so pleased to receive this Award and recognition. To be one of the UK’s top 100 social entrepreneurs is brilliant news. We are so pleased that other people see the value in our work with Maternity Units, local businesses and local parenting communities. We’ve always had a social agenda in our work – to date we’ve donated £16K to NHS Maternity Units and we’re very proud of this. It’s not the most commercially viable thing to do, it’s simply the right thing to do.”
Having spotted a gap in the market for working hand in hand with NHS Maternity Units in an ethical, profit sharing fashion, Liz Weston launched the New Baby Guides in 2009, encouraged by Heads of Midwifery from Maternity Units across East Anglia. The New Baby Guides are unique because they are high quality publications where complete editorial, design and content control is retained by the Maternity Units she works with. The New Baby Guides help Maternity Units provide tailored, localised information for new families which is relevant, engaging and easily understood.
Congratulations Liz, you really do deserve your award!
You can read more about Liz and the award on the Weston Communications website.
Effective and affordable, email marketing can be a great tool to promote your product or service. It’s also easy to do from home, making it a form of marketing that enables you to balance your business and your baby. However, this type of business writing has to be done right to be effective, or else all your efforts will go to waste. Here are a few do-it-yourself email marketing tips to follow when embarking on an email marketing plan. Continue reading “Before You Hit “Send”: Email Marketing Dos and Dont’s”
If you see mumpreneurs featured in the newspapers or on television, they will almost always be inventors. Usually, inventors of products for babies or children.
I have huge respect for these mums. Inventing a product and bringing it to market is a long process with no guarantee of success. Compared to other business options open to mums, this is the one that needs the biggest investment of money, takes the longest and has the highest risk. Add to that the facts that the mums rarely seem to have any experience in bringing a product to market and that they are working around children and you have some idea why I’m so impressed.
Oddly enough, this is why I’m disappointed that the only mumpreneurs you seem to hear about in the media are inventors. If you’re a mum with young children, crazy childcare costs and an inflexible job, you could easily think starting a business is not for you because you don’t have a product to invent. And that’s a shame, because there are many businesses that are much easier and faster to start, as well as needing a much less money to invest. Where are the virtual assistants, bookkeepers, pet sitters, community magazine editors, yoga teachers, beauty therapists, graphic designers, online store owners…(and many more, actually)?
If you’re a mum with young children, crazy childcare costs and an inflexible job, you could easily think starting a business is not for you because you don’t have a product to invent.
I’m far from alone. Jane Hopkins of MumsClub has spoken to ITV and The Mail about featuring mumpreneurs who aren’t inventors. Joanne Dewberry of www.charliemoos.co.uk and www.networkingmummies.com started a bit of campaign about exactly this issue. Joanne says:
“Daybreak, ITV’s new morning programme, featured 5 mums on their website and also for a week on the show all under the name ‘mumpreneur’, but these 5 women all had something else in common not just a business and children … they were all inventors. Is this a fair portrayal of ‘business mums’?
Firstly I posted the question on my Facebook page and as predicted the ‘non-inventors’ (and there’s a lot of them) weren’t impressed. It got me thinking even more so I sat down and wrote a very long detailed email about myself, my business, and the many varieties of mumpreneurs out there. Their reply consisted of about 10 words and ended in ‘thank you’. I proceeded with my mini campaign, posting my email and Daybreaks reply on my blog. I was pleased that so many people took the time to give their feedback and not just business mums. After a few days I emailed the link over to Daybreak and well a few weeks later and I’ve had no reply.
Firstly my issue wasn’t that I hadn’t been featured far from that. I am really pleased for those that were. I feel it should not have been labelled ‘mumpreneurs’. Not many mums sat at home on maternity leave would think ‘ooo that’s for me! I can leave my job be a full time mum and invent a product to regulate my income!’.
Why not have a week featuring……
Victoria Dixon mum of 2, creator of www.enhance-me.com she takes an image of your child and turns it into a beautiful fairytale creation. Or Rachel Jeffries mum of 2, who runs online wooden toy shop www.totsandtiddlerstoys.com both of these businesses are online and enable the mumpreneur to work hours to suit her. If she needs to be working late at night or early in the morning so she can spend the day helping at her child’s school or taking them to the park, she can.
Lisa Carpenter, mum of 1, runs www.mobilecarsolutions.co.uk with her husband, offering a wide range of products & services for individuals & companies ranging from a hands free kit for your iphone that streams your music to a tracking solution so you know where your vehicles are 24/7. Not really a girly business but not only providing flexibility for childcare but also working alongside her husband.
Or maybe a new start up business? Ama Aqua making beautiful bespoke polymerclay cake toppers (http://www.facebook.com/bespokeclaycaketoppers )and using social media to market and network while she establishes herself. Sarah Philips, is definitely one to watch.
Business ideas born from the desire to be a full time mum yet earn money
Or possibly end the week on Olga Taylor, brains behind www.weddingvipcard.com a privilege card for couples getting married in Dorset, by teaming up with a number of premium quality suppliers to offer exclusive discounts and special offers in the leading up to your wedding day.
These case studies would definitely display to mums that self-employment isn’t beyond their reach. Uncomplicated business ideas born from the desire to be a full time mum but yet earn money and have the flexibility and freedom needed to do this.”
(You can read Joanne’s email to Daybreak, their reply and the responses of many mums in business and even a few who aren’t on her blog)
I’d be interested to hear your thoughts – drop me a message and let me know what you think.
Joanne Dewberry runs Charlie Moo’s (www.charliemoos.co.uk – party bags, gifts and toys) from her home in rural Dorset, where she lives with her partner and their two children Megan 2 and Charlie 3. She is also co-owner of Networking Mummies (www.networkingmummies.com) with Laura Morris (www.rentabuggy.co.uk)
If you would like to spend more time with your children and earn an income, take a look at my book Start a Family Friendly Business: 129 Brilliant Business Ideas for Mums
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