Single Mums in Business UK Issue 2 of 2020

ISSUE 2 of 2020…

Flexible working * Self-Employment * awards Exposure * networking * Barriers to work Coronavirus (COVID-19)

The crisis of self-employment

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Single Mums Business Network aka SMBN www.singlemumsbusinessnetwork.com Business Network for Single Mums in the United Kingdom

Welcome to the Single Mums Business Magazine brought to you by the Single Mums Business Network. My name is Jules and I set up the SMBN following my own journey as a single mum in business.

The purpose of the SMBN, whilst raising awareness of the need for flexible working, is to bring single mums throughout the UK together, to celebrate the truth that we are hard-working women with happy, healthy children, and to help each other gain exposure to our businesses to ensure that we succeed in achieving financial independence without being trapped due to childcare restrictions.

Coronavirus (COVID-19): At the SMBN we are acutely aware that selfsufficient Single Mums in Business are in dire straits and we are doing all that we can to liaise with the Government, the Banks and the Press to raise awareness of this issue.

I know that without salary protection or full / any access to tax refunds that many of you are struggling alone at home with your children right now. We know that help lines are clogged and that web pages for new applications are crashing on the final page.

I have been in this (financial) situation before and I know how extremely vulnerable you are when fight or flight kicks in.

I also understand that when you have faced adversity you cannot get a credit card, or loan, may not yet have savings and that now more than ever the banks will charging you and you will feel vulnerable to homelessness.

This is not your fault, please please stay safe and calm and trust that we are working on this around the clock. Please do not let your pride get in the way if you need to ask friends and family for food. Jules x I will keep fighting for pro-rata salaried professional careers.

KIH Products, est. 2013 T/A Single Mums Business Network Head Office: Ross-on-Wye, Herefordshire.

Registered Office: Carlson Suite C/O Millhall Consultants Ltd, Vantage Point, Business Village, Mitcheldean, England, GL17 0DD. Tel: 01452 471819 l email: smbn@singlemumsbusinessnetwork.co.uk

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We have meetings all over the uk

For the foreseeable future we have members only meetings on Zoom.

This is a national open house every friday (until the end of May) from 10-1pm—to pop in for coffee!

This is included in membership. Coffees will recommence later this year

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Coronavirus (COVID-19) For too long, relative poverty, high debt and cost of living v low income has been ignored, or brushed under the carpet, and now it is clearly evident that millions of UK taxpayers simply cannot afford to ‘ride the storm’ for a few weeks or a few months, in what should be a time, where people should not be too fearful of their survival to self-isolate, close businesses and protect the most vulnerable adults in society from catching the virus and losing their lives; whilst those on the front-line are trying to save them, are increasingly vulnerable too. It should be quite easy to slow this and stay home, but the cracks were already there, and already too deep, where finances simply do not permit people to put health first.

I have long said that our Government lack the relevant qualifications to properly manage the country for its constituents, and I do not mean offence by that, I simply mean that they do not have the relevant experience of what it means to live in the real world, where money does not flow, and is not accessible for millions.

I have been glued to Parliament TV as pledges have been made to help businesses with rate relief, grants and loans, and I have watched our local MP’s crying out for the workforce, the self-employed, the sole-traders, the people who live week -to-week, and those who have been forced and imprisoned into the rental sector, who are now extremely vulnerable.

through extreme adversity and as such their credit files have been adversely affected. I can tell you that none of these business loans, or normal loans, are being offered to those with adverse credit, and they have not been for a long-time.

Your credit score has the ability to end your life, and as such make it impossible for you to self isolate.

There has been talk of benefits and SSP, and of course that is great that that is there, but it is a very small amount, enough probably to eat, but when those who stock pile empty the shelves, it is very heart-breaking indeed. And then of course you need to apply for help, and this takes time, many of my members have worked so hard to generate self-employed income as they have faced barriers to work with childcare, and that income has stopped over night, even worse, refunds have been issued, and so some members are picking up the phone to ask for support – the phone lines are clogged, it is physically unmanageable. Hunger and desperation are immediate and loans are not accessible.

As I have said, for too long adverse credit, relative poverty and the real hardship of the working class has been ignored, credit scores have been able to ruin lives, banks have been freely charging people from week to week for struggling so hard, and pay day loan companies have been taking advantage further worsening credit scores leaving people in dire straits.

Many of my members are Single Mums in Business, some of them are okay but some of them are like me, and have come 5

www.thedesignwebb.co.uk Specialists in personalised paw print gifts and sterling silver paw print jewellery.

