Maintaining Business After Baby: Strategies for Working Moms

[jennuone]

I am looking for some brilliant ideas on how to keep my business rolling after I have a baby in May. I will be nursing. (excuse the repeat post, I posted on a diff. forum also)

 

[rebeccastt]

I just had a baby in August and am nursing him. I took about a month-and-a-half off and then started back with a show a week. I am only gone during one nursing period, so I just pumped and had my husband give him the bottle. He is 5 months old now and I try to do 2 shows a week. It is still going well!

 

[Paige Dixon]

I had a Baby Is Due sale to help with the two weeks before and two weeks after the due date when I didn't book any shows. I mailed and emailed out notices offering 40% off stoneware (stoneware was 20% September 2003, too!), accepting orders by voice mail or email only. (since I didn't know exactly when the baby was coming!) While the extra 20% off cut into my commission, it kept my numbers up, helped me make more commission on the real shows that I had done (by submitting more sales in the month, bumping up my percentage).

After that, I took the baby and did the demonstration with him in a Maya Wrap baby sling. I'd set up, nurse him right before starting the show, he'd sleep through the whole demo, I'd nurse him again, then collect orders/clean up.

When he got to be about 3 months old, he was more unpredictable about sleeping through the demo, so I needed to start leaving him home with his siblings and a sitter. I did decrease the amount of shows I held that year so I didn't have to leave him too much. You could always make up for not doing as many shows by recruiting more!

 

[jenwallace]

Thanks for the ideas! My baby is due sometime in early April. I like the Baby is Due Sale. I may have to try that out. Keep the ideas coming!

 

[raebates]

Congratulations! I don't have any advice (my baby boy was 18 when I started), but I wish you all the best.

 

[jennuone]

I really like the baby is due sale! Thanks for the idea! Keep em coming!!!