Being a new Mummy and building a business........
I decided to set up my own business when I was 32 weeks pregnant. I knew, even before the baby was born, that I wouldn't want to go back to my Monday-Friday 0830-1630 job, despite the fact that I truly love my job........ I was given the opportunity by someone I've known all my life; a childhood friend, Clare. She started her business in August 2016 and I saw her success and wanted to be a part of it. I'll always be grateful for the opportunity she gave me, and for the doors it's opened for me.
Some may say I was bonkers, I say it was perfect timing. As far as I was concerned I had 6-8 weeks to get things established, I'd have a couple of weeks off when I had the baby, and then I'd have another 8 months ish while I was on maternity leave to really get things going. So I put my plan into action and started my Facebook Group. I posted a couple of times each day and was thrilled when I got a few sales.
My precious daughter Mia was born on 4th November 2016 and changed my life forever. We had a pretty bad time in labour and delivery, and then afterwards she had to be readmitted to hospital and we had a pretty bad time again. BUT, we walked through the neonatal ward on the way to our bay and I'll be thankful every day that we didn't have to be there......
During that that time my FB group was on hold as planned and I couldn't think about anything but having to take care of Mia. When Mia was a couple of weeks old I decided it was time to start posting again and it was all I could do to put out 2 posts a day!!! I had always known it was going to be hard looking after a newborn baby, but oh my goodness, I completely underestimated how hard it was going to be!!! I hear all the Mum's out there groaning at me but really, I didn't give it that much thought.........
I must say, I'm also the luckiest person in the world to have a husband who's so supportive. Alan isn't frightened of Mia at all (I could have ended up with someone who wouldn't go near her!) and I didn't have to change her nappy for 3 days after she was born!!! Alan also believes in me 100%, and so understands that I have to work most evenings and is genuinely interested in what I'm doing and the progress and successes I'm having - although this can be a little irritating sometimes!!!!! He knows this is for our future and that all the hard work now is to give us both time and financial freedom.
So, back to building my business. Very quickly after Mia was born the thought of going back to work and leaving her in nursery 5 days a week made me feel physically sick - it still does. Just after Christmas Clare and I set up a massive recruitment campaign in South Africa. Clare works full time and so could also only spend time in the evenings working on her business. I was looking after Mia all day and trying to run a house, be a wife, and then having to be up during the night 2-3 times. I was exhausted, running on empty, and getting more and more emotionally unstable as each day passed. But in January, I recruited 38 people via my Facebook Page, and once again, did a happy little dance....... To date, however, of those 38 people, I can count on one hand those that are actually active!
The other thing to happen in December and January is that I didn't get any sales - none, not a single one - and my happy little dance felt a little empty. So I started looking online for training programmes into network marketing - only the free ones of course; after all I'm on maternity pay..... But I just seemed to get really inspired by what I needed to do, and then completely lost in either the technological side of things, or the amount of work that I needed to do to be able to give away 'free' stuff. The one thing I did learn though, is that I have to give value. The 'stop selling' and 'start educating and providing a service' mantra has born fruit. I completely changed the way I post in my group at the beginning of March, and 'touch wood' I've had more sales in March that I've ever had previously...... Such a change in so short a space of time is truly fabulous, and again, I'm thankful every day but definitely not complacent.
The other thing I did was invest a little in a training programme that has opened so many doors it's ridiculous, and has completely transformed my whole business I'm now REALLY positive about the future and my plan is to hand in my notice on 5th October 2017 - yes I've worked it out already! I have a goal you see, and that drives me and inspires me everyday, alongside the thought of being a stay-at-home Mum to my very precious Mia.......