Tag: Online business

Piccolo gifts

Launching a Gift Based Business – Piccolo Gifts

Tell us your name and a bit about your family? When did you become a Mum and to whom?

Hello, my name is Jo and I live in Bristol with my husband and three small children, Emelia, Henry and baby Bonnie. I first became a Mum in late 2011 and most recently just 4 months ago – our home is quite lively just now!

What’s your business called?

My business is Piccolo Gifts – Piccolo means “little” in Italian. Little gifts for little people – making beautiful spaces and delighted little faces.

Can you describe it in one sentence?

Piccolo Gifts focuses on finding children’s gorgeous dual purpose gifts for play and display – carefully chosen toys, stationery and decor that are fun filled, colourful, decorative and great for learning – no more hiding lovely toys and gifts away in the toy box – our gifts make a child’s special space even more perfect than before.

When did you become a Mumpreneur and what inspired you?

I launched Piccolo Gifts in May 2014 while on maternity leave with Henry. It’s hard to pinpoint what inspired me as it was and is so many things – experience managing and growing other people’s businesses, the potential to have a flexible ‘wrap around’ job with a young family, seeing other successful business people who have made their dream a reality…there are so many inspirations I couldn’t begin to name them all.

How did you fund your start up?

I began Piccolo Gifts very frugally – my brother works in website creation and an E-commerce platform was another string to his portfolio bow so thankfully he manages this side of the business.
I used some savings for my initial stock rather than a loan… to avoid being tied to repayments and the pressure of interest and debt so it has been another challenge of the experience to grow as organically as possible while dabbling in paid advertising to see what works best. As I had a young baby and a toddler I really didn’t want too much financial pressure and overheads so that if I needed to slow down or press pause, I could without worrying about repayments.

How do you manage working around your children?

It’s a big (possible THE biggest) challenge of the business – a lot of Mums feel the guilt factor and a lot of business owners know that finding the off switch is tricky when the business is your own.
I often feel conflicted between the balance of my attention on parenting and Piccolo…it’s a juggle. Emelia and Henry have mornings at preschool and Bonnie has naps so I try to capitalise on that time – when they’re here I’m Mum…when they’re at school / asleep I put my business hat on. It’s never that black and white though – there are overlaps and it’s a real struggle sometimes. My business is all about family and children – including mine! It’s easy to become a bit blinkered because there is always so much and so many things to do but I’m not superhuman and my kids know that, I like to keep it real.

Can you describe a typical day, what tasks do you have to get done, how do you manage your time?

I wake (am woken) far too early, we get ready and have breakfast before I browse emails while getting ready for the school run. I get order updates and process any orders that have popped up overnight. I have a 10 am cut off for daily dispatch so I can get going to the post office and send parcels as quickly as possible to happy little people. I love to package and present beautifully and it takes me ages because I’m a perfectionist but the thought of a happy customer getting a gorgeously gift wrapped present is really special for me – I love getting customer feedback and it almost always mentions the packaging! When orders have been dispatched it’s all about admin – reordering, sourcing products, accounts, records. It’s taken me a while to get used to this as it isn’t fun or interesting but it saves a mammoth job at the end and a few minutes a day is so worthwhile.
I’m still new to all of the day to day details of growing a business and the online world changes so fast – I am learning every day, sometimes without realizing but also by reading business Blogs and Elearning.

What challenges have you faced in your business and how have you overcome them?

Challenges are a constant – some are wonderful and others more difficult to navigate.
Social media marketing has been a big learning curve. I’d say I’m a bit of a novice and still gaining confidence on these platforms and it has always felt like I was putting myself “out there” which didn’t come naturally. I was given some great advice which was simply – be yourself, don’t pretend to be bigger, funnier, more experienced…. People like to buy from people… and being myself is what makes my business unique because I choose the gifts that I would love to give and receive and I hope others will too!

“Today you are you, that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is youer than you”. Dr Seuss.

The constant learning, the work / life balance, the ongoing effort to drive website traffic and let the world know that Piccolo Gifts is here, it’s all a challenge and there is always so much more that I could be doing if only there were more hours (and I didn’t have 4 very lovely distractions). A big challenge for me and many others I’m sure is the guilt factor…. Having a business does often feel a little selfish, it’s my outlet, my other identity and my sanctuary too, it’s also a huge pressure sometimes.

What’s the best thing about being Mumpreneur?

