5 Challenges That Self Employed Mums Face #SmallBizSupport

Working for yourself has its challenges for everybody, but when you are also a parent there are some unique issues that you need to be able to navigate.

As part of #SmallBizSupport we looked at what kinds of things self-employed people may find difficult, to learn about how small businesses are able to overcome their issues.

Here are five challenges that self employed Mums face.

Childcare guilt 

It’s a tale as old as time; Mums who work from home feeling guilty being in the house while their child is being looked after by somebody else (all at an additional expense, of course), but having the child at home makes it impossible to get any work done. Mum guilt is something that all Mums face, and is not unique to being self-employed, but is certainly a challenge that each parent needs to navigate in their own way.

Rising costs

When referring to a recent study conducted that looks at the economic performance of self employed people, it was overwhelmingly found that rising costs are their number one concern. These rising costs can be anything from the cost of equipment and materials, to the actual energy costs of powering the building in which they are working. This is an issue that is hard for small businesses to overcome as they often don’t have the means to float these additional costs before recouping their expenses.

Gaining new clients

Gaining and retaining clients is at the core of every successful business, and the study shows that these are two of the top three issues that self employed people are concerned about. This can be even more challenging for parents, particularly single parents, as they may not have the freedom to attend networking events and build up a client base in the traditional way.

Changing responsibilities

Being a parent means having to be dynamic and open to change, and just when you think you have found a rhythm when it comes to balancing your workload and your parenting, something is inevitably going to change. As children grow older what they need from you is going to change, and it can be really tricky to balance that while working from home as it can often lead to a change in how and when you are able to work.

Customers unable to pay on time

A huge revelation that the study discovered was that self-employed people are finding that customers are increasingly paying for things later than they should be, and some are not paying at all. This could be to do with increasing pressures on the part of the clients that limit their own budgets, but is an issue that has a knock on effect with the work that self-employed people can do as some wait for over 15 days for expected payments to come through.

Do you work for yourself at the same time as being a Mum? What kinds of challenges do you face, and do your experiences match those of the study? Share your experiences in the comments below. 

You may also be interested in: 10 Financial Habits That Make You Smarter With Your Money

Featured image link: https://www.pexels.com/photo/mother-and-child-sitting-at-the-table-8035972/