It's time to celebrate Mumpreneurs
Despite living in an age of equality, many women today are still faced with the difficulties of balancing a career and being a mum.Confronted with squeezing the 9-5 to fit in with the school run, it’s no surprise many women never return to their previous full–time jobs
Flexible working and a better work-life balance are two of the main reasons women start businesses and digital technology is providing opportunities such as we’ve not had before. The boundaries between home and work are blurring. Innovations such as The ‘Cloud’ (some may call it the ‘Fog’) mean we can access information and software anywhere – liberating everyone to work in a more flexible way.
So, whereas in the past, women in corporate life have had to choose to work long hours away from the home, to the detriment of a fulfilled family life, or perhaps take a lower skilled part-time role, technology is changing this, thus removing a significant barrier to women in business.
One mum who was motivated to build a business to fit in with her family is Heather Dougherty. When she compared the options of working for herself and working for someone else, there was a huge financial consideration in paying for childcare, so her preferred choice was to start-up a profitable company that would allow her to achieve a work/life balance.
During a break in her career to have children, Heather retrained, gaining a diploma in wines and spirits and, what started out as a couple of wine tasting events, progressed into the successful wine events company that “Red White & Rosé” is today.
Alyson Howard, a mum of three, manages to combine motherhood with a corporate finance career. Alyson says: “The benefits of being your own boss can make life better in many ways so I would like to persuade more mothers that it is an option they should actively consider.
With today’s technology, we really can work anywhere. As a result, I now work more from home than I ever did.” With women’s skills for multi-tasking, the flexibility that running a business offers can provide women with a way of having a career without missing out on playing an important part in their children’s upbringing.
Of course, setting up a business is hard work initially but the most rewarding things in life usually need effort and determination to succeed.