One of the best things about being a Mum and in business is the community and support among like minded people in similar situations. I don’t always ‘put myself out there’ so being a mother has given me something in common with a lot of new people who are doing all sorts of wonderful things – I have made some great news friends in recent years. Engineering work around my family life is really helpful and I have designed a business that is child related so it’s helpful to be a mum and have an insight into children’s wants and needs (my three have acquired quite a few toys too!). It’s so special to be working around living our lives and that privilege isn’t lost on me…my children gave me the confidence to take this leap, my maternity leave was an opportunity and each day I get to experience the family as well as my own business so it’s the best of both.

What are your plans for the future?

My business plans are to continue to increase the variety of toys and nursery décor – incorporating lighting, cushions, decorative, colourful and textured garlands, new brands and all sorts of gorgeousness to enrich a child’s special environment.
Personally, to hone business processes and become more efficient so there is less leakage into family time, to keep learning professionally and personally and to make the most of this precious time… Emelia starts her school career in September and Henry will begin the following year – it’s all going so fast.

What advice would you give for someone just starting out in business?

A few bits of advice …. Firstly of course – be yourself! Secondly, get a mentor, they are not always who you might expect but they are invaluable and a great sounding board. Finally, be SMART and I mean NLP SMART – spend time doing your business plans and SMART objectives to the smallest minutiae NLP style where you literally document every detail for your goals, this will help you decide whether your venture is viable, whether it’s worth the risk and most importantly whether it is the right choice for you and your family.

Is there anything else you’d like to tell us?

I have learned so much over the last couple of years – more than ever before both professionally and personally, the main thing is to just go for it if the opportunity arises to become your own boss. It’s essential to do some planning, especially if you require funding, but you will never be able to plan it all and if you try to, chances are you will just never get started. When you take the first step, the journey really begins and whether it succeeds or fails you will learn so much along the way it’s never going to be a waste of your time and energy.

https://www.piccologifts.co.uk
Twitter @piccologifts
https://www.instagram.com/piccologifts/
https://www.facebook.com/piccologifts/

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Mum working on her franchising

Taylor’d Bundles – A Gift Business

Tell us your name and a bit about your family? When did you become a Mum and to whom?

My name is Caz Taylor and I’m the owner and founder of Taylor’d Bundles. I became a Mum for the first time on 1st July 2011 to the lovely Florence and it was over the days after her arrival that the idea for Taylor’d Bundles came to me. Since then, we have also welcomed another little bundle to the family called Elliott who has only recently turned 1. I’m married to a wonderful man called James and we all live in our cottage in Hampton Hill.

What’s your business called?

My business is called Taylor’d Bundles – the name is a bit of a play of words (and spelling) as each of the gift sets we create, are all curated by myself and have the ability to be personalised in a variety of ways.

Can you describe it in one sentence?

Taylor’d Bundles is a maternity gifting service that offers our customers bespoke gifts sets to help mark and celebrate new Mums and baby’s safe arrival, all of which are created and delivered within 7 working days or less.

When did you become a Mumpreneur and what inspired you?

Over the years, I had organised many maternity leave gifts for colleagues, friends, family and clients. What was available was becoming all too predictable and not personal enough, I was always looking for a gift that was to be remembered for all the right reasons but felt that was available was becoming a little too predictable and wasn’t going to make the impression we were after. So when we received a vast range of beautiful handmade and personalised gifts to celebrate Florence’s safe arrival, my mind was opened up to a world of bespoke and truly thoughtful gifts that got me thinking about creating a business that offered exactly that. Gifts that went that extra mile, that genuinely showed thought, effort and love that no one else would own. It took me 2 years to find the right makers, products and to create processes that would ensure we could offer gifts with a short turn around time, not the long lead times that are normally associated with quality handmade gifts. Bundles began to be sold and the overwhelming positive feedback and sales made me think that it was time to leave the day job, and go it alone so on the 1st May 2014, the website went live and bundles were to be sold in 2 locals shops too. 2 years on the business is going great guns, we are growing year on year, we have a wealth of large corporates we work alongside creating it maternity gifts for and we have a 3 year plan that looks very exciting and can’t wait to see whether the plans take us.

How did you fund your start up?

During the 2 years it took for me to find the right makers and products, I saved to fund the business and marketing myself. I’m in a fortunate position to own the business outright and as I’m surrounded by Accountants (Dad and Husband), my accounts are kept a close eye on which has also enabled me to plan within my limits.

How do you manage working around your children?

I tend to work and plan in the evening and weekends but a lot of my social media is planned in advance to cover me when days are busy or when I’m out with the kids or at meetings. I also have a very supportive family and friend network too who help out too.
Can you describe a typical day, what tasks do you have to get done, how do you manage your time?
As soon as I wake up I check social media and email and then make my list for the day for anything that needs to be responded too ASAP. When Elliott takes his naps during the day, I spend these hours checking orders, fulfilling orders, ordering and managing stock and talking with the collaborators about plans and their businesses too. I have a monthly plan of what I plan to promote and talk about and like to actively support my collaborators in all they do too. Once the kids are in bed, I finish anything off that’s left to do from the day and spend a lot of the evening searching the Internet for more makers, events and fill my planner with new ideas and projects for the coming months. I truly love what I do, and very rarely does it feel like a chore working on Taylor’d Bundles – the makers, the products, the feedback, the customers, they all keep me highly motivated which I feel incredibly grateful for every single day.

