Mums & Co: bringing up baby - and business

If you thought motherhood and entrepreneurship were mutually exclusive, think again.

Mums & Co co-founder Carrie Kwan says more women are choosing entrepreneurship after motherhood.

Mums & Co co-founder Carrie Kwan says more women are choosing entrepreneurship after motherhood. Source: Supplied

Carrie Kwan is convinced motherhood does not need to mean a time out for those with entrepreneurial ambitions.

It just requires a bit of help.

And while she's lucky to have childcare help from her family, she knows not all women do - that's where she says her website, Mums & Co, can step in.

"We're a community of like-minded women who are raising a business but also raising a family," she explains.

"One of the things our members love is our emergency childcare. So you're working from home, you have a child with you. You might have a last minute call from a client saying 'I need you to come in'... we can actually connect you with last minute childcare. This is agency-approved, police-vetted childcare within three hours."

The website is based on a paid membership model, though access to content is currently allowed for free, as its following builds.

Current members range from e-commerce business owners, to professional service providers, to winemakers.

Mums & Co aims to help mothers in business connect with each other.
Mums & Co aims to help mothers in business connect with each other. Source: Supplied


The business is backed by insurance company IAG. It's a project that came out of an intensive two-month period of discussions over what kind of venture to launch together.

"We're a majority-owned business and what that allows us to do is use [IAG's] size, strength and scale to help us build this community of mums in business, and best serve them," Carrie says. "One of the services we offer is an insurance product for mums that are based from home."

The platform taps into the growing number of women who are running their own small business.

"Labour force data shows there's about 400,000 businesses that are owned by women. Then there's also 313,000 business owners that have dependent children - so this is quite a significant market."
Carrie Kwan started Mums & Co while pregnant with her second child.
Carrie Kwan started Mums & Co while pregnant with her second child. Source: Supplied
Carrie says often it's the second child that acts as a trigger for women to re-evaluate their working life, and consider whether to start a business. Disgruntlement with the inflexibility of corporate life also plays a role - not to mention workplace discrimination.

"There's also a bit of stigma around 'oh, she's gone on maternity leave, she's not as capable' - which is incredibly ridiculous."

She warns women need to do their homework before taking the leap though. Researching the size of your potential market, and talking to customers about the problems they need 'fixing' is a must.

"Also have frank discussion with your partner because this is a big change."

Her biggest piece of advice for so-called 'mumpreneurs'?

"My message is you can do this. It's not an easy path but you can do this. And with the support of your village and Mums & Co, we exist to help make that journey less isolating."

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By Sana Qadar


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