Being a mum is one of the toughest jobs of all requiring plenty of creativity and resourcefulness. So isn’t it time you put those developing skills to use in building the career you’ve always dreamed of?
If you’ve thought about what it would be like to be your own boss, but haven’t yet taken the plunge, the start of a new year is the ideal time to set those wheels in motion. So where do you start?
Start Where you are Now
No two mums have identical starting points. You could be a working single parent with three kids and limited social support or a stay-at-home mum with one child and a supportive family. Your first step is to plan your immediate future to carve out the time you need to get started.
At first, this might just be finding a childminder for one evening a week to attend a night school or you may be fortunate enough to be able to dedicate one or two days a week to setting up your new business. While your own circumstances will affect how quickly you reach your destination and the route you take, it shouldn’t prevent you from starting the engine.
What’s your Idea?
For some people it’s a product; for others, a service (e.g. hairdressing or cleaning). Whatever your idea, you need to clarify it and focus all of your attention upon finding out everything about your chosen industry. Research your competitors (if you think you don’t have any, look at less direct sources of competition!) What is it that they offer exactly? How much do they charge? Where are they located? What are their strengths and weaknesses?
As your research broadens and deepens you will begin to spot opportunities where you can offer something unique – use this as the basis of your USP (Unique Selling Point/Proposition).
Taking your Idea to Market
If you want to be your own boss your idea will need to leave the comfort of your own mind and tackle the crowded marketplace. Be optimistic but sensible by using free channels where possible (word of mouth, social media activity, etc.) and only paying for advertising if you have a decent chance of making a good return on investment (ROI). Think about whether the media you intend to use (email, social media, newspaper, radio, etc.) is likely to reach your target market and how many products/subscriptions/services you will need to sell to make the advertising spend worthwhile. Investigate sources of free or cheap PR (public relations) which could help to spread the word.
It’s All About the Figures
To be your own boss you will need to have a tight control over your business budget. Creating a detailed cash flow forecast will help you to be disciplined and will be crucial when it comes to creating your business plan (check out the government website for some more tips on this and other start up advice).
When you have come up with some realistic figures based on sound research, stress test them by halving your expected income and doubling your projected costs. If the numbers still come out in your favour, your idea has a chance of making you a profit – which is the bottom line of any venture.
Be Your Own Boss with Hip Hop Tots®
Hip Hop Tots® are offering mums who love to work with children one of the most cost effective routes to a new career by licensing out the opportunity to become an instructor. By taking a pre-existing concept and a developed brand and applying it to your local area, you can take away much of the building time – and stress – from the process of setting up in business.
Becoming a Hip Hop Tots® instructor requires no dance qualifications, just a willingness to learn, a fun personality and a love of children. Since our intensive instructors’ course can be taken in just one day, you won’t even have to find huge amounts of time to take your first steps towards your future career.
To find out more about how you can be your own boss with Hip Hop Tots® or to book a place on one of our affordable, fun-filled one-day courses, visit the Become an Instructor page.