What challenges have you faced in your business and how have you overcome them?

The unpredictability of sales was a struggle at the beginning meant one month I would be sending out hundreds of bundles, when another I may be sending out less than one hundred. The business costs me a certain amount each month, so for the first year, it was the priority to ensure that the business didn’t cost me anything to run so it was when I was approached by a large corporate to pitch for their maternity gifts, this opened up the answer to my problem. We now work with a large range of corporates organising their maternity leave gifts for their staff and clients so now I can forecast stock accurately and love the fact I am offering a solution to the issue that I had when I organised gifts such as these myself.

What’s the best thing about being Mumpreneur?

Working your socks off and directly reaping the rewards. Sharing wonderful feedback with the collaborators who created the gifts is so brilliant and to be able to directly support the design talent we have in the UK is a great feeling.

What are your plans for the future?

We have a 2 huge projects for 2017 that we are working on at the moment that will help grow the business enormously. Whilst I can’t say anymore than that, what I can say is there will be be more products, makers and collaborations for the business that I’m so excited about. Watch this space…

What advice would you give for someone just starting out in business?

Create a business that you have a genuine interest in and use any existing skills you have as much as you can, in as much as you can. Your experience helps to drive you when times are hard.

www.taylordbundles.co.uk
www.instagram.com/taylordbundles
www.facebook.com/taylordbundles
www.twitter.com/tayl0rdbundles

 

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Mum running a food business skills while parenting

The Whole Nine Months – A Business Based on Supporting Pregnant Women

Tell us your name and a bit about your family? When did you become a Mum and to whom?

My name is Lauren, I’m a mum of 4. The first being born in 1996 when I was a young mum at 23 and the last being born 2012 when I became an old mum. I have Stanley (20) Jess (boy 17) Darcy (girl 12) and Ace (4)

I sometimes find motherhood challenging and I’ve finally learnt that that’s ok

What’s your business called?

The Whole 9 Months

Can you describe it in one sentence?

Boxes of Loveliness for Modern Mums to be

When did you become a Mumpreneur and what inspired you?

I started out only a couple of months ago with this business but I have been a doula for 4 years, supporting pregnant women throughout their pregnancy and birth. And I noticed how often the mum gets left behind in the excitement of having a new baby and all focus tends to go onto the newborn. I think pregnancy is a time where mums to be should feel considered, nurtured and celebrated so I put together carefully thought out gift boxes to do just that.

How did you fund your start up?

I’m really enjoying it (most of the time). It’s exciting and nerve racking all at the same time but my passion for making pregnant women feel good overrides my worries. It’s hard work but I know it’s needed.

How do you manage working around your children?

I work late nights, early mornings and in between the school run and the house, but I manage. It’s easier when it’s something you love doing (the business not the housework)
Can you describe a typical day, what tasks do you have to get done, how do you manage your time?

Today, I cleaned the downstairs loo before breakfast, done the school run, cut the lawn, met a couple of ladies for networking, done some work at the desk, cleaned another bathroom, done some washing, done another school run and back at my desk for a bit before dinner. I just seem to fit things in where I can, it works.
What challenges have you faced in your business and how have you overcome them?

I find running my own business quite isolating at times, when them times hit I either arrange to meet a friend or go to a cafe and be around people, just people watching. I also find the responsibility for decision making hard and when that happens I tune into my instincts, they usually give me the answer.

What’s the best thing about being Mumpreneur?

Working around my family and feeling like I’m helping other women feel good, the women buying gifts for friends feel good, the women receiving the gifts feel good, in turn I feel good. I like being a positive role model to my kids and contributing financially.

What are your plans for the future?

To grow the business to a recognisable trusted brand. To grow my community, and to keep loving what I’m doing.

What advice would you give for someone just starting out in business?

Get a good business mentor, it can be lonely at times and scary at others, having someone who you can discuss things with and find solutions whilst being supported is really special and important. You can’t know all their is to know about running a business and that’s ok, so it’s a great idea to get someone on board who does.

Is there anything else you’d like to tell us?

I’m a keen blogger, I blog for Huffington Post and on my business’ website, my doula one and The Whole 9 Months. I like The Kardashians, wine and sleep, usually in that order.

