A small but growing number of mothers are
leaving the traditional workforce and setting up their own businesses. Called
"mumpreneurs", many want more flexibility to look after their
children.
Sher-li
Torrey, founder of social enterprise Mums@Work, which helps mothers find work
with flexible arrangements, estimates there are 1,200 mumpreneurs here, up from
400 in 2010.
A
survey commissioned by The Straits Times and work-life advocacy group Employer
Alliance (EA), and done by Degree Census Consultancy, also found that 28 per
cent of working mums with young kids who did not like their work-life balance
intended to get another job with better benefits.
Joanne
Low, 43, left her job as a lawyer 12 years ago after her second son was born.
"At
that time they didn't have a part-time scheme and I felt I needed to be with my
kids more especially during their young age," she said.
When
her third child - a daughter - was a toddler, she started making jewellery and
registered a business in 2012.
Juggling
business and family commitments still required discipline and time management,
said Low.
"I'm
more focused on the time I have with my kids so I get my work done at other
times."
Her
daughter Kaitlyn said she was happy they can spend time together.
"I
like talking to her and going shopping with her," the eight-year-old said.
Running
a business means mums can fit work time around their children's schedules and
decide how big to grow the business, said Torrey, who is organising the first
Singapore Mumpreneur of the Year Award this year.
"As
the work environment is not always sympathetic or empathetic towards mothers,
there's always a struggle between finding time for family and moving up the
corporate world," she added.
Former
banker Ivena Chew, 38, left her job in 2010 to focus on her daughter, now aged
four. She started a salon the following year and her company, called pout,
distributes personal care products.
"I'm
not bound to the desk and to tight timelines," she said. "I can take
(my daughter) out from childcare earlier to take her to the beach."
Joanna
Seow
Business & Investment Opportunities
Saigon Business Corporation Pte Ltd (SBC) is incorporated
in Singapore since 1994.
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