Hi everyone! So, the summer holidays are over! How did it go for you? Hope you’ve had an amazing time with the kids. I’ve found this summer holiday harder this year. It was the first summer holiday that I had all 3 of my children at home every day! Last year my son was still going to nursery in the holidays, but now he is only on term time hours. So, occupying 3 kids all day every day I have certainly found challenging. We did go on holiday and we did have a few days out here and there but the weather hasn’t been the best so trips to the beach haven’t really happened! Anyway, we got through it but I am glad we are getting back to normal – I need routine!!
I'm A Mini
As I am typing this, today (3rd Sept) is the first day of back to school for my girls, my son went back to nursery yesterday and I’ll will miss them but I NEED a break, it’s time to get back to work properly! I found working from home over the holidays extremely difficult – I can’t not work but then at the same time I felt guilty for working when they’re around. Also, another reason why it’s been harder this year is because alongside running my business and have also taken on a job! I love my new role, it’s completely flexible, I can work it around me and my business, but juggling a business, a job and 3 kids as well as the chores etc has been a struggle to say the least. Anyway, time to take a breather, re-schedule and crack on!
I hope the few tips I gave last month about travelling away with the kids helped if you have been away, if you did go I hope you had a great time and it wasn’t too stressful! Going away with kids isn’t always as fun as everyone may think – you often come back as parents feeling like you need another holiday but on your own haha! However, you know the kids have had fun (most of the time) and that’s why it’s worth it!
Okay, so this month I wanted to discuss something that has dramatically changed me and my business over the past 12 months and that is networking! As a mum that works from home on my own, running my business at times has been extremely lonely, having no one to bounce ideas off or even just someone to talk too throughout the day – don’t get me wrong I’m lucky to be in the situation I am in but sometimes working with someone would also help with the pressure I sometimes feel.
In January 2018, someone told me about networking group in my area, that it was a small group not of the corporate kind of networking, but of people that run small businesses in the area. However, I wasn’t sure I would fit in, I was very new into business and felt I would be way out of my depth attending these meetings, (if I’m honest I still feel out my depth sometimes – running your business is a huge learning curve). Anyway, I was at an event in February 2018 with my business and saw that the ladies that run networking group I was told about where also at the same event, so I decided to go over and speak to them. I signed up to join the group and at the end of February I went to my first meeting.
I was petrified, I was so anxious – I felt like I was going to be sick. I arrived at the place and parked up and sat in my car frozen – I couldn’t move – I remember thinking what I am doing here, I don’t know enough about business, I’m just going feel lost in a room full of people that know more than I do. I nearly turned on the engine and drove away then something in my head said get out of the car! I had read something earlier in the day that someone had sent me and it became a voice in my head! I got out the car and the next thing I remember I was walking into the room holding the door open for the person behind, only to then see the person behind was a lovely lady I had meet a few months prior at a Christmas event, where we had both had our stalls. I instantly felt a little less anxious, as there was someone I knew even if not very well, having a familiar face there made me feel just that little bit better.
From attending that very first meeting at Lancashire Business Owners Network https://www.facebook.com/groups/TheBusinessOwners/, I have gone on to make some lovely friends, collaborate with 3 businesses from that group and meet someone amazing and inspiring business owners from my local area. It’s such a supportive group and thanks to them my confidence has begun to grow.
This group has also made me realise the power of networking and finding the right network group for you and your business, which lead me onto networking even more especially online (as it’s flexible for me).
I was introduced by a friend of mine to another networking group known as Mums in Business Association (MIBA). This group was founded by two sisters Leona Burton and Estelle Keeber, who are both business owners and at the time (around 2 years ago) where looking for child friendly networking. Estelle is a mum of 2, Leona a mum of 5 and they struggled to find any support around for them, there were mum groups and business groups but nothing that incorporated the both and that’s when MIBA was born! Since then these amazing ladies have gone on to build an empire – they have network coordinators running child friendly networking events and online groups for women/mums in business all over the world, they are best-selling authors, they have a huge following across Facebook and Instagram and are growing every single day – MIBA is a phenomenon!
Now, I joined MIBA online in 2018, I’ve been part of it for just over 12 months and slowly I began to connect with others, I’ll be honest at first I found it strange interacting with strangers that I didn’t know online. I sat back and watched to see how it worked, to try and understand what I could gain from it and slowly I began to interact. As time went on I began to understand that MIBA was about helping and supporting each other, it’s not a promotional group where you leave your business links and go. It’s about offering others that support, answering people’s questions, asking questions, interacting, learning, developing and celebrating, there are times you can promote your business but it’s about more than that. Also, with a lot of women in the group also being mums, I found they had the same struggles as me with running a business and looking after the kids, I felt less alone. I was able to begin to share my struggles, offer support too and also have some fun.
Fast forward 12 months to now, I am completely immersed into MIBA, I love getting to know new people, have made some great friends and my business and confidence has grown.
Now, something changed in July of this year, an opportunity came my way that I was too scared to go for. A vacancy had become available for Network Coordinator for Blackpool with Mums in Business Association. I was tagged in the post by a friend of mine saying “you’d be great at this” – I did not believe her and ignored it! Anyway a few days later on a Saturday evening after a wine or 2 haha, I looked back at the post and all it said was if you want more information, please get in touch, so I did. I thought , I’m only asking for more information that’s it! Anyway I got a reply and I ignored it and wasn’t going to say anything.
A few days passed and for some reason I decided to mention it to my husband – who said ‘what have you got to lose, go for it, it’s only an interview and if you don’t get it you still have your business’. I was petrified, the thought of putting myself forward made me feel sick. I messaged another friend who believed in me also, the problem was I didn’t believe in myself. I got a message saying ‘just book the interview – that’s all you need to do – so I did. I had the interview a few days later, I was absolutely terrified but all went okay. I then began to think, what if I did get the job, then I’d actually have to do it and not let those people down who believed in me, I was questioning if I had done the right thing.
Well the day later, I received a message offering me the job! I ran upstairs to tell my husband and I burst into tears! I couldn’t believe it! I’ve got the job!! Then the fear kicked in – ‘oh my god I now have to do this!’ I felt sick, scared, anxious and kept crying but at he same was also so happy that I’d got the job! It was a few weeks before I started the job and I can honestly say it’s been amazing – I have managed to grow my group by over 50% in a month, I have met some amazing ladies and the support they are offering each other is incredible. I have my first event at the end of September, to bring the ladies in my group together to network! I look forward to helping other mums/women in business as well as growing my own.
Who would have thought that over 12 months ago, I was so scared of getting out the car to attend my first network meeting at my local group to now over a year later I’m running my own group as a part of MIBA and about to run my first event at the end of the month. It’s amazing what can happen when you step out of your comfort zone. For anyone, out there struggling, feeling alone in business then I promise you networking will change that for you. Find your group, look for a local MIBA group near you – it will be the best thing you ever do for you and your business! I’ll pop links below for you.
I have met so many inspirational women in this group, their stories are unbelievable and they are proof that no matter what challenges you are faced with in life, you can achieve anything!
https://www.mumsinbusinessassociation.com/
https://www.facebook.com/mumsinbusinessassociation/ - main page
https://www.facebook.com/groups/612523895850271/ - my local networking group for Blackpool
Love Rebecca x