Mumpreneur – a what?

[Mark]

I picked up a conversation on twitter earlier today (whilst I dutifully trapsed along behind Emma while she blew my wages in H&M) about the use of the term 'mumpreneur' to describe a mum... who's also a bit of an 'entrepreneur'.

From my point of view (from a personal branding perspective), it conjures up all sorts of negative mental imagery.

Does it sound professional? Does it send out the right image to you?

Does it sound professional? Does it send out the right image to you?

Without meaning to sound sexist no, unequivocally no.

To me it conjures up images of a lady with her hand over a screaming baby's mouth while trying to answer the phone in a professional manner.

[Valerie_50]

To me mumpreneur reflects the fact that many women take a leap to start a business while having a child. It is often a time to think about what you are doing and want to do, and while those few maternity months you really (really) want to keep your mind busy.

Taking the next step and starting your business also means that you have to think about childcare in order to have enough time to run a successful business.

[NikkiPilkington]

I think it's a horrible term, as I said in the discussion on Twitter today.

It makes me think of someone selling cupcakes from their kitchen table.

I've been a mum for 18 and a half years, but no-one called me a mumpreneur until I had Olivia 7 months ago - how does that work then?

[Mark]

Dadpreneur? Blokepreneur? Manpreneur?

Mums in Business? Women's Business Society/Group/Club?

Seems odd to me that people would want to segregate themselves.

It didn't start on Ec*demy did it? (they invented the internet, you know).
.

[AdamW]

Nope don't like it - screams to me off desperate Mum trying to make a business whilst looking after kids. Nothing wrong with that but don't give it a funny label.

[Kontracta Matt]

With you and everyone else on this Mark - I don't like it. If it was used by someone to describe themselves I would see it as them trying to segregate themselves rather than differentiate from the competition.

It must've been an advertising whizz's idea so that some kind of new market can be created to try and flog lots of products and services.

I'd have thought that businesswoman would be better.

[KevJaques]

From my Twitter profile heheh after I saw Nikki mention it I reckon that's a better phrase for it lol

Hmm @NikkiPilkington @HelenStothard - Better they calling it mumpreneur than milfpreneur? heheh

[Alison Cooper]

I don't like it and would never refer to myself as that. Once the term 'dadpreneur' starts getting banded around it may become more acceptable.... but I can't see that happening.

[LindsayInteriors]

I think it's an awful term, why should someone who works for themselves but is also a Mum have a special name, to me it sounds like a clicky group of people who think they are better than others - just like those groups of Mums int he school playground , they were probably the people who came up with the term originally.

[LindsayInteriors]

i agree 100% with eat worcester

[LindsayInteriors]

hahahaha that is very funny

[dawnjlane]

I hate the term but having just Google mumpreneur cannot believe the amount of c**p there is out there about mums who work from home.are in business, including Business Mums' Week which is this week! There are also conferences and awards for mumpreneurs.

Hey ho, white, married, not a mum but a business woman, must put me in a minority...

Dawn

[hlsbs]

I actually blogged about this after the debate on Twitter, it's not just the term Mumpreneur for me, it's all the labels that are out there that people use to pre-judge, you can read the blog here if you are interested What’s in a name? |

[Kay]

mumpreneur - bleaaarrgghh!

I hate cr@p like that. I also avoid any "women in business" places. I'm a person in business. It smacks of so-called positive discrimination. "Well, you know, it's only a woman." I don't want to be treated like that.

Politeness is appreciated and some of my best helpers call me M'dear at times, but that's just an affectionate term and not condescending.

I've looked at some of these cringe-worthy women's places (gotta keep an eye out to see what people are up to) and most I found were either talking about the problems of being a trailing spouse (following your husband because of his job) or SHOCK! HORROR! the excitement of a woman having her own career.

Bah!

The stupid thing is that women don't need this sort of "help". I've never yet found anyone who had a problem dealing with me simply because I'm a woman. I have less respect for women who seem to need this women-only stuff.

OK, I'm ready for the flak. Like I care?

Responses from women only please. I'm afraid to face what the men might have to say.

[Kay]

Here are some suggestions for other labels. We could start social groups on here if we get enough interest in them.

dumpreneur - for stupid people in business, huge niche with massive potential!

bumpreneur - for layabouts. Nah, won't work. They'll be too lazy to join.

tumpreneur or yumpreneur - for people in the food or diet industry. Large niche but very competitive.

gumpreneur - for those with an interest in making sticky sites.

cumpreneur - for xxx stuff. 'Nuff said.

I'm outa here before I get into trouble.

[Suzan St Maur]

As some on here have already suggested, this awful word stinks of "marketing opportunity" and judging by all the groups, websites, etc springing up on roughly that basis, it's another little earner.

Why the hell we can't just be entrepreneurs in our business lives and mums in our private lives, FFS?

[NikkiPilkington]

I don't think we should stop people using the term - if they want to then let them, just don't expect me to embrace it!

[Mark]

Getting a fair bit of "grief" on twitter over this. Apparently, we're a negative bunch. Perhaps objective would be a better term?

I've never seen the point of segregating oneself deliberately.

Dumpreneur = A stupid millionaire?
Gumpreneur = People who sell chewing gum?
Humpreneur = People who sell perfume?
Lumpreneur = A chimney sweep (in Scotland)?
Rumpreneur = West Indian based publicans?
Sumpreneur = Accountants?