Purrrfect gifts for pet owners.

Ad for

www.cheekylittleprints.co.uk

Meet our Members! SHOP PAGE

Beautiful hand crafted curtains and blinds. Claudette offers on-site consultation service to include full measurement and advice, as well as expert installation and fitting if required. I provide the finishing touches for your home to tie the whole scheme together.

www.thedesignwebb.co.uk

I help pet owners keep a part of their pet with them wherever they go. Paw prints are captured at home with an inkless paw print kit and then I tidy them up and capture the unique paw print in stunning sterling silver jewellery.

www.cheekylittleprints.co.uk 7

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Meet our Members! PERSONAL SERVICES

I help, motivate, support and inspire others to live a healthy balanced lifestyle by incorporating fitness, nutrition and a healthy mindset into their daily lives. I also help others with life transformational life coaching.

I am a Holistic Personal Trainer and life coach who practices mindfulness and gratitude and of course a travel enthusiast. https://singlemumsbusinessnetwork.com/2019/06/25/lidia-peto-member-story/

https://singlemumsbusinessnetwork.com/2019/06/18/welcome-new-membercatherine-gennard-the-sustainable-life-coach/

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Meet our Members! BUSINESS SERVICES

Designed for businesses by businesses to disrupt the marketplace, de-mystify the support that is widely available and help businesses understand, engage and access the considerable support on offer. https://singlemumsbusinessnetwork.com/2019/07/04/welcome-new-memberheather-martin-support-for-businesses/

I feel exceptionally passionate about continuing to offer this help to students and to give them tools and skills to help them cope. The pastoral care in colleges and universities is just not sufficient. Sarah is asking for help via the GoFundMe link below: https://www.gofundme.com/f/mental-wellbeing-for-students? pc=fb_co_campmgmt_w&rcid=r01-157591238870cbd45a3f6f74798&utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=p_lic o%2Bshare10 sheet&fbclid=IwAR2THvc50L_spAgxVi65G4WilPdj50bCv6Yr0FiImuGLr0q6AvJbI4RlUD8

Students in Mind Contact: studetsinmind1@gmail.com I created Students in Mind to help school, college or university students deal with the anxieties and stressors linked to the demands of studying and student life.

As an experienced lecturer and coach, I witnessed year on year increases in student self-harm, anxiety, stress, depression and intensifying worries that permeated the young lives of those who should have been making the most of their pre-work freedom.

So, a number of years ago I began to implement strategies and tools into classes to help the students with these concerns. The strategies not only proved useful in supporting their wellbeing, but a strong sense of unity was developed in the classroom.

Subsequently, the students’ wellness and self-belief increased, as did their grades.

I feel passionate about helping those in education to be the best version of themselves and not be held back by the stigma and debilitating anguish of poor mental health.

There is not enough support in educational industries to ensure every student has the opportunity to seek timely and efficient help. There may be one counsellor for hundreds of students, so their immediate need is put on hold whilst they wait for a timeslot to access that help.

This is where I come in. I teach, train, facilitate and coach the students to be able to help themselves and each other.

To address the fundamental causes and have ways, on hand, to deal with them so they can enjoy all that studying offers to them whilst they are still young.

I enable students to not just survive but thrive.

Sarah Harvey

Extracts from some testimonials.

‘Sarah is caring, encouraging, filled with optimism and hope and taught us how to be a true class team supporting each other. She used MH tools to motivate and calm us and I will never forget – ‘it’s not if, it’s when.’

‘She’s what a teacher should be – a star.’

Kulveer Singh – University of Liverpool

‘Sarah consistently motivated me to succeed because she not only made the lessons fun and enjoyable, but she implemented activities to calm and de-stress us and always cared about how we were feeling.’

‘It was my pleasure to have been taught by her.’

Zoe Bracegirdle – University of Manchester

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Meet our members: SOCIAL

https://www.amyboxvoice.com/business-choir/

http://www.independentmother.co.uk/

https://www.facebook.com/TheMumBossInKent/

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1642085599255964/

Meet our New Members since issue 1 of 2020!

Gill@thewillguys.co.uk 07816664589 No fuss, plain English Wills. Can be completed remotely or in the comfort of your own home, if local to the Northeast.

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Meet our New Members since issue 1 of 2020!

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Meet our New Members since issue 1 of 2020!

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Meet our New Members since issue 1 of 2020!

