Sewing Up The Baby Business

My Small Business:

It wasn’t that long ago that women had to resign from their jobs when they became pregnant to stay at home and look after the children.

How times have changed.

Today, parental leave is improving by the year - Woolworths recently announced that it will give its female workers eight weeks’ paid maternity leave and the Government seems to be serious about some sort of paid parental leave scheme.

Returning to work after having a child is now generally the norm but some mothers are deciding to go it alone and set up their own businesses.

Emma Isaacs is president of the Sydney chapter of Entrepreneurs’ Organisation, a global group for entrepreneurs with more than 7000 members worldwide, and chief executive of Business Chicks, a national networking community for women in business.

Isaacs says: “When I joined the Entrepreneurs’ Organisation three years ago our membership was 10percent female. We’ve now almost doubled that because we’ve strategically targeted women and continue to do so.

“A lot of women resolve to go out on their own. It’s not difficult to set up a business and with the flexibility, creative control, and choices, it’s an attractive option.

”It’s also easier these days to find entrepreneurial female role models which prompts would-be moguls to explore starting their own business.”

Starting a business that makes the most of the burgeoning demand for baby wear, baby toys and baby entertainment is becoming increasingly popular. After all, kitting out and entertaining a baby is expensive, a fact mothers know very well.