Latest News about Family Friendly Working
Latest Press Release from Family Friendly Working:
Business Ideas for Mums: The Book
New book of proven business ideas paves the way to success for millions of aspiring mumpreneurs
“Start a Family-Friendly Business: 23 brilliant business ideas for mums”
Running your own business from home is a dream shared by millions of British mums, but the majority of them are unable or unwilling to turn it into reality, according to a recent survey. An empowering and hands-on book by flexible working experts Antonia Chitty and Helen Lindop will make all the difference when it’s released on 15 September 2010.
Forward by Laura Tenison MBE, Founder & Managing Director, JoJo Maman Bébé
If you are working full-time and missing being at home with your little one or you have a fabulous career but can’t quite fathom how you are going to manage a family as well, then this book is great for opening up ideas. It is possible to juggle your life and a family as long as you have energy, drive and can find your niche in a Family-Friendly Business, so read on and good luck!
“I’m a huge advocate of mums who set up in business and who combine work and motherhood on their terms…and this book is a great starting point for anybody who’s excited by this prospect. It’s packed to the gunnels with good ideas and inspiration for harnessing the hidden mumpreneur inside!”
Wendy Shand, founder www.totstotravel.co.uk
“This is a great resource for mums looking to go into business. Antonia and Helen have found all the best ways to get working for yourself that achieve the holy grail of minimising risk and maximising profit while letting you be a mum and manage some all-important me time too. I wish I’d had Business Ideas for Mums when I set out to be a mumpreneur – perhaps I wouldn’t have made so many mistakes!” Mosey Jones, author The Mumpreneur Diaries.
“Here’s a book brimming with straightforward, honest advice for the budding business mum. Any mum wondering where to start with business ideas and relevant information will find it in these pages. Antonia and Helen have done all the research so you don’t have to! A great time saver.”
Roberta Jerram Founder of GiantPotential.com & HWWBA Womanpreneur of the Year 2010
What a fabulous book. Where was this 2 years ago when I was starting out?? I love the clear and informative structure. The checklist of ones skills make it so much easier to work out which direction to go. The layout of the flexible working ideas provides you with all the answers and no questions! Just the way I like a book! Also taking into consideration your childcare arrangements even something I forget to consider now.
Joanne Dewberry – Dorset Business Mum of the Year
www.charliemoos.co.uk and www.networkingmummies.com
This is a great book if you find yourself in a position where your ‘old’ job no longer fits your new (with child) life. If you’re open minded and ready to consider new avenues this book could be the catalyst to helping you find that holy grail – ‘work/life balance’. The practical A-Z of flexible work ideas is excellent and even if you can’t find one that fits you perfectly I’m sure it will throw up many more ideas that you can tailor your skills to. A great guide for mums ready to make a change!
Erica Douglas of www.littlemummy.com
“Loaded with useful and practical information, this is a book that will open up horizons. Combining motherhood and running your own business is not for the faint-hearted but this book clearly identifies a plethora of opportunities which are possible to run side-by-side. This is an absolute “must-read” for all mumpreneurs seeking inspiration and guidance on what to do in a no-nonsense, easy-to-read format.”
Emma Wimhurst
“A great guide to help any mum transition from ‘thinker’ to ‘doer’ when considering starting a business. The knowledge you will gain will help you to decide what kind of business might suit you and if indeed a business is the right solution for you. Knowledge is only power when you do something with it and the action plans at the end will help you to really make progress towards that flexible business you desire” Mel McGee www.supermummy.com
“All you need to get started in business is an idea and a sprinkling of commitment. Any book that offers ideas will fire your imagination and help with the first step on what is sure to be an exciting journey!”
Emma Jones is founder of Enterprise Nation and author of ‘Spare Room Start Up’ and ‘Working 5 to 9’
I travel the British Isles running workshops and talking to mums who wish to set up in business for themselves. Whilst some have a really clear vision of what they want to do others have no idea where to start! Now I can point them to an in-depth, practical and fascinating book which clearly and honestly explores the myriad of possibilities. And, more importantly, helps to guide the reader towards the solution that would be the best fit for them.I loved this book. A truly excellent addition to business books for mumpreneurs.
Susan Odev, Author of MumUltrapreneur
This is another really great no nonsense manual for aspiring Mumpreneurs, I just wish that I could have read something like this before I started. At Mothers of Innovation we are constantly been asked for advice from aspiring Mumpreneurs and it is great to be able to signpost them directly to Antonias books and Business Ideas for Mums it a great starting point. I particularly rate the way that Antonia and Helen have researched this book, asking the leaders in each field for no nonense advice.
Sarah Dawnay, Founder of Mothers of Innovation, www.moixx.com
Press Release
No Regrets Say Parents
A new survey for Family Friendly Working and mumandworking to launch the mumandworking Awards shows that parents are leaving the world of employment despite seeing the family income fall. The survey also shows that parents prize time with the family and flexible hours over job security and the amount they earn when choosing a job.
80% of parents have changed their working pattern since having children. The main reason parent change the way they work is to spend more time with the family. Just over half of parents explained that their priorities have changes, while nearly 3 in 10 found that their work hours didn’t fit the childcare available, and 3 in 20 found that it was financially no longer worth working due to the cost of childcare. Overwhelmingly, parents are happy with the choice they have made. Not one respondent wished they had never resigned, while 4 in 10 say that is has been the best decision they ever made, and nearly 6 in 10 describe the experience as ‘hard at times but worth it’.
