Unless they’re in business themselves, it’s not uncommon for friends and family to come across as unsupportive. When you’ve had a hard day and are looking for some support, many of them will ask what appear to be insensitive questions such as, “when are you going back to work?” or “when are you going to get a proper job?”

They don’t mean to be hurtful, they just don’t get it. But as we saw in the last blog, there is a lot to gain from having a good support network around you. So what can you do to begin building that network?...

Did you spend years craving freedom and independence? There’s no doubt that starting your own business can give you that. But that doesn’t mean that you’re not going to need a support network.

Many mumpreneurs might realise this when times are tough. However, a support network can be invaluable when business is great too. Below are our top 7 reasons why you need to build a support network.

1. Something Goes Wrong

Business is not always smooth running, whatever anyone else might tell you. You might see businesses around you that always seem to be doing well but behind the...

Have you ever heard the phrase “face your fears”? A person’s response to that tends to go one of two ways: instantly thinking, “Absolutely no chance” and sprinting in the opposite direction, or, a “yes, I CAN do this”, gun-ho, let’s-go-flat-out-and-defeat-this-thing approach.

And yet neither of these responses will allow you to come through those fears unscathed. One ends with no action being taken and the other, risks making you so vulnerable and overwhelmed, that you end up with your fear growing rather than dissipating.

There’s a...

It’s all very well understanding why we don’t prioritise our own self-care and the types of obstacles that get in our way, but it’s of no use if we don’t then do something about it!

In the last blog post, we identified the obstacles you might have. Now it’s time to take some action and begin making self-care a part of your life, regardless of your other commitments.

Realistically, how exactly can you do that? Here’s our step by step guide to making self-care happen:

Planning

Planning in time for you is absolutely key. Sometimes though, just...

In this month’s newsletter we explored the issues around why mums put everyone before themselves and we discussed a number of reasons why self-care is often at the bottom of our list. Today, we’re going to explore the obstacles that get in our way when we do realise that we deserve a little time because it’s only when we know what they are that we can tackle them.

A lack of planning

How many times do you decide that this week will be the week that you’ll finally make some time for you? It’s going to happen, you’re not sure when, you’ve just got to...

Life balance is something that so many of us struggle with. Whether it’s juggling family and work priorities or our personal life with other responsibilities, on the see-saw of life, maintaining equilibrium remains as challenging as reaching the spiritual state of nirvana.

We may feel that a sense of balance is something that we will always struggle to hold on to, that in this day and age, with our commitments and responsibilities, achieving balance is a nice idea in theory but not very practical.

We may look at others and their lives feeling that because they earn more money, have a...

The world can sometimes be a place of organised chaos, which can make us feel out of control at times. The good news however, is that we all have the power to be in control of ourselves. We don’t have to act in a reactive way if we are proactive in deciding how we will deal with situations before they arise. On a day-to-day basis, this helps us operate with a clear mind as we have clearly laid out priorities and can let go of the things that are holding us back and replace them with the things that will help us move forward in the direction of our choosing.

Of course, with anything...

Time; It’s one thing we never seem to have enough of, especially whilst we juggle the priorities of family, work, housework, relationships and self care. Often, it’s difficult to know the best way to make use of the time we do have, flitting between racing through our to-do list at a hundred miles an hour or slowing down to just breathe – still worrying about the million and one things we should be doing. What’s for the best? Embracing the chaos or spend all of our time getting things in order?

In reality most us love the idea of being effortlessly organised, neat...

How is 2018 treating you so far? Did you know that last Monday was 'Blue Monday'? Apparently the day of the year when people are at their most sad, all the excitement of Christmas over and not much to look forward to. Apparently being back in work and Summer being a good few months away is enough reason to want to forget the New Year altogether and hibernate.

Well, this may be the case for some people, where I come from we don't need a holiday company making up days and telling us when to feel happy or sad. That said it is worth noting that Blue Monday is indeed the week before it is...

If you missed January Empower and last week's blog, first and foremost I'd like to wish you a very Happy New Year, with greater confidence, balance and clarity for the year ahead.

How has the first week of 2018 treated you so far? Can you believe we're already a week into 2018?

I do hope you're well and have had an enjoyable festive period with your families and loved ones. I've heard from many clients, colleagues and friends that have unfortunately been afflicted with all sorts of bugs over Christmas, including quite a few with full-blown flu. If this was you, I hope you're now fighting...