You may not know you want to become a Mumpreneur until you’ve been a Mum for a while but even if you’ve known since before you conceived that running a business was for you it can be difficult to know when the right time is to get started. To help you decide we’ve explored the pros and cons of starting a business at the different stages of motherhood.
BeCome a mumpreneUr when you’re pregnant
If you start your maternity leave fairly it early it can be a great time to get started on your business plans, with work out of the way you’ll have some time to get your teeth in to things before the baby comes.
The downside is that you’ll have to stop for at least little while once the baby arrives which, depending on the nature of your business, could be disruptive. It’s also difficult to know until your baby arrives how much work you’ll be able to do around them, some sleep lots so you can get things done, some cry lots and you can get nothing done!
Starting a business when you have a baby
Babies generally need a lot of sleep and many are happy to sleep anywhere and this can be handy if you’re trying to run a business. Launching a business when you have a small baby can also be great for preserving your sense of self, something that can be hard to hold on to in the early days of motherhood.
However, when you have a small baby you will almost certainly be tired because, while they need lots of sleep, they still like to wake you up every few hours at night for a feed or just a cuddle. You’re also going through a huge life change and you might find transitioning to mother and business owner at the same time a bit too much.
BecomE a mumpreneur when you have a toddler
With a bit of luck, by the time you have a toddler you’ve adjusted to motherhood, got in to some kind of routine and either they’re sleeping through or you’ve adjusted to a life with less sleep. This can be a great time to start a business, particularly if they’re still having a daytime sleep. The only problem is they are in to everything. There is zero chance of getting any work done when they’re awake, if you try to take a phone call they will be instantly climbing all over you and you’re unlikely to be able to take them out to business related bits and pieces without all hell breaking loose.
Starting a business when you have a preschooler
Preschoolers are great (I should know, I have one). The clue is in the name, preschool, that wonderful, government funded initiative that gives you 15 (or 30 if you’re really lucky) hours of peace and quiet, 38 weeks of the year. They’re also able to sometimes entertain themselves for a whole ten minutes and can, on occasion, actually be helpful (think putting stamps on envelopes, being so cute when handing out flyers that no one can say no). The only trouble is this is also the time you’re most likely to have baby number 2 added to the mix…
Starting a business when you have a school aged child
30 child free hours a week to work on your business is undeniably great. You might want to let them settle in before you get started but don’t leave it too long, the trouble with waiting till this point is that it might lose its urgency. When given 30 hours a week a regular job can seem easier to manage and you may be less likely to follow your dream. You’ll also need to think about how you’ll manage school holidays as going from have 30 hours a week in term time to zero hours a week in the 6 week holidays can be difficult to deal with.
if you think now might be the right time for you to become a Mumpreneur check out “Business for Mums”
Want to read about about Mums who have started their own businesses? Check out our stories.
