Finding a balance between life and work can be a challenge when you have young children. Work and life often conflict, leaving precious little time to spend with the youngest members of the family.
Many mums are turning to work from home careers to provide their family with the income they need while still having time to raise their children. Still others start small businesses that provide much needed cash without requiring mums to work outside of the home.
The Rise of the Mumpreneur
What used to be a secret of a select few has now become a mainstream way to earn a living. The trend of working from home is growing rapidly, with many mums working jobs that don’t require a physical presence in an office. Between work at home jobs and small businesses, the Internet is quickly becoming the world’s largest employer. New advances in technology makes running a small business from home easier than ever, and has opened the door for many mums who want to be their own bosses and spend more time with the kids.
Small Business Ownership is On the Rise
The trend of running a small business from home is nothing new. Stay at home mums have been selling their crafts, peddling their fresh baked cookies and running childcare centers from home for years. Now mums are expanding the trend with global businesses that bring in enough to support the entire family. From re-selling on eBay to running consulting firms and building retail stores on the Web, mums are making choices that bring them not only time with family but healthy incomes as well.
Working on the Web is the New Trend
The Internet is one of the world’s largest employers, and many mums are taking advantage of this trend. Some write content for websites, crafting press releases, writing blog posts and editing articles for cash online. Others work as graphic artists, creating infographics, building websites and creating logos for sale on the Web marketplace. Still others work as reporters, Internet advertising specialists and video producers online. The possibilities are endless when it comes to making a living on the Web.
Tools for Mumpreneurs
The key to working online and running a small business from the Web is having the right tools to get the job done. Low cost website templates, pre-made graphics and low cost advertising options make it easy for mums to run businesses without breaking the bank. When it comes to the right administrative tools, applications like free web-based email, invoicing and low cost email marketing programs make it easy to run a business on a budget. Google Docs make record keeping a breeze, and social media management sites allow you to do manage all of accounts and keep your customers in the know.
A Day in the Life of a Mumpreneur
A day in the life of a mumpreneur probably resembles little of what we would expect. Most small business owning moms report rising before dawn to start their day’s work. The mumpreneur may have orders to fill, or invoices to send. She may be packaging products for shipping or preparing to meet a client. Most mumpreneurs get more done before 8:00 a.m. than most people get done all day.
They may spend a few hours getting the kids up, dressed and ready for school and doing other household chores, but the majority of their day is spent running their businesses. Mumpreuneurs wear many hats, and often do their own accounting, marketing, sales and customer service. They may work from their home offices, set up shop in the local coffee shop or rent temporary office space for their businesses.
Popular Mumpreneur Businesses
Blogging
One of the most popular businesses for work at home mums is blogging. Work from home mums create blogs that provide in-depth information about everything from parenting tips to home repair. These blogs generate income through advertising revenue and through product sales. Many bloggers enter partnerships with other companies to enhance their standing and generate more income.
Freelancing
Freelancing is growing in popularity and many mums are making a full-time living using their writing, graphic design and technical talents for clients across the Web. Many freelancers work as writers, creating content for blogs and websites. Still others design Web pages, create logos and design t-shirts.
Consulting and Business Services
Some work from home moms run consulting firms, helping other small business owners to get their enterprises off the ground. Others run real estate businesses, travel agencies and small business set up services. Still others work in the professions — accountants, lawyers and journalists.
Growing as a Mumprenuer
While most mums who work from home are making just enough to cover the family’s expenses, some find themselves growing quickly and expanding their businesses to multi-million pound operations. Not surprisingly, many of these mums choose to continue to work remotely to enjoy the work and life balance that comes along with being a home based business owner.
When it comes to finding the right balance between home and work, many mums have figured out that home based business ownership is the way to go. From mums who work as freelancers to those who make and sell jewelry, mumpreneurs are leading the charge and holding their own in the small business landscape.
