Having set up my own business a year and a half ago I understand what it’s like to run a business and look after a family at the same time. It’s definitely not easy to juggle everything… nevertheless there seem to be more and more parents going down the route of setting up their own businesses and becoming Parentpreneurs!
I have written about my journey from leaving my job in Sales & Marketing for luxury hotels to setting up my yoga business in my post about my first year of self-employment. Parenthood seems to be a turning point for a lot of people. We re-evaluate our lives and our priorities I think and for a lot of mums this is often the perfect time to change direction and do what they really want to do!
As the Sunday Times reported a mum of two toddlers needs a salary of £40,000 to make it worth while going back to work and this is just to cover the cost and childcare and travel! This definitely makes us think if it’s not better to just set up our own business as the benefits are huge!
Flexible Working Hours
When you set up your own business you can work around your family. In my case I work in the evenings and weekends because my kids are not in school yet but once they are I can slowly increase the workload as much as I want.
I have found that not a lot of companies offer flexible working hours to their employees which is a shame. A lot of talent is being lost in my opinion because companies fail to think long term. Some companies like Digital Mums, however have understood this and hopefully others will follow their lead!
Build your business around your passion
Setting up your own business can be a stressful time… It won’t feel so stressful, however, if you do what you love! I believe that no matter what your passion is you can build a business around it if you are creative. Once you become a parent I think you really that life is not all about work. Your family becomes your top priority and the rest of the time you want to spend doing something that is just as important to you.
I have come across a lot of mums who have taken their time on maternity leave to reflect on what they really want to do with their lives. It’s the best time to take a step back and decide what is important.
Be your own boss
When you run your own business you are in total control of your time but you can also make your own decisions. There is no marketing department or finance department to ask for approval. You also know that everything you invest in terms of time and money will be for your benefit, the benefit of the business and your ultimately your family which is what it’s all about when you are a Parentpreneur!
Setting up and running my business has been a big learning curve for me. I absolutely love what I’m doing, however, and I love the new network of like-minded Parentpreneurs that I’ve got… Watch this space… There is a lot more to come from Yogaberry 🙂
