Mum running her business on her laptop

Running Spanish Lessons with Gemma

Tell us a bit about your family? When did you become a Mum and to whom?
I became a first time mum in 2011 and again in 2013 to two little boys. I was working as an admin assistant for Ernst & Young after having been in marketing for a few years, always searching for the right work life balance. When number 2 came along knew returning to my office job didn’t feel right. As it turns out my whole department got made redundant not long after so am glad I made my decision for myself otherwise I’d have had it forced on me. It felt really positive choosing to be a stay at home mum, but really scary too because I have always had my independent income. I knew I wouldn’t last long!

What’s your business called?
I am known as Spanish Gemma.

Can you describe it in one sentence?
A supportive Spanish Language educational service for all ages in South Birmingham.

When did you become a Mumpreneur and what inspired you?
I just thought wow it feels lonely working alone all the time and was delighted to discover I was not alone after all.

How did you fund your start up?
My business at first used a laptop which I already had but I have used my savings to buy resources over time.

How do you manage working around your children?
As they have spent longer in nursery/school I have had more time to work, I also work quite a few evenings when they’re in bed. Fortunately they’re good sleepers!

Can you describe a typical day, what tasks do you have to get done, how do you manage your time?
I teach Spanish in local nurseries, I run a Spanish Conversational club for Adults, a lunchtime club in a school, a Spanish Songs group for mums and babies and I run a kids club. I have started to produce my own cd and book too. So there isn’t really a standard day. There’s more reactive work and less planning than I’d like but it’s all good. The classes are joyous! Then there’s lots of running about. I grab a couple of hours in the week for admin so the rest is done in the evenings. Tuesday mornings are currently my chance to sit down and plan lessons and get creative.

What challenges have you faced in your business and how have you overcome them?
Learnng new things all the time. I have learned a bit about websites, re-learned lots of Spanish (children want to know very different vocab from everyday language/degree standard language. Like “Mummy, what’s sloth in Spanish?”… I am constantly learning how to teach as I don’t have a teaching qualification. I am learning lots about sourcing resources for classes.

What’s the best thing about being Mumpreneur?
Knowing there are other mums in business out there

What are your plans for the future?
To expand into more classes when the little guy is in school. To maybe branch into YouTube videos.

What advice would you give for someone just starting out in business?
Turn obstacles into opportunities.

http://www.spanishgemma.co.uk/
https://www.facebook.com/spanishgemmabham/
https://www.meetup.com/Kings-Heath-Spanish-Club/