The do’s and don’ts of school run networking for mums

You’ve set up your own business working from home and all you need now are some clients! Or maybe your youngest is off to school and you’re chomping at the bit to re-enter the workplace, but you have no idea how to find a job after years as a stay-at-home-mum.
The best way to start the ball rolling is through networking because most jobs are not advertised and people tend to do business with people they know and like.  But we’re not talking stuffy, awkward group meetings or business card shuffles. Why not start in the obvious place – the school run, where you already know people and spend a lot of your time.

But before you hit the playground with your business cards and elevator pitch, take on board these tips from career and confidence coach Fiona Clark of Inspired Mums.

Don’t keep it a secret

Don’t be afraid to talk about your new business or tell mums you’re looking for work. No one will be able to help you, if they don’t know what you’re looking for.
You may worry about being seen as pushy, annoying or self-serving, but think of it this way: networking is not about aggressively promoting yourself but about building relationships. You’re already networking, whether you realise it or not, just by chatting to other mums. All you have to do is tell them about your business or job search – you’ll be surprised how your network will come to life!

Don’t do the hard sell

Save your elevator pitch for that job interview or cold call to a potential customer. Instead, come up with a more ‘chatty’ version of your pitch. The most important thing is to get across your passion for your service or the type of industry you want to work in, without boring your friends to tears.

Choose whom you tell

School run politics can be vicious, as we know, so select carefully whom you share your information with. Pick supportive, positive friends and contacts naturally interested in connecting people.

Be confident about what you’re saying

Work out what you want before you start networking and be confident about it. Don’t invite lots of feedback about your plans. Some mums will thrive on telling you: “It will be very hard,” or “It sounds fun, but you won’t make any money,” or “My friend has tried that but it didn’t work.” These naysayers can be very destabilising when you’re first starting out.
Also get rid of bad habits such as putting yourself down. When someone says: “I hear you’ve started a new business,” say “Yes, I have. It’s scary, but very exciting. I am providing communication services for small to medium-sized businesses.”

Be specific about what you want

There’s no point networking if you don’t know what you want from people. Identify your ideal client and tell your friends you want to find mumpreneurs in need of financial advice or dog-owners looking for a grooming service. If you’re looking for work, tell people exactly what type of industry or company you see yourself working in or what kind of job you’re after.

Keep spreading the word

Remember it sometimes isn’t the immediate network that will come to life. Leads often come from unexpected people – your friend’s colleague or ex-boss; the spouse of a mum at the ballet; some-one’s yoga instructor.

Follow up and reciprocate

If someone sounds interested in your offering or plans, be brave and invite them for a coffee. And remember networking is a two-way street. If a school mum has passed on a contact, update her on your progress, ask about her family and interests and stay in touch. Equally offer to help other people in a similar situation to yourself by connecting them to relevant people in your network.

Find synergies

If you’ve started a writing business and you hear of a school mum who has an events management or photography business, make a point of telling her what you’re doing and that you’d be keen to explore how you could refer business to each other.  Similarly, if you’ve heard of someone working in the same industry, ask her advice on how to get your foot in the door.

Fiona Clark is the founder of Inspired Mums, and is passionate about helping women find fulfilling, family friendly roles. She says, ‘I spent 10 years climbing the corporate ladder working in various commercial roles appearing to have a successful career but deep down I knew I wasn’t on the right path. I was doing roles that didn’t play to my strengths and this meant I often felt stressed and unmotivated. I decided to take control and had some career coaching to work out exactly what I wanted to do.  The coaching opened my eyes to the opportunities available to me that were fulfilling and offered the flexibility I wanted as a mum.
As a result of my own journey, I founded Inspired Mums career and confidence coaching in 2006 to help women fulfill their potential and find family-friendly careers. Inspired Mums offers a range of services to help women gain a greater sense of fulfillment: from gaining clarity on what you want to do, to overcoming barriers such as low confidence, right through to advice on selling yourself in CVs and interviews. It is by helping to motivate others that I have found my own fulfilling and empowering career.

If you’re a mum thinking of starting your own business, taking your business to the next level, changing careers or re-entering the job market after a career break, contact Fiona on Fiona@inspiredmums.co.uk