Assessing your business idea
Once you have had a chance to come up with a business idea, you need to start testing it out. An idea that seems great on paper is fine … but you can’t tell if you have a really strong proposition until you have done some research.

Coming soon: Start A Family Friendly Business
Flexible working ideas, the pros and cons of being your own boss, choosing the right business for you and realistic advice from the UK mumpreneurs.
Here’s what people are saying about it:

Did you know The Mumpreneur Guide’s Start Your own Business Book is now available as an e-book for just £9 – buy it now and you will get a link sent through to your inbox so you can use the book to develop your business straight away. www.themumpreneurguide.co.uk
“I have started my own business already as a writer and I run a busy blog. I thought Antonia’s book may be a bit basic for me but NO! It was truly fab. I have read stories of other successful inspiring women and feel …

As the summer ends, how do you feel? Have you managed to juggle work, spend time with the kids and have time to relax? Or has it all been a horrible scramble from day to day managing your business at the same time as being a full time childminder, cook, housekeeper, chauffeur and cleaner?
Over the years that I have run my businesses, I have really changed how I work. Initially I did everything … but swiftly realised that I needed help to do the jobs that took me a long …

What do you think of when you hear the word ‘Mumpreneur’? A mum with a webstore selling baby gear? That’s one stereotype, but it sells short the many women who own all sorts of businesses who are also juggling a family. There is an article in the Times which outlines some ‘mumpreneur stereotypes’ which also perhaps don’t help the cause:
“Green mum: Makes biodynamic herbal body cream for mother and child. Qualifications Home aromatherapy course. Funding Not much needed. Herbs are grown in the garden; packaging is recycled pesto jars; her …

Name of business: Lifestyle Accounting Limited
Name & Age: Louise Munro, 39
Family:
My husband David is 43 and working for Lifestyle Accounting as an Accounts Assistant. He is in the final year of the AAT’s Accounting Technician qualification after joining the company in 2008.

Talk about the mother of great ideas…
Six of Britain’s most respected female entrepreneurs have thrown their weight behind a groundbreaking new initiative that supports mums in business.

If you are developing a new product, protecting your idea is critical for many reasons. David Fannin of Sorcit has some tips to help you.

If you want to develop your business and see it succeed in 2010, I’m sharing some useful exercises every couple of days over on The Mumpreneur Guide’s blog. Start with this exercise which looks at your dreams for your business … and your life. Then come back every couple of days over the next two weeks and you will get some great ideas to move your business in the direction you want it to grow.

This week I’m featuring the fabulous business women who won the 2009 Mumsclub PR competition. Each of them will share their tips. If you feel inspired, you can enter this year’s competition here and get the chance to win:

Editorial in Prima Baby & BabyExpert
Feature in the next Business Mums Journal
One-to-one consultation with Antonia Chitty of ACPR to help you improve your own PR.
Profile on MumsClub
Profile on Family Friendly Working

Louise Prunty of Caledonian Therapy Academy Ltd was Highly Commended in the competition. Here is the interview with Louise: