How to Be a Mumpreneur

I run a successful direct sales business and I am also a Mom of 3 children.

And these two identities are not mutually exclusive. (Well, most of the time…)

I’ve been running a direct selling business for sixteen years now and I’ve built it up to a multi-million dollar turnover.

During that time I achieved my Masters Degree, I had 3 children, and I moved to a completely new area.

And I’ve only been able to do that because I work in the direct selling industry.

I believe that the direct selling industry is a perfect industry for women because you can run a successful, profitable business and be an engaged mother at the same time.

There are no glass ceilings and you can make the business as big or small as you want to.

For the past fifteen years I’ve loved my work and I’ve talked up the virtues of the direct selling industry to anybody who’d listen.

But it didn’t hit me how valuable this flexibility really is until my 6-year old daughter was diagnosed with acute leukemia nearly 2 years ago.

Running a business from a hospital room

With my direct selling business I have been able to work from my daughter’s hospital room. Other parents I’ve met on the paediatric oncology ward have had to give up their job or put their career on hold, causing further stress in the family.

But I’ve been able to keep my business going, keep my sanity by giving me an outlet for my own needs, and continue to provide an income.

All the while I can also support my daughter as she’s battling this illness, and continue to be a mother for my other two children. I don’t know of any other industry where you can do that!

As you can see I’m pretty passionate about the direct selling industry. And this passion has led me to establish Direct Sales Inspiration. I want to help as many women as possible achieve their dreams in this industry and enjoy the fabulous flexibility that I’ve been able to enjoy.

Learn to work in snatches of time

The biggest tip I have for budding business Mom’s is: Don’t expect to work 9-5.

Work when the children are asleep. Work when they are at school, pre-school, or day-care. Work when they’re with the grandparents. Find snatches of time where you can work on your business.

Here are some ideas to help you to do that:

• Take multi-tasking to the next level. You can make business calls while you’re walking a little one in a pram. Make sure you’re ready to go on your business calls when you go for a walk and you’ll be working on your business, providing stimulation to your child and getting exercise. Win!
• Create task folders for everything you need to do on a particular part of your business. Set it up so that you can just grab it and take it with you. You’ll be amazed how productive you can be while you’re waiting at gymnastics or swimming lessons.
• If you have to do coaching-type calls with people, hold group calls or tele-conferences so you don’t have to keep covering the same ground with different people. Group the calls into topics and allow multiple people to benefit from them.
• Download training materials onto your tablet or phone so that you can access them when you have a few spare minutes. Always have some training or inspirational videos or audio books ready to go.
• For one or more nights a week, organize “Office Evenings”.  As soon as your partner arrives home, you go to the office to get some work done. By having an agreement in place you won’t get stuck in the “could you do….while I …..” conversations. Kids will soon get used to it too.
• Get up an hour before the kids so you can get the most important tasks for that day done.
• Have “work toys”. These are special toys for the kids that they only get to play with while you need to do work. They’re great for those times you absolutely have to get something finished or take a call while the kids are with you. You can also use a tablet with a few games or YouTube videos that they only get access to while you’re working.

Always be ready to knock over some work

These are the things that have worked for me, they may not work for you. However, it’s the mind-set that counts.

That attitude of always being ready to work on your business, ensuring you’re always ready to knock over a task when the opportunity presents itself. If you develop that attitude, then you can develop your own practices to suit your business and family life.

Also, check these video interviews for more ideas and experiences of Mumpreneurs.

Update: I recently found this amazing direct sales planner. I it so much that I’m excited to promote it. It helps me to set goals and I can plan out my month, my week, my social media, my follow-ups….I can plan EVERYTHING in the one place. Check it out here.

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