So after a couple of glasses of wine I applied to pitch my little Mum business to a room full of successful entrepreneurs and wealthy investors…

[head2toeinuniqlo]

And they offered me a spot 😮

It’s an event in the city for start ups who are looking for a co-founder. I don’t know what I was thinking. My business is far too small for this. You can barely call it a business! I’m an idiot.

AIBU to cancel or should I style it out and pitch my little business anyway, at the risk of looking stupid? Or should I just not go? I can’t decide so I thought I’d ask you lot 😂.

For God's sake don't tell anyone on here what your new business idea is! keep it tightly guarded for now. Very very best of luck with it

Agree with pp that you shouldn't diminish yourself by calling it a "little" business. Don't go in there with "sorry for existiiiiing!" vibes, and rather than asking yourself "will they like me?", ask "will I like any of them?"

Please let us know how it goes! I'm on a similar journey myself so would love to hear back from you!
Good luck just go for it!!!!!

Go for it. I didn't feel my business was really ready to pitch and I didn't have the answers to all the questions but it was still great to go and to see the other businesses and how they presented themselves and hear about their stories and advice and while I didn't win the pitch competition or get any investment I learnt loads and got lots of great feedback

Great advice. It might be a wonderful opportunity, and even if they are not quite what you were after, or you are not quite what they are after, you will learn a lot. You have nothing to lose. Good luck x

DO IT!!! Absolutely 100% do it!!!

Cheerleading you OP!

A startup, no "little mum business" here.

Please keep us updated 🙌🏼

Heres to a successful pitch for your new startup OP 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼

Well done x100 from here, good luck x

As someone who is trying to start their own business, this is very inspiring. Well done op!

Some context for you when you talk about "mum business".

Research shows that when reading a job description a majority men will generally apply if they have 70% of the required experience.

In contrast a majority of women will only apply if they have not only 100% of the required experience but also most of the "nice to have" attributes.

This is a significant contributor to "the glass ceiling" because women devalue their worth and pro rata apply for less opportunities than their male counterparts.

So do it.

A man would.

But for gods sake in your pitch do not belittle yourself. It's a start up BUSINESS not a mums hobby.

Don't talk about its origins perhaps being fitting around childcare for example. Rather you developed xyz concept or identified xyz gap in the market.

Do your background research. Show you know your market, be clear how the investment will create business growth etc

Remember investors don't "just" invest into a business. You can have a great concept but if they have no faith in you to deliver it then the wallets stay closed.

They need to believe in you as much as your business. So don't doubt yourself and don't undersell yourself.

congratulations!!

For God sake know & understand your figures, much more important than a polished pitch!!!

Good for you! Great advice here. Channel your inner business tycoon and get some investors.

The bottom line is money. What will you offer for their money. Get the numbers down.

oh and come back to report. Lots of good thoughts coming your way!

Good Luck! Hope you succeed x

A man wouldn't call his idea a Dad business...

Don't diminish what you're doing.

Good luck

I'm an investor. I see dozens of these a year (in a specialized field only, not general business).

The main clincher when I decide whether to invest is the people. If I see someone who I think will work their socks off, keep going when it gets tough, be really careful with the money they spend and has realistic expectations about their business, I then go on to evaluate the product and market more carefully. If I don't buy the management, even the best looking product in the easiest market ever is not interesting. It is always possible to fuck it up, and successful businesses have been built around relatively pedestrian products.

So you are selling yourself, first and foremost. Your energy, drive and self belief. Focus on that (while of course working like crazy to validate your product, market and business plan).

God, yes. I read "little Mum business" and immediately dismissed you as a serious business, and that's clearly not the case if your application has been accepted.

Stop the "little business" crap. It does you no favours and makes you sound apologetic. Stand tall and go for it!!

Oh op how exciting. Good luck!

A remember this little mantra: oh, for the confidence for a mediocre man!

Make sure you know your figures and how you could and will scale it up.

I supppse mumsnet was once a little mum business - good luck!

Good luck, but what is a ‘little mum business’ ??

Does the business itself have anything at all to do with being a mum or are you calling it that because you are one? If it’s the latter, don’t do that. You’re patronising yourself! It betrays a lack of confidence in what you’re doing which will show when you pitch it. Believe in it and yourself and remember, men who create new businesses don’t refer to them as a ‘little dad business’

This is exactly what I was going to write but @MrsTerryPratchett beat me to it. It's not a little mum business, stop calling it that. Unless it's a MLM!

100% go for it.

This. Someone once said 'Approach life like a white ,middle aged, middle class man would'. Assume everyone will be thrilled with your presence. It'll get you a very long way Good luck. Xx