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Mum running her business on her laptop

Made by Mummy Markets – Providing an Outlet for Mumpreneurs

Tell us your name and a bit about your family? When did you become a Mum and to whom?

My name is Samantha Jennings, I became a mum in 2013, and started by business in early 2016.

I am a 30 year old mum to a beautiful boy called Thomas, who is coming up 3 years old, and a gorgeous girl called Emily, who has just turned 1 year old. They are absolutely wonderful and fill me with joy, even on the days when I’ve changed 20 pairs of pants and they are climbing up the stairs, again!

My husband is called David. We met via Match.com and are now living our very own ‘digital fairy tale’. He is handsome and kind, and incredibly supportive of me being a stay at home mum and starting my business.

I am a Women’s Institute member, I love to make things, watching science fiction films and if I had to chose between never having chocolate or cheese ever again, I’d have to keep cheese. I just couldn’t live without it!

What’s your business called?

Made by Mummy Markets

Can you describe it in one sentence?

An affordable market place for crafting mothers to sell their creations.

When did you become a Mumpreneur and what inspired you?

The idea for Made by Mummy Markets has been brewing in me for about 2 years, but it was joining the WI and having my second child that really made me do it in early 2016. Emily was a really good baby and started sleeping though pretty well. We have been blessed with two healthy children and after the blur of those initial new baby months began to clear I started to think more and more about my business ideas. As a member of the WI I meet lots of amazing women, and read about them in the magazine, WI Life. I decided that I’ve managed a successful career before kids, and now I keep two small people alive all day, so really I can do anything I set my mind to.

How did you fund your start up?

My initial costs were pretty small so I was able to fund that out of our household income and I knew I could recoup my costs from my first event. I needed to pay for some printing of banners and flyers to promote my first event, venue hire and insurance. My husband has been very supportive in allowing me to use the household income in this way. Other things I use for the business have built up over time and family members have contributed to them as gifts for Christmas/birthdays etc. Things like a laptop, a smart phone, and sewing machine.

How do you manage working around your children?

I am a stay at home mum and we don’t use any other child care. So I look after my children all day, every day. I use a lot of social media based marketing, and email which I do in the evenings. Ultimately there are only so many hours in the day and somethings have to be prioritised. Generally the ironing gets pushed to the bottom of the list and I catch up with house work in dribs and drabs. I have to remember to make time for the odd night off, and the odd date night with my husband, other wise what’s the point in all of that hard work. Because many of my clients are also mums I do lots of meetings during the day combined with play dates, so my kids are always with me. It is not always ideal, but I’m working with families, and we are a family so I think people like to see that side of me. When I have an event the children are looked after by a grand parent.

Can you describe a typical day, what tasks do you have to get done, how do you manage your time?

I often have a 15 minute social media window while my husband has breakfast with the children first thing in the morning. Then I catch up in the kitchen, clear up breakfast, do any prep for the dinner, empty the dishwasher and chuck in a load of washing (how is there always so much washing?!). Once David has gone to work I pack the nappy bag and most days we head out to a play date or toddler group locally. I am a stay at home mum so I find the interaction of toddler groups great for the kids and for me. I couldn’t just stay at home all day.

We have some lovely parks in our town and we don’t get put off by the rain so most days include a walk and my son loves splashing through the puddles on his balance bike. We do lots of free activities. Puddle jumping, picnic lunches in the train station (very exciting!), the library and we have memberships at a couple of museums so can go as often as we like.

We normally head home at about 3pm. 4-5pm is know as ‘danger hour’. The smallest thing can become a total melt down. She touched my toy train, he stood on her finger, the wind blew on me….I think mostly they are just really for dinner, bath and bed but it’s just a bit too early for that. So generally a bit of Peppa Pig comes to the rescue while I cook dinner.

We normally eat around 5pm, David’s home at 5:30pm, bath at 6ish and wee ones in bed by 6:30pm. I normally make it back downstairs for 7pm and have a quick clear up and start working on the laptop. Some nights I just do an hour or two, sometimes I’m working till 11pm. It just depends on what is coming up. I mostly work on plans for up coming events, marketing, emails, website content and recruiting new makers.

What challenges have you faced in your business and how have you overcome them?

So far, tiredness. I have to remember to have an early night once a week. If the kids are sick that throws everything off. But they come first, end of. That’s the beauty of being my own boss. I try not to leave anything to the last minute, because I can guarantee that’s the time the kids will have me up all night. I also have a business plan that starts small. For the preschool years of my children’s life my business is growing, but I am being realistic and not over committing myself. I see these as foundation years, on which I can build huge towers of success once my children are in school and I can operate more normal office hours.

What’s the best thing about being Mumpreneur?

