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?

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?

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...

Feel the Fear in 2008

Did you know that a young child will fall more than 1, 500 times when learning to walk?  This mean feat is characterised by 3 elements: action, persistence and reward.  A young child has no concept of failure, and therefore no fear of failure.

What would you do if you knew you couldn't fail?

Would you start your own home based business?  Would you write a book?   Would you start training for that 10km mini marathon?

So what’s stopping you?  Could it be fear?  The fear of looking silly, the fear of falling flat on your face, the fear of failure?

If your answer is an honest “yes”, the rest assured – you are not alone!  In fact if you know someone who says they never experience fear – pinch them to make sure they’re really human!  Some fear is instinctual and healthy and keeps us alert to trouble.  Too much fear is inappropriate and can hold you back from the life we were meant to live.

Just like that young child, pulling himself up every time he falls down, and attempting those first few wobbly steps again and again and again, we all have a choice... We can choose to try and ignore the fear, to never try new things, to stay inside our comfort zone, never growing, never taking those first few steps... The other option? To feel the fear – but do it anyway!  It just takes courage.

So how do we build our own sense of courage?  Simply put – follow the steps of that young child, by: