Help!! Support for self employed mums working from home - thought there was a resource on mums net??

[sandy06]

Hi, I thought I saw some time ago a resource page on mumsnet about workign from home (which included intereting stats on women working from home); I am seting up a business literally from the kitchen table and would love some support. Does anyone have any good resource to recommend?? Anyone done it??
Thanks!

bump

I have recently been working from home and got bugger all done cos' I was busy on here

So perhaps a bit on Mumsnet wouldn't be that helpful really

It's nice working from home though. Are your kids at school whilst you are working or are they little.

I am only doing it because I am pg, so I am not usually at home, but I think you need to be incredibly disciplined to do so.

I think netmums have some bumf on this.

There's a book which I got out from my local library which is quite good called 'The kitchen Table Entrenpreneur: An inspirational guide to turning your hobby into a profitable business' by Paul Power ISBN 1-84528-065-2 if your library don't have it I'm sure you could get it on amazon. Hope this helps.

what are you thinking of doing?

and yes i have

I do it!! Run my own jewellery co. www.funkijunkjewellery.co.uk

I basically do almost everything online, and also do party-plan in the evening when DH gets home from work. Only been doing it for a few months, but love it!

You do need to be disciplined though!

Try business link - not sure of web address, and there is also another good one, women-on-top.proteus.titaninternet.co.uk/

OK - so calling it women on top was a bit err crass!! There will probably be a chamber of commerce and a womens network in your area that will offer loads of free advice. business link is really good.

Hi, I started working from home 1-2 years ago, as a journal editor. It's entirely internet-based and I do the hours that suit me. I can even work when the children are off school (but only just). If you're interested, try a distance-learning course on editing and/or proof reading.

Have you considered becoming a Virtual Assistant, if you have secretarial or admin skills you can use these working from home felxible hours and the fees charged are around £20 an hour. I actually specialise in running programmes to help you set up in this business as there is so much to consider. Most importantly I help to build confidence. Although you should ideally have at least 5 years experience in the admin field.

Hi Sandy06 and all the others WFH mums out there - this is what I do too, I set up a business last Easter making curtains. To be honest I don't find the discipline thing too bad - I gave up an office job outside of the home to do this so I was used to getting all my housework done in the evenings - and I am lucky in that I have turned a hobby into a business, I love what I do and am no way tempted to go and do a spot of scrubbing the bath when the sewing gets boring! I haven't found a RL networking/professional group so will look up the ideas posted below - that has been the hardest thing, missing the company of the office, so it would be good to have a networking circle.

What are you thinking of doing?

thank you everyone who's replied. I will look into the links and references supplied. I am setting up a business selling wall stickers for the home - unique designs to give a plain wall (or window or mirror) some detail and interest. It will be internet lead mostly, just getting it all together now.
Cheers so much

Sandy - are you in a rural area? Women in Rural Enterprise are supportive.

ive been to funkyjewery its fab

Actually funkimummy, i had quite a hard time find good men's jewellery for my husband for christmas - have you considered a men's range? The men's jewellery websites also didn't provide much confidence, no one rang me back or responded to emails... I did find something eventually but maybe men's jewellery is more of an unchartered area??

I set my own business too in the summer making desserts specialising in chocolate and merringue.

thanks to all those who helped. I got the book Kitchen Table Entrepreneur from the library, some good ideas, not least the title, which is what I now like to think of myself!! I've now launched, www.billyville.co.uk - any feedback and advice much appreciated. It's quite difficult with 17 m.o. and small bits of time here and there to concentrate on it, and on the evenings. But trying to get PR when everyone's gone home isn't going to happen!!

some very interesting stuff here. Herringbone how much does your skill pay per hour and how many hours do you do a week? or are you paid per project? Where dio you actually get the work from - via agencies? This sounds like a superbe, flexible job to me.

Bizzymum what does in the "admin" field mean - admin covers most of "everything else" in an office that is n't secretarial? Again how does one actually find and field work? I would be looking much more at the admin rather theh secretarial side.

Thanks.

BIZZYMUM- I am really interested in becoming a virtual assistant, i have worked in the finance industry for 4 years and previous to that general ofice skills, i am now a sahm of 1 with one on the way, i really want to do this but don't have funds to set up a business, Please could you mail me to discuss further the possibilities that are available.

Sorry for taking over this conversation!!!!

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