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Mompreneurs: how to deal with the crisis?
For almost ten years now, “mompreneurs” have become an identified and emblematic character in the economic and media landscape. Certainly, the image of the beating mother, boosted by her motherhood, eager to finally achieve professionally and to better reconcile the pro and the personal, has something to seduce. But in these times of economic slump, we wonder, not about the reality of the phenomenon, but about the capacity of these mothers to live from their activity over time. Take, for example, the figures for self-employed people, a statute obviously used a lot by mompreneurs. At the end of May, there were nearly a million self-employed people. But barely half of those registered had a turnover. Between 2013 and 2014, there were 10% more bankruptcies among very small businesses (VSEs). Nothing to boast about …
Mompreneurs: united in the face of the crisis
Two years ago, we met several mompreneurs to take stock of this trend. We wanted to know how they got through this never-ending crisis. Virginie, creator of the brand “C’est mon mien”, a sale of 100% French birth gifts, told us: “ I feel the crisis when I prospect small multi-brand stores. Many do not have a clear vision of the future and therefore prefer not to take any risks by bringing in new designers., even if they like the products. They prefer to capitalize on the brands they already distribute and which work, even if it means not offering new products to their customers. Also this year, many of these stores had cash flow problems. Payment terms are therefore lengthening, orders are smaller. More seriously, many have gone out of business. Five out of fifteen closed in 2013, that is to say a third! These are all points of sale to be found in order to be able to maintain my annual turnover on my side. ”Christelle founded“ Les petits casseroles ”in 2011. The principle? Home delivery of fresh, homemade dishes to rediscover the pleasure of family meals when you don’t have too much time to cook yourself. “I am completing my second exercise. I take the crisis in third year and it’s the most complicated, when we start to pay the full price for everything, when the enthusiasm of the departure may dull. My luck : my clients, executives or independent professions, are not the first to be affected by the crisis. They have even more work, even more need of us. ”
Many mompreneurs recognize that their activity does not allow them to be remunerated, which the crisis weakens them and that without their spouse’s salary, they could not maintain their independence. But they also insist: these difficult, gloomy, floating periods are also conducive to innovation and solidarity. “I have the feeling that we are entering a new era, with a real return to the fundamentals, to the authentic, enthuses Virginie. This crisis makes you think. Who says innovation does not necessarily mean technology. We can innovate by offering the same product, but by changing the service that goes around it, by offering a different, more flexible offer, more suited to new lifestyles. ”
Same proactive discourse with Christelle: “Being pushed to question yourself by an economic difficulty is positive. Comfort is sclerosing. »The young woman assures him, in the face of zero growth, mutual aid resurfaces, the network is activated. The period is fertile in sharing and brainstorming. And then, very small companies have an advantage over large companies (TPE), that of small flexible Zodiac® against the Titanic. A rudder allows you to change course immediately. The context is difficult, yes, but very small businesses are reacting. Faced with the turmoil, 40% have implemented new services and 50% have changed their prices.
Mompreneurs: a desire stronger than the crisis
In any case, crisis or not, if the desire to start is really there and an opportunity presents itself (social plan, inheritance…), it will be difficult to resist. “When you have it in your guts, you can’t help it! assures Barbara Haddad, who is organizing the first Family Marketing Day on October 2 (see box). Usually, it was not the right period, I have two small children. I could have continued to work quietly as an employee. But it was stronger than me. ”Not surprisingly according to Diane, another mompreneur, founder of the site“ zen-et-Organized ”. In the workshops she leads, she sees the participants “ a very strong need to flourish in their work, to be in phase with their activity and to give it meaning. They are ready to leave managerial positions or gainful jobs in which they are unhappy. They experiment with barter, bypass the consumer society. They are ready to live differently. To reinvent the models.
To work more, often to earn less. This is why you should not start without thinking, you must even have carefully thought out your project., know what we are getting into, what the consequences will be. The same time, it is necessary to believe in yourself and in your project. Now, this may be the Achilles heel of women. ” Out of 100 entrepreneurs, 30 are women, notes Alain Bosetti, president of the Salon de la micro-entreprise *. However, upstream, among the project leaders, it is 50/50. At our show last year, we even had more women than men. So why such a loss at the time of the act? It’s not a banking problem, the women are pretty well supported. No, the problem is lack of self-confidence. However, the figures show that businesses started by women are more sustainable than those founded by men. You see, you have no more excuses …
* From September 30 to October 2, 2014, at the Palais des Congrès, in Paris. October 1 was dedicated to female entrepreneurship.