My children are my priority and I don’t have to justify that to a boss. Being a mum is also a gateway to a market of clients that I don’t think I could have reached or understood as well before being a mum myself. I am very proud of my work and as my children get older I hope they will be able to see how they have inspired and driven me. I am working, but I spend every day with my kids. It can be hard and tiring, and I have had to give up things. But I wouldn’t have it any other way.

What are your plans for the future?

To continue to grow my business. To support other mothers turning a crafting hobby into a professional business that makes more money than it costs. I plan to break into new geographically areas, spreading out from my home town. Potentially creating a franchise for other mumpreneurs to take on in their own locality.

Ultimately I hope that the extra money I can bring into our home will pay for home improvements, creating the family home we dream of, together, alongside my husband. Taking some of the financial burden off his hard working shoulders.

What advice would you give for someone just starting out in business?

Start small. But start. Make a plan but DO something. Have an go. Don’t underestimate the power of social media as a free marketing tool! Oh, and join your local WI!

Anything else you’d like to tell us?

Real life arts & craft fairs in North Yorkshire and an e-commerce website.

My fairs are designed to be easy for mothers to attend, short and sweet on Sunday afternoons, just like tea and cake. Low stall fees keep your costs down and your profits up.

The website is the craft fair that never closes. You don’t have to be stood behind a stall every weekend to sell your creations.

What makes us different?

Makers are selected by invitation or application to ensure a high quality of craftswomanship is maintained. Homemade and handmade crafts are key, it’s got to be something more spectacular than just bits you’ve bought and stuck together yourself.

A spectrum of crafts on display. Good old favourites yes, but more as well. Floristry, the written word, pottery……and the list goes on.

Support. I also arrange a number of expert speakers to attend workshops with the Makers. These are both practical and informative. Covering areas like product photography and basic book keeping. Whenever possible these experts are also mums working from home, full of top tips for getting the job done.

 

http://www.madebymummymarkets.com/
https://www.facebook.com/MadeByMummyMarkets/
Twitter – @strawberrysam1

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Get ahead Va

Get Ahead VA – Day to Day Life as a Virtual Assistant

Tell us your name and a bit about your family? When did you become a Mum and to whom?
My name is Rebeca Newenham and I live in Guildford with my husband and our three daughters. I first became a mum in 2001 and my girls Isabelle, Aimee and Robyn are now 14,12 and 10.

What’s your business called?
Get Ahead VA

Can you describe it in one sentence?
Get Ahead VA delivers nationwide virtual assistance services for entrepreneurs and small businesses.

When did you become a Mumpreneur and what inspired you?
In 2010, after a corporate career in buying for retail giants such as Superdrug and Sainsburys, I was looking for a flexible work solution that could fit around my lifestyle and my three young daughters. I was inspired by my mother who ran her own tutorial agency when I was a child. Having grown up with a successfully self-employed mother, I saw it was possible to be able to contribute financially to the family and to do school drop off and pick ups too. My mum was a great example and I knew that one day I wanted to run my own business just like she did.

How did you fund your start up?
Having looked at various business options I chose to start a Virtual Assistance (VA) business because I saw a clear gap in the market for it and because it had low start-up costs. All I really needed was a laptop and myself. My corporate buying career had given me so many great contacts and fantastic business experience, and after a few years of looking after my three children I was well accomplished at multitasking!

How do you manage working around your children?
It is always a juggling act but mobile technology really helps as I can be working from any location and I am not tied into being sat at a desk nine till five. As a business we really embrace flexible working – both for our clients and our VAs. There have been some late nights and weekends but I am lucky to have a great team of people working for me now which makes managing it all much easier.

Can you describe a typical day, what tasks do you have to get done, how do you manage your time?
Every day is different. I am often at networking meetings or business events talking to prospective clients. Luckily I have always enjoyed meeting new people. I also have regular meetings with our existing clients and our team of VAs to make sure projects are on track and we are looking after clients’ needs. We often find that clients come to us initially looking for one service (such as social media or telephone answering) but go on to use our wide range of other services including PR, website design and even accounting.

What challenges have you faced in your business and how have you overcome them?
Like any small business owner there have been many challenges along the way. Knowing when to invest and in what has been key. A few years ago we made a major investment in a new website, which proved to be really worthwhile. It made a real difference to our reach online and helped to develop social media as a key referral channel for our business.

What’s the best thing about being Mumpreneur?
I feel so lucky to have found a real balance between work and family life. Being a mumpreneur means I am in charge of my own time – I can work flexibly around school hours and be there for assembly and netball matches. But I also get to use all the skills I gained in my pre-children career and do something I really enjoy. Networking is a huge part of my role and I have always loved meeting new people. The girls are all really proud of what I do which makes it even more worthwhile.

