11 minute read
Wellbeing Matters
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Confidence is so important when embarking on a business journey, and networking can really help with this, from peer support to advice and ideas. The seasoned business person will always want to help you on your way.
We all benefit when a) the economy is working and b) people are happier, and those of us who understand that enjoy nothing more than helping others not only survive, but thrive.
I met a single mum last year who was a qualified carpenter, but because she lacked the confidence and support she was at a job fair signing up to work in an industry that only offered low pay, because they boasted flexibility. If she had the confidence to push through as a carpenter, she would easily be earning £500 per week, able to manage her own caring responsibilities, and not in a situation where she needed benefits to top up her low income, had she had the proper support in years one
to three, this would have saved 15 years of housing
benefit, council tax discount, and other income support.
Equally working as a cleaner, on a self-employed basis, with the proper support, information and advice in year one, would enable you to invest in your business and generate such an income, and build a team, so that you could not only survive but thrive whilst you have dependents, rather than struggle because you lack the knowledge or confidence. This is what the minimum income floor is designed to do, help you invest time and money in your business so that you need short term support instead of long term support, and we can all enjoy a healthier economy. Make the most of your meeting with your work coach. I like to call them accountability partners, and there is no harm in talking through things and analysing what steps you are taking when you are on route to earning a fulltime income from your business to help you ultimately escape the benefits trap and live a life that enables you to be the best version of yourself. Once you are recognised as gainfully self-employed you can concentrate on business full-time and just attend quarterly meetings until you have reached your target MIF at which stage you should be able to live independently again with the same autonomy as an employed person working the same hours and drawing the same income. But crucially 1 year is a very short time to grow a business, and you do need to religiously book clients / attend meetings / work on admin to ensure that you are utilising every hour and penny that is saving you from long-term minimum wage.
I work for Coronation Wealth Management as the Office Manager. I’m a newly qualified Financial Adviser just waiting for my FCA authorisation. We are a financial advice company based in Bristol specialising in pensions, investments, protection, tax and retirement planning. I’m happy to offer a no obligation chat if you want to get in touch. I’ve recently been helping other Mums with pension planning specifically for those who are self-employed. I’ve also been having a lot of discussions around ethical investing and how this can be incorporated into our financial decisions. I’m at the beginning of my networking journey and have joined SMBN to meet and get inspiration from other single mums. I am solo parent to a 3 year old hooligan called Elfie who is the light of my life!
0117 325 9025 | 07872 315 975 rebecca.a.jenkins@sjpp.co.uk www.coronationwealth.co.uk
Unit 3 Stableblock Courtyard, Leigh Court Business Centre, Pill Road, Abbots Leigh, Bristol, BS8 3RA
Member Anne-Marie Jones has branched out!
Check out her new businesses below!
https://www.rosefinchinteriors.co.uk/
www.busyhands.co.uk
Have you ever wondered what a Virtual Assistant is? What they do?
When I first started out, I used to bid for work on one of the freelancer sites. I came across a request for support. They wanted someone who could proofread and reformat a document that is standard within the education sector. As an ex-teacher, I knew this document well. It was a scheme of work. So, I contacted the prospective client. I explained my background and how I could help. I found out that the reason they wanted a VA was because they were working on a large contract and had multiple different aspects to do. Standardising the text and format as well proofreading was time-consuming and something they knew could be done by someone else, allowing them to focus on a different aspect of the contract and business.
When you look down the Kaleidoscope for a business it is made up many moving parts; finance, marketing, HR, business development, operational management, quality and compliance, and IT to name a few. Trying to wear all those hats is difficult. More often than not, as small business owners we are working on delivery to our customers (working in the business). This leaves very little time on working on our business and growing it (being the CEO). Liaising with clients and suppliers via email, diary management, social media support can all be time-consuming. Outsourcing it to someone enables business growth, without employees.
Yes, MJM Virtual Solutions can do all the general admin for your business. But how am I different to other VAs? I specialise in data protection. I have been working within the field of quality management and
data protection for 5 years, gaining a qualification as a Data Protection Officer. As a certified Data Protection Officer, I set up Be Data Savvy to support businesses to be more data protection compliant. If you are struggling with data protection, why not give me a call.