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Meet our Members! PERSONAL SERVICES

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Meet our Members! PERSONAL SERVICES I’m Rebecca, single mum to two young children and I am a Rapid Transformation Coach. I used to be a lawyer in a corporate firm.

Unfortunately however, years of trying to juggle childcare with the oldfashioned culture of presenteeism and billing hours left me miserable.

So, I retrained as a Rapid Transformation Therapist, yoga teacher and executive coach.

Using my methods, I get straight to the root of what is holding you back before rewiring your neural pathways for success.

My clients are primarily female entrepreneurs and career women who are feeling ‘stuck’ and unable to achieve their next-level of success.

You have probably already tried ‘everything else’, and while it may have worked for a while, the results weren’t permanent.

It is time to stop wasting your time, and money on ineffective interventions. You can never have everything you desire in your life without re-coding your subconscious as this is the driver of your life.

However, once you do this, rapid, phenomenal transformation and success is just around the corner.

I can help you with anxiety, low-confidence, fear of publicspeaking, Imposter Syndrome and many more issues so they are completely eradicated and you achieve your desires, effortlessly and easily.

To enquire about working together, email me at: transformationandsuccess@gmail.com then head over to my Success Hub:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/ transformationandsuccesshub/

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Meet our Members

Tanya specialises in Permanent Make Up and is based in Malvern, Worcestershire

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Meet our Members

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Meet our Members! BUSINESS SERVICES

Anne-Marie is your lady for all things Presentation Consulting For all links to member websites visit www.singlemumsbusinessnetork.com/members Michelle is a Virtual Assistant, with a background in education and administration.

Michelle specialises in supporting those in education sector and consultants.

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Meet our Members! BUSINESS SERVICES

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Meet our Members! BUSINESS SERVICES Charlotte runs a marketing agency in the heart of Somerset. She offers logo and graphic design, printing, social media management, consultancy, and websites.

Charlotte is a small business’s marketing department!

I’m a multi award-winning entrepreneur who’s much more at home sharing the real life struggles of trying to run a business (and a life) than reeling off her accolades.

Jo Eccersley is a virtual assistant with the skills and experience to help you be more organised and efficient in your small business or at home. A friendly, efficient and affordable service to help businesses when they need it the most, helping them to grow and develop 24

Meet our Members! BUSINESS SERVICES

As The Life Engineer I help women to make the changes they long for by coaching them to think differently so they no longer feel overwhelmed and stuck. (www.melmorrisjones.com) I also offer pay-on-use admin support to frazzled small business owners so they can get some of their life back! (www.hatstandadmin.co.uk)

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www.kihproducts.co.uk

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Thriving in Business during a Pandemic – How therapists, and any business, can generate income amongst uncertainty. The beauty of ACP A few years ago I set-up a little Facebook page for something called ACP – Accumulated Credit Payment – I wanted to encourage others to give a lifeline that had been given to me when I needed to start a business, without having a single penny disposable income. I’m raising awareness of it again now – as it may be just what you, and your customers need, to help your business not only survive, but thrive during Covid-19.It is very simple, and very easy to administer.

I see a lot of posts where people are offering either discounts, or vouchers, in the hope that this will help to generate some income in difficult times, and whilst that holds great intention, it does not solve the issue of uncertainty about timescales or finances.

Many people will naturally be vary wary about spending £40-£100 on a voucher, when they may be worried about how long their finances have to stretch. Equally, offering discounts still requires an outlay, and devalues your product or service.

That is where ACP comes in - it is something that I desperately needed when I formed the company 7 years ago.

ACP is not credit, nor is it discount, it is simply enabling your customers and clients to pay an affordable amount each week. I have always been proud to offer this for the KIH Bed, and with every product or service that I offer, as once you have experienced financial stress, you do not want others to be locked out, essentially in ‘relative’ poverty. As it stands, I think that come September, when the children are in school and we can get back to much needed maintenance, business, in the beauty and holistic industries, will thrive once more,

so why not let your customer base know that they can start an account with you now, so that they have credit with you and all they need to do is book in when you are open again? It saves them the embarrassment of worrying about outlay, and you benefit from immediate, and crucially consistent income. It is easy to set-up a standing order, and of course you have options such as regular FB payments now, and if you are a limited company you can let GoCardless do all the admin for you – the customer sets up the DD with them, they pay you, and they let you know if the customer cancels the DD – they take a small fee, but it’s not much, and well worth it for the convenience for you and your customers.

You are in a very powerful position right now, to not only help your own business, but to offer a lifeline to your clients in times of uncertainty. Even your more affluent customers are likely to appreciate and enjoy having consistent credit with their favourite practitioners, so that they can enjoy regular treatments without even thinking about the money.

