Salima Manji is a mum of two from Fulham, West London, where she has just set up her new business City Networking Events. In this letter she tells all about her secrets to becoming a successful mumpreneur.
My background is in Investment Banking and I have always been a very career driven lady – I didn’t want that to stop just because I’d had children. I did, however, want to spend more time with my children and as my focuses changed I knew that I needed to find a way to do that, as well as keep working if possible.
That was when my idea came about to set up a business. People were telling me it was so hard to network in London. There were plenty of events, but most seemed to be held in bars in the City where people were crammed in and I knew from my own experienced that there was more of a need for more relaxed, upmarket surroundings.
I live in Fulham, and I noticed that there was a need for networking events covering West London – in particular the wealthy districts of Mayfair, Chelsea and Knightsbridge. My new business quickly became my “new baby” but this didn’t put me off setting up another three years later!
So, what is my secret? It’s maintaining a good work/life balance and that is key! So here is my guide to successful mumpreneurship:
Get an iPhone
My iPhone seems to frequently save the day! I always need to be flexible and people rely on being able to contact me all the time. So, I use my iPhone for everything from answering calls or emails to organising my diary.
Find good, reliable childcare
Depending on what business you run, you are likely to need an army of child minders to hand! Luckily for me, my networking events run in the evenings, so quite often, I put my children to bed and then call on my child minder to keep an eye on them while I go out to work. There will be other times too when you need to dash out to a last minute meeting, or something important crops up – so try not to rely on one babysitter.
Supportive family
This is by far the most important element for what I do. When starting a business, your family will share your highs and lows so having their support on board will be the most important tool to your success.
Focused approach
When the kids are out at school, this is when I get most of my work done. The secret is to keep focused, write lists and set yourself achievable targets.
Home shopping
Finally, my personal favourite is a good home shopping service – I’m the Queen of online shopping! From groceries to ordering kids clothing, Halloween outfits, amazon for books… This saves me no end of time, which I can then focus back on to getting my jobs done for the day!
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