‘Mumpreneurs’ are working mothers who leave behind the stresses of corporate life to find fulfilment and success running their own businesses from the kitchen bench.
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Home-based businesses are one of the fastest growing business sectors in Australia, and mothers of young children are increasingly taking up the challenge here in Cootamundra.
Jenny McCallum, a mum of three, worked between 30 and 55 hours a week after having her first child and realised she was missing so many milestones.
When she fell pregnant with her second child, she knew something had to give and Cynosure was born.
Under the business name, Jenny has turned her hand to many ventures including photography, LipSense lip gloss and most recently Cynosure Pearls Online Store.
She uses social media to her advantage and each week goes Facebook Live to open oysters purchased by her growing customer base, revealing the pearl inside before providing a live valuation of the pearl.
Jenny is able to operate her businesses largely from her smartphone.
”I work my own hours; I generally keep weekends free and work nights a lot,” she said.
“Because my businesses are linked to social media, I can work for an hour and schedule posts to go up throughout the day to keep my businesses interactive.”
What’s next for this driven mumpreneur? Jenny is working on new products to stock to sell as well as planning to offer AfterPay to customers, recognising the benefits of this to her business.
“I love working and I feel quite privileged to be able to stay at home with my kids while I do it,” Jenny said.
“I honestly recommend every person find what they love and see how they can turn it into their own business; you won't know until you give it a try.”
Another Cootamundra mumpreneur, Brigid Holder has successfully turned her own health, energy and weight loss transformation into a thriving health and wellness coaching business with Isagenix.
Working from home gives Brigid the flexibility she desires.
With her husband and their two sons, she is operating her business from the snowfields of Dinner Plain this school term.
Such flexibility only works with extreme organisation and Brigid said planning each work day is a key to her success; that and balance.
“Scheduling in family time and no device time is essential in my balance - I learnt this through mistake!”
Brigid had a good role model in business with her mum running a fabric and sewing lessons operation; while buzzwords such as ‘mumpreneur’ were not around a generation ago women combining motherhood with stay-at-home work is nothing new.
Brigid is currently studying nutrition to further help her clients.
She tells people interested in self-employment if they want success it is available to absolutely anyone.
“Setting goals and planning steps toward the goals will set you up for success wherever and whoever you are,” she said.