Making Mumpreneurs . by Erin Thomas Wong
I met Erin briefly at an event I organised last Spring but I we did not have a chance to actually get to know one another until a few weeks ago when I attended a Netwalking group which her husband has set up in Bournemouth for local Entrepreneurs to meet and collaborate . Whilst walking on the beach on a gorgeous sunny morning , I found out about how she created Making Mumpreneurs and is bringing women together , providing support and a platform for shared resources . I love what she does and she is clearly very good at it ! I am delighted to be sharing her interview with you as she is a true Networker and Connector . I will let her tell you about herself in her own words ...
“ Making Mumpreneurs is an online community which supports and empowers mums who are running businesses around family life . A Mumpreneur is someone who sets up a business after having children , and often their motivation is to be able to design a career that they love doing which also fits around their family commitments . Sometimes it ’ s just not viable for women to go back to a full time job due to the cost of childcare and the lack of flexibility offered by employers .
While I lived in London I co-founded Ealing Mums in Business , and we organised monthly local business meetups for mums running their own businesses . We were overwhelmed with the response and realised how important it was to create this support network . Two years ago my family and I left London and moved to Abu Dhabi , which was a massive change for all of us . I felt incredibly isolated and a long way away from the wonderful business community I had actively created in London . I realised I needed to bring this community online , where geographical location was no longer an issue . I set up Making Mumpreneurs to create an online space where these like-minded mums can connect and support each other through the challenges of juggling a business whilst raising children . The response has been incredible , and the Facebook group is hugely active .
This year I launched a membership club called The Cocoon , which is the inner sanctum of Making Mumpreneurs ; a safe place to learn , evolve and grow . We have monthly masterclasses , expert advice , accountability and a fantastic sense of camaraderie , all from the comfort of your own home . This is ideal for mums who can ’ t attend networking events because they are looking after their children . I believe strongly in collaboration , and The Cocoon has given me an opportunity to draw together all the amazing business experts I have met over the years to provide valuable training for the members . In return I promote them to the wider Making Mumpreneurs community . Collaborating and networking is definitely about working out how best to work together for mutual benefit .