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Mum's the word
 Sunday 18 March will mark Mother’s Day – a time when we ban together to show our gratitude for the special lady who has always been there for us.
And to celebrate the occasion, experience gift company Buyagift have conducted a study of 500 UK mums to get an insight into what makes them tick. They also caught up with young mum and entrepreneur Nikki Hesford to get her expert opinion on some of these findings.
So let’s take a look at what they found:
36.8% of the sample were full-time mums, 31.8% work part-time, while 23.1% juggle parenthood and full-time employment.
Interestingly though, 8.1% of mums say that they run their own business alongside motherhood in the study from the company who also offer unsual gifts such as segway experiences and trips on the orient express.
Commenting on the latter, founder of the Miss Fit UK group and mum of one Nikki Hesford told Buyagift: “As a mum in business, it doesn’t surprise me to hear that more mothers are starting their own companies. For many, not working just isn’t a financially viable option and finding a job that offers the right hours at the right pay can be difficult - particularly given the current climate.”
“The problem for a lot of mums is that the price of child care is often excess of £30.00 per day, for one child. So, many are often forced to stay at home with the children. But the internet, for example, has now made it much easier for mums to trade from home.”
More mums are returning to work earlier
The survey also looked at how long mums wait before returning to work. And it would seem that mothers are now getting back into the swing of working life sooner – 20.1% claimed they waited just 4-7 months while 12.7% went back after just 1-3 months.
Jane Hopkins MBE, mum of one and founder of mumsclub, the UK’s leading authority on mums in business says “maternity leave for working mums is getting shorter and shorter. The bottom line is that we want to be back working, and it’s not just about money, it’s about self fulfilment and confidence. Once the initial baby shock is over with and our routine is established, many women simply want to get back into the saddle. And for those women who are business owners, sooner is much preferable to later - if we don’t work, our business doesn’t operate!”
But are they getting to relax?
To explore whether UK mums have mastered the art of balancing their work, personal, and family lives, they were also asked how much time they get to take it easy. As many as 40.3% said they rarely get time to themselves, and 11.6% claim to never have the luxury of spending quality time alone.
Commenting on the above findings, Hesford said: “that these women have very little time left for themselves is not surprising, particularly if they are running their own business as well. You don’t shut off at 5pm and go home, emails, orders and enquiries can come through at any time and quite often a day spent looking after a sick child during half term means that after bedtime it’s time to fire up the computer and crack on until the small hours”
“The key to being a mum and running a business, whilst still keeping some time for yourself is maintaining balance”
So, who are mums taking inspiration from?
In an age when the media has become fascinated with celebrity parents, it would seem that good old fashioned advice from one another is all UK mums need. In fact, 91.9% communicated that they shun celebrity advice in favour of a good old chat amongst themselves. And a staggering 93.4% said that they actively seek advice from fellow mums.
Jane from mumsclub added “oh absolutely, this is spot on. Although celebrity sells, there is nothing like some good, relevant advice from like minded people, which is where the mumsclub forum, and all the other social media of course including twitter and facebook come into their own. Not only are mums generally supportive of one another, they will offer advice that a close friend or family may be too shy to say.
Although the high profile entrepreneurs on twitter such as Jacqueline Gold, Theo Paphitis, Duncan Bannatyne and the more recent addition Deborah Meaden have been know to offer good advice... Jacqueline and Theo in particular are incredibly supportive of small businesses!”
About Nikki Hesford
Nikki is a 25 year old mum and founder of Miss Fit UK – a group of brands in the clothing, swimwear and lingerie markets for women, who are slim but busty. The business has flourished since it was started in 2008. Her road to success has been rocky though. Having left home at 16, she had a child at 17. But through her own grit and determination she started the company at the age of 21. Follow her on Twitter - @NikkiHesford
About Buyagift
Buyagift.co.uk offers a range of experience gifts including fantastic Mother’s Day gifts and great gift ideas for Mum as well as a range of fantastic spa days.
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