Home is where the heart is, so why go to parties? But if this old adage is true, then why consider working anywhere other than from your own place, especially if you’re a mum?
Nearly two in three mothers with children below the age of 10 are thinking about launching their own business from home in the next three years, according to a new study.The Direct Line for Business (DLB) poll found that 65% of mums are tempted to become mumpreneurs.
We look at the pros and cons …
Pluses:
Child bonding
The bonds forged between a mother and child are at their strongest between the ages of 0 and 10. So why waste this fantastic opportunity when time flies so fast? One in five mums cite spending more time with their children as the main reason for starting their own business from home, according to the DLB poll.
Flexible hours
You can more easily base your working life around your young family being your own boss and working from home. One in seven mothers (14%) are motivated by the flexibility of managing themselves, the DLB report showed.
Boosts the economy
Working from home brings thousands of mums into the workplace – and contributing to the economy by paying taxes – who otherwise might not have considered work.
Carbon footprint
Working from home is not only good for your bank balance and your child, it’s good for the planet too. The average UK worker now commutes 10 miles a day to work, according to the RAC Foundation. Staying at home means boiling a kettle for a cup of tea will probably be your biggest working-hours carbon footprint.
You could be better off
For a start, you won’t have to pay childcare costs. The average cost of childcare for two children is £7,500 a year, according to a report published by the Family and Childcare Trust last month. One in six (16%) mothers consider the idea because of these prohibitive childcare costs linked to working a traditional nine-to-five job, according to the DLB study. Then think of all the petrol you will save, besides all the tax and national insurance breaks that freelancers enjoy.
Cons:
Start-up planning and costs
Head of DLB Jazz Gakhal said: “These ventures often require substantial financial investment, alongside the time and effort required to build a business from scratch.”
Self-motivation
starter for workers who aren’t self-starters and need constant encouragement and workmates to bounce ideas off to hit deadlines.
Gakhal said: “It’s great to see that mums are tackling this problem with such an entrepreneurial spirit, as they understand considerable childcare cost savings can be made by running a business from home.”
Tammy Hobson, founder of Mumpreneurs mothers’ business from home club, said: “I decided enough was enough and that I had to look for an alternative way of generating an income … that was flexible around my children.”
Mothers considering starting or already in their own business from home can join clubs for support and/or business networking. They include:
http://www.mumpreneursnetworkingclub.co.uk/
Posted by the Secret Businessman