Only 43% of parents who responded are now employed with the rest self employed, seeking work, studying or taking a career break. And only 17% are working full time. Director of mumandworking and Practical Parenting Business Parent of the Year 2007/08 Sam Willoughby says, “This shows how traditional employment patterns are no longer normal. The 2010 mumandworking awards which are supported by Sarah Beeny reward and recognise the companies and individuals that make flexible working possible and show that family-friendly employment not only supports family life but give real benefits to the companies involved.”
Changing the way you work after having children has a big financial impact – seven out of 10 families have seen a drop in income and for nearly half of those this reduction is between £10-£40k a year. Three in 10 feel they are financially ‘fine’, while four in 10 are ok most of the time but struggle sometimes. Nearly a quarter struggle financially more often than not, with just under one in 10 finding they never have enough money or even have serious debt problems.
Money is not the top priority for parents, however. When asked to list their top three priorities, time with the family came out first for a massive 17 out of 20 parents, while flexible hours were a priority for three in four. Seven in twenty prioritised how much they earn and three in ten prioritised job security. Career progression was a priority for just one in 10. Director of Family Friendly Working and Inspirational Mumpreneur of the Year 2009 Antonia Chitty says, “Employers need to take this message on board to attract and retain employees. I’m pleased to support the 2010 mumandworking awards that recognise outstanding companies and individuals who are committed to flexible and family friendly work.”
To enter the awards or nominate someone go to www.Mumandworking.co.uk. Nominations are open now and there are a range of exciting prizes for the winners.
##ENDS##
Media enquiries to Antonia@acpr.co.uk 01424 810 272
UK parents are leaving work due to the lack of flexible working opportunities available to them, according to a new survey for Family Friendly Working. The cost of childcare is also forcing parents to stay at home.
The survey reveals that just over a third (34.6%) of parents who had left work after having children had done so because of lack of flexible work opportunities. Three in 10 (30.7%) cite the cost of childcare as a key reason to quit.
The Employment Act 2002 introduced legislation designed to help working parents. Since April 2003 parents with young and disabled children have had the right to request flexible work. This right to request was extended in 2009 to anyone with parental responsibility for a child aged 16 or under or a disabled child under 18 who receives Disability Living Allowance. People can ask to:
- change the hours they work;
- change the times they work; or
Britain’s Bosses Missing Out on Talented Parents
A new survey for Family Friendly Working shows that talented parents are leaving the world of employment.
Britain’s bosses are missing out on skilled employees due to a combination of the lack of flexible hours and the cost of childcare. And the parents who are leaving are continuing to develop their skills too both with the family, by retraining, and in their own businesses.
Unsurprisingly the top talents developed by parents are Multitasking (68.4%) and Time Management (65.3%). But more than half (55.3%) of the parents who responded to the survey have developed Promotion and Marketing Skills and almost as many (45.3%) have developed better Communication Skills.
Mums and Dads are getting better at managing money too, with nearly 4 in 10 (39.2%) saying that they have developed their Financial Management Skills after leaving work. A similar number (37.6%) have improved Project Planning Skills since quitting employment.
This press release has been covered on:
The HR Director – HR Magazine – Kidzine – Mum and Working – My Baby Radio – Ni4Kids – Totz2teens – UKParentsLounge – What to Do With the Kids
Media Comments on the Family Friendly Working Book:
‘Overall, it’s a very useful guide for any parents contemplating fitting work around children, those already doing so and anyone looking for inspirational working ideas.’ Baby Hampshire
‘They say ‘necessity is the mother of invention’ and, if you’re a mother, you certainly need to be inventive. Antonia’s book is a great place to start if you’re looking for ideas on how to combine working life and family.’ Kaye Adams – Journalist and former anchor of Loose Women
If you find yourself, as so many mothers do, back in the office trying to squash five days work into four, not seeing your children as much as you’d like while spending almost your entire salary on childcare, this is the book for you. Families magazine
‘Many parents have to make tough decisions about returning to work after having a baby. So there is excellent potential for this guide in which a mother and small business advisor shares her ideas for finding work that fits comfortably around having kids.’ The Bookseller – Caroline Sanderson
Many parents strive to find the perfect balance between looking after the family and working, but it’s not always easy. In this book, Family Friendly Working, author and working parent, Antonia Chitty, explores the many options available for parents who want to successfully work and still have plenty of time to spend with their family. Over the course of 10 chapters, Antonia look at ideas for finding work, different types of work – such as using your existing hobbies as a catalyst for transforming them into paid for work, developing services you can sell, selling products or joining a franchise – and ways of building your business or work once you’ve hit on the perfect idea for you. Throughout the book are great real life examples of other parents who’ve been there and done it, plus lots of useful tips and contact details of relevant companies. The tone is upbeat and chatty, but chapter 10 does offer advice for when you’re struggling to make things work. Overall, it’s a very useful guide for any parents contemplating fitting work around children, those already doing so and anyone looking for inspirational working ideas. Baby Hampshire
Press Release
Mother and small business advisor Antonia Chitty has put together a guide for parents which is full of case studies and ideas for finding work that fits comfortably around having kids. She advises not only on starting a business, but also on working for someone else or freelancing, with lots of advice, pros and cons and contributions from other parents who have been there before. If you have had enough of trying to do too much in too little time, and feel torn between work and spending time with your children, this book will guide you through the options. Do you make something that might be saleable? Have you got a skill you could use to earn in the evenings or while the children are asleep? What courses might help you retrain AND still be there when the kids get home from school?
Whether you need to earn something just to boost the family budget or have ideas for a business that could support your family if only you knew how to get started, this is the book for you.
Family Friendly WorkingBackground information:
- ISBN 978 1 905410 26 2
- Format New paperback
- Publication date 18 February 2008
- Author Antonia Chitty
- Price £9.99
- No of pages 192
- Size 216mm x 138mm