We are all able to help each other. Let your customers help you now, so that you can help them in the future. This can be applied to any business in any industry. Car servicing, MOT’s, restaurants, therapies, DIY, electronics, Legal, Support roles; whatever it is you offer, let people start paying you now, so that they can reap the rewards in 16 or so weeks when the children are in school and they are ready to push forward with business whilst taking

good care of themselves.

And of course if you are pregnant, take a look at the KIH Products website – on the find a therapist page you can have a look on the map for a chiropractor, osteopath, spa, hotel, or massage therapist near you, offering treatments using the KIH Bed Pregnancy Cushion – which enables you to lay prone (on your belly) in both your second and third trimester of pregnancy.

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Meet our members: MONEY SAVING

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‘Friends’ of the SMBN

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‘Friends’ of the SMBN

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‘Friends’ of the SMBN

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We don’t need no education! (despite the double negative!) We just need less time control!

• As part of my journey in establishing the SMBN and what it stands for, I have spent a significant amount of time researching what support is out there, for women who have been locked out of their careers, since making the very selfish decision of keeping the conveyor belt of life going..

Gone are the days where we can rely on a partner to fully financially support the family and the cost of living. Without the stress of childcare throughout school closure times, because the carried woman is always at home, to cook, clean and provide childcare. We need to work. We all need to work. And that is okay, but when one salary is swallowed up in childcare, you are left in the position of needing to draw some sort of income support to enable you to manage as a family.

Consequently many women (and some men) – decide that one parent needs to be home to cover the childcare, as a single parent family this is no different, but you don’t want to be carried, (or withdraw contributions), and so you set-up a business or work on a self-employed basis, so that you can work, and be the parent that your child needs. When you spend years in education, work, and paying taxes, the last thing you want is to be in need of them, when you are perfectly capable of being self-sufficient.

Ideally, it would be quite normal, and quite easy, for the parent to work in sync with school, with pay in sync with inflation (see my previous blogs about how this is massively disproportionate in real terms), that way, there would not be a requirement for state assistance. It should be perfectly easy for one adult, to earn £100 per day, to enable them to cover the cost of living and live a ‘relatively’ normal life, i.e, not in ‘relative’ poverty.

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we have these barriers, that should not be there, because we are fixated on 9-5, and paying what the national average for support staff (and key workers) is. We are so obsessed with the phone being picked up at 9:02 or 16:58 that we are locking millions out of work and creating a massive bill for the tax payer, money that could be spent on public sector wage increases. We are so fixated on capitalism, large CEO salaries and bonuses, that we are leaving the essential cogs of the wheel, the support staff, to live their lives, never able to eat out or enjoy holidays with their children, or Christmas with presents under the tree and an abundance of food, because we convince ourselves that that is the pecking order, and we blame them for not being senior management, and therefore working in a role that ‘does not really matter’ and justify reasonable pay. Of course it matters, what would you do if they all left, and lived in relative poverty outside of work instead of inside of work.

As with rape, we always make this the victims problem. We tell people what to dress and offer counselling after the event, instead of tackling the route cause, the rapist.

Whereby education on respect and consent is needed from a very early age, so that this act is stopped before it happens. This could be the same with the workforce.

Offering people the correct pay, and correct working hours, will mean that we do not have barriers to work, and we will not need to suffer destitution as a result of procreation.

As it stands the support out there for women returners to work is ‘upskilling’ ‘educating’ and ‘training’. Perhaps the issue is not us (the abused) but the abusers who disregard us, with our current skillsets, due to childcare barriers.

We don’t need no education, we just need less time control.

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The National Awards for Single Mums in Business will be held in the UK on 21st November 2020. Finalists have now been notified.

Thank you to our 2020 sponsors and prize donations so far: Kidstart * Your Style Your Story Boutique * Streetpin * Peritia Group Ltd * Dunelm * Nancy Mac * The Family Network & Link-Legal Solutions Ltd, a Paralegal Law Firm specialising in Corporate Law & Mercure Hotels

Sponsorship of Categories is still welcome

Meet the Judges

Bridget Daley Founder of the Parents in Biz platform and Editor of the Parents in Business Magazine.

Alison Holmes Vice-President of Herefordshire and Worcestershire Chamber of Commerce and Managing Director of Peritia Group Ltd

Mike Lewis Gloucestershire SRG Coordinator at Purple Shoots Business Lending Ltd

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