Finding out that you are expecting your first child can be a mix of feelings – joy, excitement, fear and confusion.
You may have already started thinking about how you’ll cope with an extra mouth to feed and how you’ll do that. Will you leave your job and become a full-time mum, will you cut back your hours so you can spend more time with your baby, or will you work full-time because you need the money?
Here are some options to think through:
Option 1: Stay as you are
For many mothers, working full-time or reducing hours at work is the only option they want to consider. Having a steady income can work out well, and you can basically continue as you were before – with a few adjustments here and there for childcare.
Option 2: Go freelance
If you work in an industry that enables you to sell your skills on a freelance basis, and you have built enough contacts to get you started, this is a fantastic time to break free from the chains of an inflexible employer, and the daily grind of juggling work and childcare.
You can start to look into this during your pregnancy, and start making contacts on websites like LinkedIn (if you haven’t already), so that by the time you’re ready to start working again after the baby’s born you won’t be starting everything from scratch. Nine months is a good amount of time to establish contacts and get a feel for what it will be like to freelance for a living.
Option 3: Start a business
I’ve lost count of the number of mums who start penning their business idea during pregnancy or while they’re on maternity leave.
If this sounds like something you’d be interested in but don’t know how to get started or you need some guidance, join The Mothers Who Work Club today and you’ll gain access to video and audio tutorials, downloadable guides and more that will help you get things moving.
Option 4: Buy a pre-existing business that you can run as your own
We all know an Avon lady, or someone selling some type of products for a company. But did you know that network marketing (also known as direct marketing and multi-level marketing) is not just about sales?
There is a recruitment side to it, too, and if you have a friends and family who are also looking for a way to earn an extra income, then you really should consider a network marketing business because it is one of the most flexible ways of making money.
Option 5: Buy a franchise
If you like the idea of running your own business but don’t have a business idea of your own, and you don’t want to go into direct selling then you could consider buying a franchise.
Franchises cover just about every sector available – from childcare to pizza, so the options are many.
Just make sure you do your research and ensure that there is a good training and support package available for when you need it.
Option 6: Become a full-time mum
At the risk of starting a stay-at-home mum vs. working mums war, at Motherswhowork.co.uk, we believe that every mother should work in some form – the challenge is finding the best option for you and your family’s needs.
Long gone are the days when just one income was enough – the economy is no longer what it used to be, and putting all your eggs in one basket (your spouse or partner’s job) is far too risky.
The other downside is that when your children reach school age, if you have been out of work many years, going back into the world of work can be a momentous task, and you may feel like you have to learn to walk all over again.