What are your plans for the future?
At the moment we are particularly excited about our expansion in Scotland, as we have recently appointed a dedicated marketing specialist for this area. Based in Glasgow, Beverley will be working on bringing new clients on board over the next few months. The number of SMEs in Scotland is growing strongly and we are well placed to assist in further growth for these businesses.

What advice would you give for someone just starting out in business?
Don’t be afraid to follow your dreams. Do your research up front and then just get on with it. If things don’t turn out quite as you thought first time don’t panic – just think about how you could do it differently. Keep evolving until you get it right.

Get ahead VAWebsite address: www.getaheadva.com
Twitter address: @GetAheadVA
Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/company/get-ahead-va

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Ocean Coaching – Launching a Coaching Business

Tell us your name and a bit about your family?

My name is Anita McAloren and I am mum to three children, wife and business partner to Mick.

When did you become a Mum and to whom?

I became a mum purely by inheritance in 1997 at the tender age of 23 when my mum in law passed away from cancer, Shaun was 3 (he is now 22) at the time and we took him on as our own son, we then were blessed with two daughters, Eleanor 17 and Grace now 10.

What’s your business called?

Ocean Coaching – your wave of inspiration

Can you describe it in one sentence?

I am your other set of eyes on your business helping you on the road to success and harmonious family business relationships.

When did you become a Mumpreneur and what inspired you?

I became a mumpreneur in 1997 when I had to leave a career in Marketing to become a mum to Shaun. I decided to put my marketing skills to good use and help Micks Auto Electrical business grow. In 2013 I graduated as an Accredited Performance Coach and Ocean Coaching was launched. My inspiration to launch Ocean Coaching and become a Family Business Coach was purely down to our own family business and learning successfully the art of juggling a business and a family, I wanted to share my experiences, tools, and techniques with others to help them achieve success.

How did you fund your start up?

Savings, cutting back on unnecessary spending and hard work!

How do you manage working around your children?

I work school hours so when they are in school, I work. When they are off on holidays, I make good use of technology, emails, smartphone and time management to get as much done as possible without it being detrimental to family life, I am a big believer in boundaries.

Can you describe a typical day, what tasks do you have to get done, how do you manage your time?

Morning after the school run, coffee, breakfast and post on my social media business pages, check emails, answer emails and any client enquiries. One morning a week I attend networking meeting and then continue my usual morning routine.
Lunchtime and afternoon is usually spent on coaching calls, marketing and planning.
Then I usually stop at 3pm pick my daughter up from school and while cooking dinner, I help her with homework and answer any emails or enquiries from my website. 5pm is strict cut off time for me as I then have the evening with my family, I do however confess to sometimes working once the youngest daughter is in bed!

 

What challenges have you faced in your business and how have you overcome them?

Worrying about what other business coaches are doing and how I compete, I no longer worry so much, people buy people and will connect with the right person, also, I have such a great targeted niche that many other business coaches do not specialize in or have experience in, top tip. You are you, people will know, like and trust you, and only you have walked your journey; only you have your knowledge and skill set. Nobody else is you; therefore your services and products are unique to you.
I have worried in the past about confidence and guest speaking, but using NLP, which I am trained in, I have overcome those issues and now I love getting out in front of my ideal clients.

What’s the best thing about being Mumpreneur?

Freedom to work around my family and have no ceiling on my income. Being able to show my girls, you can have a family and a business or a career. They have superb work ethic already!

What are your plans for the future?

Travel more, coach as many family business owners as I can and build my business to a point where I have a passive income, retirement plan and financial freedom.

What advice would you give for someone just starting out in business?

Just do it! Plan, prepare and research your ideal clients, your target audience, don’t spend a fortune on glitzy websites or shiny stuff that is not productive or makes you money and reach out for help and support, you cannot possibly do it all yourself or have all the answers!

Is there anything else you’d like to tell us?

I absolutely love being an entrepreneur, love helping and coaching family business and always happy to jump on a Skype coaching call with my clients and potential clients to see if we are the right fit for one another. Business Coaching is all about rapport!

www.oceancoaching.co.uk
www.facebook.com/oceancoaching

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Squiggle dot and squeeze logo

Squiggle, Dot and Squeeze – Launching a Creative Craft Business

Tell us your name and a bit about your family.

My name is Flori Maisonneuve. I was brought up in Zimbabwe and moved to the U.K 15 years ago. I am married to a French man and have 2 small children. We live very happily in the Surrey countryside, and enjoy an active, outdoor lifestyle including many picnics on the downs and bug hunts in the woodlands. On days that are really wet and cold we like nothing more than being creative.

