Mums the Business: Robyn Hatley's Blog for Mums Working from Home, Mumpreneurs and Home Business; Inspirational Stories, Business Tips and Resources from Robyn Hatley, the Business Coach for Mumpreneurs

Robyn Interviews... Lisa Houghton & Tracey Park - Talking Tots

Names: Lisa Houghton and Tracey Park

Business: Talking Tots

Business Website Address: Talking Tots

What do you do?

Talking Tots offers interactive & fun sessions to help pre school children develop: social confidence, listening and attention skills, sharing and turn taking skills, semantic knowledge (word meaning), narrative ability (storytelling), phonological awareness (to aid literacy).

What inspired you to set up your own business?

For several years we had been noticing a decline in the social & communication skills of the general pre-school population.  There are many pre-school classes that focus on music, movement, dance or messy play – there are NO other classes that focus on one of the most important, complex skills that we ever learn... communication.

We are both paediatric Speech & Language Therapists, with over 30 years experience between us, so it made sense for us to start classes.  The first classes that we started became so popular that we realised that we had something that parents wanted and that no other pre-school groups were offering.  So we’ve decided to now launch Talking Tots throughout the UK...

How old were your children when your business launched?

Lisa - 2 girls ( 7 & 4)  Tracey 3 girls ( 20, 16 & 7)

What was the most difficult aspect of starting up your home business?

Robyn Interviews... Dionne Graham - Beautiful Possibilities

Want to be inspired?  Then read on to hear the story of our latest mumpreneur, Dionne Graham.

Name: Dionne Graham

Business: Beautiful Possibilities

Business telephone number:  0777 1910167

What do you do? 

Host “Spa Cafes” either in groups at lovely venues or at clients home. I educate about skin care & make up application.  The group chooses an indulgent menu and we go through it from starters to main course!
And I also train other women (often mothers or women who always wanted to be in the beauty industry) to host their own events and create another income stream.

What inspired you to set up your own business?

I always wanted to and knew I would! I had beauty salons but when I had my third baby after a 10 yr gap I knew I didn’t want to go back to those long hours so explored taking an element of what I already knew how to do but without the overheads. 

How old were your children when your business launched?

I started my first business with no children, then had two 19months apart only 1yr 10 months after starting! I kept that going for 13yrs then recently started again Aug 07.

What was the most difficult aspect of starting up your home business?

Starting Your Business - So What’s Really Stopping You?

Even if you love a job or being a full time parent, you've probably heard and thought about the saying "you can't get rich working for someone else."  Maybe you've even thought about your own business and have ideas about what sort of business you could run. Have you thought as far as a name, tag line, and so on?

So what's stopping you registering that business name and starting up?

Many people sitting at home or at work day dreaming about business will be thinking along the lines of "its ok for those rich people, they already have a great business. What could I do? How could I get a business going like them?"A majority of the big names you hear in business were once where you are now - many didn't have a wealthy background, business savvy parents, an exclusive education or numerous contacts to work from.

So, what's the difference between you and those business success stories? Why be so sure you can't succeed like they did?  In reality, the only thing stopping you starting your business and taking it as far as you want to is YOU.

Start with the important business ingredient.  Yes, to start a successful business career, you have to

Robyn Interviews... Liz Scott - Imagetastic

I recently caught up with Liz Scott to get the low-down on her Image Consultancy business, Imagetastic.

Name: Liz Scott

Business: Imagetastic

Business web address: www.imagetastic.co.uk

E-mail address: enquiries@imagetastic.co.uk

What do you do?     

I’m a Colour me Beautiful accredited Image Consultant who is passionate about helping others look and feel their best in the clothes they wear.

What inspired you to set up your own business?

I wanted a career where I felt fulfilled, but could also balance it with my family life.

How old were your children when your business launched?

One child, a daughter then aged 18 months.

What was the most difficult aspect of starting up your home business?

Work and Family Life - Take Control by Using Your Managerial Skills

Lisa M Roberts writes:

There's a title every work-at-home parent holds. It may not help to advertise it on your business card, but it couldn't hurt as a sign boldly displayed in your home office. What could possibly describe every job an at-home working parent covers?

Try "Director of Business & Family Affairs." It pretty much sums up your life (as much as a single title could!).

The key to making this integrated job position work for you is to see yourself as you are - a Manager. Managerial skills constantly come into play as you juggle the three "departments" of your home career: parenting, business and housework. Without strong managerial skills, one of these "departments" is bound to collapse.

If your workload gets overwhelming at times, just do what all good managers do - draw up a plan. If you've been in management professionally before, you know what's expected of you; if you haven't, draw from your roles as a parent and head (or co-head) of your household.

A manager steps back to see "the big picture" and to develop a course of action, then steps in to set that plan in motion. This takes the ability to:

• Delegate and motivate.
• Schedule and organize.
• Monitor what works and what doesn't.

Be Brave, Be Inspired, Be a WAHM!

Are you a WAHM?

No, this is not a typo!  It’s the official title of the WORK AT HOME MOM

I am busy typing up this article for SmallTalk Magazine, as my (nearly!) three year old is watching a Barney video and enjoying a snack, before we rush out the door in 40 minutes for our Mom & Toddler swim lesson.

I know that this assignment, like all of my work, may need to be completed in dozens of fifteen minute increments, but I’m ok with that! I've put in a full day and it is only 9:30 am. I have walked my eldest daughter to school, delivered a parcel to the post office as they opened, returned a business call, cut up an apple for the (nearly!) three year old, started my nine hundredth load of laundry, answered some e-mails, begun writing some ideas down for an e-program I want to design, taken my (nearly!) three year old to the potty...

Yep, I live in a fragmented world. Multi-tasking has taken on new meaning. AND I WOULD NOT HAVE IT ANY OTHER WAY!

The combination of mother and business owner isn't for everyone. For me, however, it is a wonderful blend of inspiration, challenge and soul food that I have never found anywhere else….Whether your business from home is presently underway, or even just a notion that’s warming in your soul, I hope you will read on and enjoy my Top Ten Tips for Being a WAHM...