New mums are a growing force in business
Read the latest column in our parenting series by Monday editor and local mum Kasey Simpson. I have started my own business – Flow State Public Relations (Shameless plug but you’ve got to put yourself out there, right?). Yes, I am knowledgeable...
Read the latest column in our parenting series by Monday editor and local mum Kasey Simpson
I have started my own business. It is called Flow State Public Relations (shameless plug, but you’ve got to put yourself out there, right?). Yes, I am knowledgeable and an expert in creative communications. I believe in myself and my abilities as a PR pro. However, moving past all that bravado, my hand was forced to start this business.
Don’t get me wrong, I always wanted to own my own business one day. But, to be honest, it didn’t start the way I had planned it. You can read more on that here.
Have you ever read The Wife Drought by Annabel Crabb? The premise of the book is that everyone needs a wife. Annabel analyses data from 2014 (which, not surprisingly, is still relevant today) finding that although women have entered the workforce, they have kept the household admin and care responsibilities. So, we are working twice as hard as our male counterparts. (This is a very simple summary, so please go read the book.)
No wonder we are feeling burned out. And no wonder new mums are finding themselves dreaming of a different kind of life. A life where they can be their own boss, set their own hours and take control of their own destiny. And that's exactly why so many new mums are starting their own businesses.
An Australian Women's Chamber of Commerce and Industry (AWCCI) survey found that 34% of women business owners in Australia started their businesses because of a desire for greater flexibility, which is a common motivation for many new mums. The same survey also found that women business owners are more likely to have young children at home than men business owners.
New mums are a growing force in the Australian business landscape.
Starting your own business allows you to have the best of both worlds: you can still be a hands-on parent while building something for yourself. Being your own boss means no longer do you have to answer to anyone else's schedule, you get to set the rules and create a work environment that suits you and your family.
Of course, starting a business isn't easy and being a new mum adds an extra layer of complexity. But, hey, if you can handle being a new mum, you can handle anything, right?
From personal experience, starting a business as a new mum is a challenging but rewarding journey. To all the new mums out there, don't be afraid to take the leap. It might just be the best decision you ever make.
