Finding Work As A Young Parent

Direct selling enables parents to balance work alongside family commitments, Paula Gorry, business development manager for Stampin uk, explains

Recent statistics show just 58 per cent of mums whose youngest child is between three and five go to work, compared to Europe’s 64 per cent average.

I recently attended an exhibition in London designed to find solutions for parents seeking a balance between family commitments and work aspirations. When speaking to attendees, I found many expressed a desire to enhance their household income. Far from a lack of motivation, the current predicament can just as easily be explained by other factors.

### Barriers ###

There are a number of barriers preventing mums from returning to work, but the spiralling cost of child care requires special attention. A recent report by the Family and Childcare Trust found many parents are paying more for child care annually than the average mortgage bill.

Faced with soaring child care costs, it’s easy to understand why many mums feel they are being priced out of returning to work. However, viable options are available that enable parents to balance work with family obligations. Chief among these is direct selling.

In recent years direct selling has enjoyed formidable growth. There are currently over 400,000 direct sellers in the UK, a rise of 20,000 people since 2009. Moreover, the industry generates £2 billion worth of sales annually in the UK.

Direct selling can be defined as goods sold directly to consumers outside a fixed retail environment, like a shop. Therefore, as a business model it offers complete flexibility for the seller. Direct sellers are able to expand their businesses as much or as little as they want, helping them balance their work with other commitments, such as family life.

With flexibility key to direct selling, what you get out of it depends on how much you put in. For that extra bit of motivation, it is essential that you are passionate about your product. Enthusiasm will always drive the selling process - making it more fun to continue expanding the business.

Stampin’ Up! appeals to both those who love crafting as a hobby and those who have turned their passion into a full or part-time job.

Traci Cornelius joined Stampin’ Up! as a demonstrator in 2012. At the time of joining, she was six months pregnant with her third daughter. Traci says: “I discovered Stampin’ Up! at the perfect time. The recession had hit my previous business and, at six months pregnant, I realised I wasn’t going to get a full-time job for a while. The flexibility of Stampin’ Up! was ideal - I could work it around my lifestyle, which already included two daughters and a part-time job.”

After selecting a product you are passionate about, the next step is to build and consolidate your network. You can do this by identifying who your product will appeal to. Whether it’s family, friends, neighbours or colleagues, each of those in turn will have a family, friend or neighbour who might be interested in your product. By following this process, your list will quickly grow in a short space of time

Once you have established a network of contacts, look to build on it by utilising all available sales channels. Traditionally, direct selling was associated with the door-to-door sales approach. By no means a redundant technique, it is important to consider this process as part of a broader mix of activity. Online platforms such as Twitter, Pinterest and Facebook will help you to share your product to a wider audience any time, anywhere, while video formats such as YouTube enable you to build your profile and interact with your audience.

### Social ###

Undoubtedly the social aspect of the direct selling business model is an important element of its continued growth. Whether hosting a party for friends or greeting other mums on the school run, direct selling is a great way to meet new people. At the heart of any successful direct selling business is engagement with other people and it’s this social aspect of the industry that is cherished by many.

For a mum seeking a balance between work aspirations and family obligations, there are available options. Direct selling provides an achievable way for mums to enhance their household income - and on their own terms.