‘Mumpreneurs’ – patronising to some, empowering to others, the term is here to stay! Nicky Chisholm and Sara Guiel, founders of The Mumpreneurs Networking Club have been at the leading edge of the mumpreneur movement for nearly a decade. To date, their business networking events and meetings held by their business networking groups have had 28,000 visits! It is led by the demand of this very active, dynamic entrepreneurial community and demand for this sector is rising on and offline.
Don’t ever underestimate the Mumpreneur community, they are a niche sector within the entrepreneurial landscape. Members are often those that have dreamt about becoming an entrepreneur and aren’t going to let life get in the way! These women are the primary carers and run their business around the family, the school day, home commitments and fully embrace all types of flexible working.
They are unable to work to the traditional 9-5 hour day stuck in a corporate environment so they have turned to entrepreneurship. The result is their own flexible working business enabled by the advent of digital technology, flexible working culture, easily accessible and affordable business software and multiple social media platforms.
These business owners are by driven by necessity and want, to contribute to the family income and remain as the primary carer. They need to minimise huge childcare costs and utilise their skill sets to stabilise the family economy. This has the added by product of their hard work and ambition providing a great role model for the family.
Mumpreneurs DON’T write mumpreneur on our business cards, websites, branded vehicles and clothing, we DO search and seek out the support and counsel of fellow mumpreneurs that understand the unique set of challenges that running a business around a family can pose and our business networking groups provide this opportunity. Being a Mumpreneur is how you find, engage and leverage your support system!
This year alone The Mumpreneurs Networking Club has recorded 4,500 visits from men and women at their meetings and not a single person mentions the word mumpreneur in their pitch or has it written on their marketing material.
These people have chosen to join The Mumpreneurs Networking Club because they have found a community of like-minded and ambitious business owners. Here they have found support that empowers them, customers that add to their bottom line and the opportunity to forge partnerships with fellow business owners. The business support they receive will help them increase business visibility and contribute to economic growth.
Being a mumpreneur is a quick way to access support and advice. Being a mumpreneur is what goes on behind the scenes of a business. It is a search term and online filter that can source, find and connect you with business owners and entrepreneurs in the same position, those that can assist you in your business journey, reduce your sense of isolation and find solutions to your problems.
Every business, large or small needs to create their own trusted network of advisers, leaders, mentors, board of directors and supporters in order to allow their business to survive and grow. And most importantly guide them through tough times and help them through economic uncertainty.
Thousands of women in the UK run businesses around a family. They are female entrepreneurs. Mumpreneur is the term that recognises their unique combination. Running a business around a family has many complexities that can only be fully appreciated when you’re amidst the daily challenges of this entrepreneurial journey, it is these unique challenges that set us apart from other sectors within the entrepreneurial landscape.
A report in 2015 from economic think tank Development Economics, commissioned by eBay, has evaluated the contribution of “mumpreneurs” to the UK, and found that the sector is growing at an unprecedented rate.
In 2015 mumpreneur led businesses generated £7.2bn for the UK economy and supported 204,000 jobs. By 2025, the report claims that the mum economy will generate £9.5bn for the UK and support an extra 13,000 employees, taking the total jobs created by mumpreneurs to 217,600.
The Mumpreneur community across the UK is led and driven by hardworking and ambitious women. It is time to drop the outrage and offence at this business term and work with this talented sector of the entrepreneurial world while recognising the importance of this workforce to the UK economy.
For many the term is like Marmite, if you love it jump right in and if you hate it you can simply back off and let us run our businesses, our way. There will never be a term that pleases everyone but any business word that can inspire thought, trigger action, create a community and spark positive debate should be welcomed by all #mumpreneurs. We are a force for good and our business networking groups are witness to the creation and growth of some brilliantly successful businesses.
Over and Out
Nicky and Sara – Directors The Mumpreneurs Networking Club and Champions of the Mumpreneur Community
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