When did you become a Mum and to whom?

I had my little girl (my “mouse”) in 2011 and in January 2016 had a baby boy (my “Boo”)

What is your business called?

Squiggle Dot & Squeeze

Can you describe it in one sentence

Kids activity craft boxes based on a theme containing all you need to complete 4-5 imagination generating activities and crafts that go beyond the moment and provide quality family time crafting.

When did you become a Mumpreneur and what inspired you?

2015. I was inspired by my passion to provide children with quality, hands on, technology free family time being creative. As a former chef I was also inspired to include a food element in each box, to encourage children into the kitchen. I believe that children learn by example and in the current fast paced world in which we live, it is all too easy to resort to technology for entertainment, and as parents we have a responsibility to stop and spent quality time having fun together.

How did you fund your start up?

I used some money remaining from a home improvement loan combined with some savings.

How do you manage working around your children?

My eldest is in reception so at school, I obviously have a new born to look after, so work revolved around being able to feed whilst typing up social media, packing bags and boxes single handedly or pinching every moment he is asleep. It also involves some late nights, and support from my sister to get it all done. I have had to learn to pleased and satisfied with any task completed

Describe a typical day & what tasks you do and how you manage your time?

My mind never really switches off, and many a social media post is written or programmed when feeding my youngest at 2am and 4.30am. Work in earnest starts after the school run, with a trip to the post office to post orders, then in the hope that my baby is asleep, I dash around making crafts for social media posts, ordering stock, packaging up components for the boxes, preparing for fairs and growing the business. Some days none of the above happens, it can be tears, nappies, nursery rhymes and walks around the block – so on good days I crack on and on bad days I let it go. The secret is being organized with a comprehensive to do list to maximize on the good days.

What challenges you face and how you have overcome them?

The challenge is having not done this before and therefore lots of new skills to learn e.g social media, finanace, business planning, forecasting and marketing. I purchased expert skills from “Get Me Visual” without whom this whole project would still be a dream and not a reality. They guided me from conception to launch and whose skills and expertise I used to my full capacity. Now that I am at it alone, I have done a couple of courses locally, joined several networking forums and rely on friends and family to fill the gaps in my knowledge. The other main challenge is finding the time whilst also being a Mum, and to this end the only solution is to stay up late or get up early!

What’s the Best thing about being a Mumpreneur?

Having launched a small business, there is a huge sense of achievement and pride gained as well as proving to myself what I am capable of. I sleep well in the reassurance that I am providing wholesome activities for our next generation.

What are your Future plans?

Grow the brand and sales and for our social media to become the ‘go to’ place for inspirational, educational, fun resources for parents to use with their kids.

What Advice would you offer to someone starting out?

Feel the fear and do it anyway, you will only regret not trying!

Flori from Squiggle, Dot and SqueezeWebsite www.squiggledotandsqueeze.co.uk
Facebook www.facebook.com/squiggledotandsqueeze
Instagram squiggledotandsqueeze

The writing genie

Using your Writing Skills to Create a Business – The Writing Genie

Tell us your name and a bit about your family? When did you become a Mum and to whom?

My name is Amanda Harvey and I live in a small village in Suffolk with my husband Dean, my daughter Iris, who has just turned 5, and my little boy Dexter, who will soon be 2. I was working full time as a marketing manager when I became pregnant with Iris.

What’s your business called?

The Writing Genie!

Can you describe it in one sentence?

Comprehensive copywriting services including SEO content for websites and social media, PR articles, press releases and copy for marketing materials.

When did you become a Mumpreneur and what inspired you?

I became a mumpreneur when my employer refused my request for flexible working at the end of my maternity leave. I was told that I could only return to my job in the same full-time hours, which would mean putting Iris in nursery for 11 hours a day! I had been a latch-key kid and felt I needed to find work that would let me be at home after school for my children. After searching the job adverts I realised that the only way I could do the work I was trained to do and enjoyed, in hours that suited me, was to become self-employed.

I was inspired by a friend who set up her own successful photography business after being made redundant.

How did you fund your start up?

I am lucky that the type of work I do doesn’t involve much outlay. I used the last of my maternity pay to buy a better laptop and my domain name, writinggenie.co.uk

How do you manage working around your children?

When Iris was a baby, her grandparents looked after her for a few hours a couple of days a week and I worked during naps and in the evenings. She started preschool when she was 2, which gave me more time.

I took 9 months’ maternity leave again when I had Dexter, which meant I wasn’t allowed to do any paid work or I could lose my maternity allowance. Now, Dexter has a few hours with his grandparents during the week while Iris is at school, and he will also be starting preschool soon.

