ACPR Blog

Lilach Bullock is a renowned virtual PA who helps to support business people from her own office. And the successful entrepreneur is offering telephone seminars on how to set up similar ventures. She said: “These are a great way for people to find out about setting up their own VA (virtual assistant] company - which has to be attractive in the current economic climate.

“People simply dial in from the comfort of their own home and participate in the session.”

The next phone seminar hosted by Lilach, a finalist in the National Virtual Assistant of the Year Awards 2007 and Mumpreneur of the Year Award 2008, is on Friday, November 14 at 8pm. Lilach also runs one-day workshops on setting up a virtual assistant business. For more information and to book a place on a free phone seminar call Lilach on 01442 231663 or email info@asklilach.co.uk

From Hemel Today

Mumtrepreneur figures set to rise

More than 50 per cent of new mums are keen to set up their own business, according to new research from Tesco Baby & Toddler Club.

In fact, the survey of 2,000 mums* has revealed one in ten working mums are sick of David Brent bosses who overlooked them for promotion simply because they were a parent.

More than ten per cent of those questioned complained they’d been discriminated against at work by female colleagues (who were actually worse than men). And one in five mums had struggled with employers who demanded they work longer than their contracted hours.

The research carried out by Tesco Baby & Toddler Club to mark the launch of its new website suggests the current one million women-owned businesses in the UK** is set to increase – and six per cent of those questioned claim to already have enterprising ideas ranging from hand-painted cribs to pet hotels.

The research also revealed that 20 per cent wanted to be work-at-home mums because of the flexible hours. The mums were especially internet savvy, and with the end of the extended family and 24 hour access to websites, 40 per cent said they turn to the internet for help on baby/parenting matters. This compares with just 34 per cent talking to their doctor, 29 per cent turning to other parents and one in five seeking advice from their local health centre.

A spokesperson for Tesco Baby & Toddler Club said: “While we know from official figures that the percentage of working mums has increased over the last five years***, it seems we’re not so keen to work for someone else when it comes to the practicalities of winning the work/life balance.

“It’s in direct response to the demand for mums seeking parenting help and support online that Tesco have launched the baby club website offering advice from some of the country’s leading baby experts, plus the opportunity for mums to talk to other mums, including work-related experiences.

“We know from our own members that being able to talk to other mums in similar situations can give them the confidence to make changes that are right for them.” The survey also revealed that when it comes to role models, the top 10 working mums are:

Do you think selling chocolate bars with customised wrappers is a great business idea? I’m not convinced, but over 200 people have signed up for a My Little Wrapper business.

 My Little Wrapper is brought to you by Sue Botterill, founder of MyMag and Raring2Go franchise opportunities. Together with husband Nigel, who spearheads theBestOf website business op, I suspect Sue does know what she’s doing in the way of business, whatever my doubts.

Anyway, this month Sue has over-ordered the chocolate for My Little Wrapper. Not a big problem? Well, it is if you have over ordered by a factor of 10 due to a fax error. So, if you can get the money over to them by the end of Monday 29thth September, you can get a My Little Wrapper business for les than half price:

Mini Business Pack   WAS £1,999 with 1 box of chocolate     NOW £800  (plus VAT & P&P)  
 INCLUDING 4 boxes of chocolate (that’s 400 bars worth over £140!) that’s a saving of over £1,200 

Professional Pack       WAS £2,749 with 4 box of chocolates    NOW  £1,400  (plus VAT & P&P)  
INCLUDING 8 boxes of chocolate (that’s 800 bars  worth almost £300!) a saving of over £1,400 

You can get the full details about My Little Wrapper on the website www.getmylittlewrapper.co.uk.
To take advantage of this ‘one off’ offer  call Steve or Thom on 0121 765 3400 and tell them that you’d like to take advantage of Sue’s Incredible Chocolate Coated Deal. They’ll be able to take a card payment over the phone and get the Pack shipped to you straight-away.  If you prefer, you can buy online here. And if selling chcolate bars doesn’t appeal, read about lots of other flexible home business ideas at Family Friendly Working.

Are you more productive when you work from home than you were when you worked in an office? Here are the working from home distractions, as revealed in a survey by iVillage.co.uk:
The Kitchen
The children
Personal calls and visits
Housework
The skiving urge

“The first thing you must do when working from home is set up a designated work space”, says Ronita Dutta, editor at iVillage.co.uk. “By having a designated work area, you are mentally putting yourself in an office environment even if you don’t have a separate room. This is especially important for women who work from home as they tend to want to multitask to save time”. (more…)

 Over half of new mums would like to run their own business, and the number of mumpreneurs is growing daily. If you want to start your own home business, here are some pointers from Antonia Chitty, author of Family Friendly Working, to get you going:

Tags: Family Friendly Working, mumpeneurs
Posted in Family Friendly Working, Franchises, Part time jobs, WAHM, Working from home, flexible jobs | 1 Comment »