‘sic utere tuo ut alienum non laedas’
Literally translated you could argue that this relates to property matters, but, for me it means that we should not cause others harm in order to gain what we want, we must live and work with clean hands, be ethical and help each other, and we must not extinguish another persons light to make ours shine brighter. In the next few pages you will hear from other single parent organisations who are either members, friends, or who participated in the #singleparentday event earlier this year. As I, and many more, have been ignored for years by the organisations that are publicly and privately funded to help us, I wanted to do better, I wanted to focus on the outcome, rather than the ego or income. I am very proud to help to promote other single parent organisations, networking is a very sad world when operated with a competitive mindset rather than an purposeful and abundance mindset, there is always enough for everybody, that is the natural law of the land, and so we must operate in trust that if we are doing the right thing, the right way, without greed, we will enjoy the greatest wealth, that cannot be measured by bank balance.
facilitating prosperity for single mums
Noreen Khan is the Director of NEESIE, a community voluntary group transforming lives of single mums and their children daily. She has a strong passion for developing communities and building resilience in all spheres of community life. She is a well-travelled professional and has worked in all areas of cross cultural and transformational development for multinational corporations, businesses, and communities throughout the world. She is a professional compere and public speaker and formally a presenter on Television and Radio.
Her organisation, NEESIE, provides a platform for Single Mothers and their children to grow independently and better their lives. Neesie facilitates prosperity through dedicated support mechanisms in collaboration and partnership with local communities, schools and public and private sector organisations and anchor organisations. Support is provided to a broad spectrum of society and from diverse backgrounds. Noreen has been a catalyst for change, advocating for the Human Rights and freedom of choice for Single Mothers and lone parents on a national and political agenda. A defiant leader and advocate for better Welfare reform changes to Tax credits and Universal credit, she has staunchly worked to bridge the poverty gap and creating an imbroglio situation for Single parents who will find themselves in a constant state of forlorn emotional calamity.
NEESIEs’ ultimate aim is to build capacity among single mothers to ensure their full and active participation in society. This is done through Reassurance of understandings and empathy of situations; Development through tailored interventions; and Progress within society, moving towards engagement and social integration and develop a strong foundation that encourages resilient communities. Noreen is committed to developing the plight of single mums and reaches across many boundaries, hence has developed an international presence across four continents through collaboration and partnership working.
Noreen Khan Info.neesie@gmail.com
Ruth Talbot Founder Single Parent Rights Campaign
It's been over seven years since I became a single mum. Like many, the road has been a rocky one with plenty of ups and downs but one thing I’ve noticed
from my own experiences, and that of single parents around me, is that we are often invisible and, worse still, actively discriminated against across almost all areas of life. From the attitudes of landlords and employers, to the fees charged at many attractions across the UK.
Nothing highlighted this more than when the pandemic first hit Britain with full force back in March 2020. While everyone was affected by the school closures and social isolation that the first lockdown ushered in. It was quickly evident that single parents had been entirely forgotten about. From how would we do the weekly shop, to how on earth can you home school and work effectively, with no childcare or outside support? Spoiler: You can't.
Having spent many years writing about single parenting and trying to raise understanding of the reality of single parenting – the good, the bad and the ugly – I knew I had to go one step further and push for real policy change.
During that first lockdown, I hand delivered a letter to Dominic Cummings house, the then adviser to the Prime Minister, outlining what it was really like for single parents in lockdown. Fast forward a couple of weeks and my lobbying, together with the work of other groups, to secure support bubbles for single parent households.
For me, this was just the beginning. The real issue is that single parents are not
included in the Equality Act, and this is why we are so often ignored by policy makers. So, I set up Single Parent Rights to try and address this.
Single Parent Rights is a single parent led campaign group fighting for single parents to be added to the Equality Act alongside those who are married and in civil partnerships. If you want to learn more or get involved in the campaign you can visit our website at, www.singleparentrights.org or follow us on Twitter and Instagram. --
Ruth Talbot Founder Single Parent Rights Campaign Follow us on twitter @SglParentRights Follow us on Instagram: @SingleParentRights
I am Nicola Booth, a 34 year old single mum raising a 10 year old girl. I created Single Parents Support and Advice Services (running under a different name at that time) in October 2012 when I became a single mother, sat at home on an evening thinking there must be other single parents in this situation, so a local Facebook page was made and gone from strength to strength over this time to a now fully registered charity! and one for our first charity shop in Barnsley. Our aim is to support single parents to gain access to services which normally have long waiting lists or costs involved so they are unable to access them, for example counselling. This now includes emergency food parcels and energy top ups. We also Run surplus food projects all over the UK to help beat food waste and feed our families in need.
SPSAS is a charity for single parents all over the UK. We aim to combat isolation and loneliness through uniting as a community. We have two main Facebook groups and sub groups to help members with mental health support, domestic abuse support, parents with children with additional needs and more! We also have Facebook pages, one for the organisation, one for free legal support, one for emotional support We are proud to say that we are ALL volunteers in SPSAS, even me! All our services are FREE and we run on grants and donations.
www.singleparentssupportandadviceservices.co.uk