Can you describe a typical day, what tasks do you have to get done, how do you manage your time?

On a Monday or Thursday, I get the kids ready and take Iris to school before dropping off Dexter at his grandparents’. When I get home, I quickly clear away the breakfast debris to create a clear workspace while my laptop starts up. Then I usually get my head down to try to get as much done as I can before it’s time for the school run and to pick up Dexter.

I have agreed a year-long contract with a tutoring business, which involves updating their website content and managing their Facebook page and any other tasks they have for me.

I also have a number of other local clients and I may have to meet them or speak to them on the phone to discuss their requirements or get specific information about their business before I can write their copy.

What challenges have you faced in your business and how have you overcome them?

The biggest challenge is managing my workload alongside running a house and looking after children. There is no simple answer: I just get on with it as best I can and am honest with clients if something is going to take longer than expected because the children are ill or something has come up.

What’s the best thing about being Mumpreneur?

Being able to be the mum I wanted to be while also keeping my brain happy!

What are your plans for the future?

When Dexter is 3, I will increase my hours so that I can take on more work.

What advice would you give for someone just starting out in business?

Don’t spend too much time on hypothetical planning! I think it’s best to get going and learn along the way. You may have an idea about what your business will be like but once you start out your business will evolve and improve if you pay attention to the market and the opportunities that come your way.

Is there anything else you’d like to tell us?

Mumpreneurs are my favourite type of clients so if you need any help with website content, search engine optimisation, blogs, social media or marketing materials please get in touch! You can email me at amanda@writinggenie.co.uk
www.writinggenie.co.uk
www.facebook.com/writinggenie

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Round up of the Best Online Business Blog posts

We’ve scoured the world of business blogging to find you the most useful blog posts on running online businesses. Have a read of the posts and don’t forget to subscribe to any blogs that interest you.

Joanne Dewberry writes lots of great posts for small business owners on her blog, this collection of Top Tips for making sales online also links up to lots of other useful resources.

If you’re interested in working as a Virtual Assistant the the VACT blog has some great posts including this one, Setting up a VA Business while working for your boss.

Finally Business Plus Baby has this great post on The Key Qualities your Business Website needs to have.

And of course, don’t forget to have a look at Mumpreneur Inspiration’s post “Running an online business” which has lots of great online business advice.

Do let us know if you spot any other great online business blog posts.

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Palm tree view

The Benefits of running a Digital Business

I’ve always loved the digital aspect of running a business – creating the websites myself, setting up Facebook and Twitter and managing the social media campaigns. For the last 7 years I have been running community focused small businesses in West London. The businesses all revolved around mums and being a new mum myself meant that through the businesses I built the most wonderful network of friends and colleagues, and really felt part of the community I was living in.

Everything changed in 2015 when we were given the opportunity out of the blue to move to Abu Dhabi for my husband’s work. Not wanting to turn down such an incredible experience, we packed up and headed to the Middle East, two young children in tow. Abu Dhabi’s population is 85% expats, so it wasn’t hard to find likeminded friends and immerse ourselves in the experience. However sacrifices did need to be made and to take up this opportunity meant that I needed to take some time away from my businesses in the UK.
For the first few months I was all consumed with the move – settling the kids in to a new school, learning about new processes and a new culture. However as soon as I started to have some headspace again, I got itchy feet, and realised how much I missed having a focus and a purpose, separate to being a mum and dare I say it, a housewife.
I decided to embark on some online digital marketing training to develop my skills. It was brilliant to have a focus again and something that was ‘mine’, and investing in myself really did make me a happier mummy.

After completing my training my eyes were well and truly opened to how many opportunities exist to build an online business. The benefits of running a digital business are HUGE when it comes to being a mum and having to work around the family. You can create your own schedule, whether that’s working around childcare or grabbing a few hours every evening. You can live anywhere in the world and still work on your business. And I love the fact that you can work from the comfort of your own home, a coffee shop or even on a beach with a latte in hand.

My own experience inspired me to create Making Mumpreneurs, which is a website dedicated to empowering mums to build digital businesses. I share information about online training courses, similar to the ones that I took, as well as tips and inspiration to help them on their journey.

The most exciting thing about my new digital business is the scalability. My audience is currently 50/50 UK and UAE, but my aim is to become global and help mums all over the world. This kind of reach would not even be thinkable before the likes of Facebook and Twitter, but now it is highly achievable.

Believe me, it’s never too late to re-skill and re-invent yourself as a digital entrepreneur, the world is your oyster!

Erin Thomas Wong
Founder of Making Mumpreneurs

www.makingmumpreneurs.comimage
www.facebook.com/makingmumpreneurs
www.twitter.com/erinthomaswong