Part 3: Stay at home mum starts her own business

In Part 1, Stay-at-home mum Melissa, discussed her values and goals with a career counsellor. In Part 2, she began studying and discovered that she loved learning and the course she'd selected, but faced some unexpected obstacles including unemployment. In Part 3, Melissa has thought about her transferable skills and now puts it all together! 

Melissa begins her own business

“I used my research skills to find more about being a personal concierge and found iCALM which was really helpful. And so now I’m a personal concierge and my business is called Allow Me To Assist." www.allowmetoassist.com.au

Finding the right name

"It took weeks to get a business name I was happy with. I wanted the name to tell the story and wanted a logo that fitted. It had to be easy to read, appeal to older people and not be ambiguous. I’d never had thoughts of having my own business, but it’s the door that opened and I love what I do, even though it’s not what I’d planned."

The importance of trust

"One of the important things is to meet people and make genuine connections. I usually set up a personal meeting first and that’s my client’s opportunity to check me out and get a sense of my trustworthiness.

My clients need to feel ok with me, to see if I’ll fit in with what they need. People might need me to fill a gap when life has got overwhelming, they might ask me to do their banking, shopping, take their car for a service or feed the cat! They need to be able to trust me with their credit card or car, so building trust is a large part of what I do."

What I do

"I’m getting known now, and have some really good client testimonials which is great. Some of my regulars call me their fairy godmother, because I’ve helped out during family emergencies. 

Not everyone has access to extended family to call on when things get too much for them, and they need to be cloned to be in two places at once. I have your back, and can get you out of time related trouble.

I’ve got my weekly and fortnightly regulars; I take some elderly people out for mid week morning tea and specialty shopping, or even to medical appointments because their children are working in the city. Others call on me occasionally when something major is happening, like a 40^th birthday party, when I help with the organising, invitations and decorations.

I also do packing support, debriefing, making coffees and supplying food when someone has just shifted. I’ve reminded businessmen that important family events are coming up, and am always very discreet! Tact, diplomacy, and confidentiality are important.

Some people are intimidated by doing things online – I’ve shopped and sold things on eBay, I’ve booked a cruise, and even sold a car. It’s extremely varied!”

What a journey! From a stay-at-home mum wondering what to do with her life, to studying, to running her own business, Melissa has been challenged, overcome unexpected obstacles and found a rewarding work-life balance which complements her personality and supports her personal and family values.  And for her to say “I couldn’t have done it without you, Sue” is a very humbling thought.

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Advertorial: Oz celebrates new era of franchises!

Sometimes you wake up with a thought, sparked by a recent news story about local politics and the possibilities cascade joyously. You can see the cover captions which inspired this post here. 
To clarify for international readers, this is a very tongue in cheek look at one of our politicians - aka the leader of the opposition, who is trying to improve his image and appeal to women. He regularly comes across as a pugnacious misogynist and recently the women in his family rallied around telling us that really he's very sensitive.


Within months of its launch, the New Franchise #sensitivetony, has become a sensation, making a splash across all states and territories of our wonderful nation.

#sensitivetony, reportedly owned by Big Mal, provides door to door, blue ribbon, household services to the domestic market.

You may have seen the friendly, fuel efficient little vans pootling around the suburbs with their fetching logo and tasteful colour scheme. Attractive in the extreme, these have been seen popping up everywhere, dashing hither and thither … some say a bit like an over-excited flea.

All applicants to represent the #sensitivetony franchise are put through a rigorous selection proceedure. Some high profile media identities have been refused a position even though they are desperate to improve their overall community standing after reportedly falling out with some segments of their formerly one-eyed market. Their strident, dismissive and arrogant attitude towards women and divisive and insensitive cultural comments are decidedly at odds with the values of the eco-friendly, ethical, warm hearted franchise.

Whilst #sensitivetonys aren’t selected for their looks (no eye candy here ladies!) they are expected to be able to hold intelligent conversations on a range of social issues with the most discerning of householders.

Unfortunately the occasional #sensitivetony has blundered publicly and exhibited a lacklustre performance, potentially tainting the reputation of the franchise. This occurred due to the initial scarcity of #sensitivetonys and early teething problems, resulting in awkward attempts at covering up by those with closest involvement to the humiliating episode. (In the interests of public awareness and "buyer beware" this is shared here.)

#sensitivetony plugged on bravely despite the very public prime-time gaff, however he was required to undertake remedial training in how to "Comprehend and Discuss Complex Issues". This module has now become a core competency for all #sensitivetonys, with a pass grade of 90% being the minimum standard acceptable.

The range of services offered by the franchise is comprehensive. They include, but are not restricted to: cleaning those hard to reach places such as ceiling fans and light-fittings, turning and flipping heavy mattresses, shifting and vacuuming under awkward furniture and installing energy saving devices - all as a standard service!

#sensitivetonys regularly show their warm and fuzzy side and will evict hunstman spiders from behind paintings and curtains, and relocate them into the garden gently and humanely. The more distressing catching and removal of mice is an optional extra.

Sustainability is the catchphrase of this franchise! 
All cleaning products used are environmentally friendly. Where palm oil is an ingredient, it’s sourced from rigorously vetted, sustainable plantations. This is a service you can trust!

Some families are fortunate to have a #sensitivetony at their beck and call, and whilst they rarely brag publicly they’re quietly proud to have him around. For the rest of us, however, we’re able to share the love, thanks to Big Mal’s new #sensitivetony home help service.

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CDAA workshop: 29. HBDI influence

(This post forms part of a series of powerpoint slides from a presentation I gave at the Career Development Association of Australia Conference 2010 entitled: The Roller-coaster Ride from Permanent Part-time Employee to Private Practitioner.)

I came across the The Whole Brain model of thinking at "The Mind and its Potential" conference in Sydney late 2009. It's an excellent conference with relevance for many people in their day to day living; covering aspects of science, learning, creativity and personal development.

The "Hermann Brain Dominance Instrument" is a helpful way of getting a 'birds eye' view of whatever it is you're setting up or beginning. It follows the idea that the brain has a right and left hemisphere, each with it's own distinct way of looking at the world. It then subdivides those halves, so there is a total of 4 parts, giving them particular attributes as well. These are colour coded which makes them easy to remember.

The diagram on the top left gives an idea how I used the ideas in my own small business setup.

I found the ideas helpful even at this late stage having already begun my business, and with clients already making appointments. It reminded me to look at the 4 quadrants and check that I'd covered the different aspects and hadn't got carried away with a feel-good, hair-brained scheme and forgotten about the facts and details. 

The model is particularly useful when you get on a roll with a brilliant idea, as it brings you down to earth with an easy, sequential and logical way of checking that you are being rational, thinking of the financials and all the things that can be ignored in the excitement of a new venture.

For anyone who is particularly pedantic, I suggest you don't get caught up trying to find the exact spot in the brain that equates to the concept being covered. It's not meant to be a map of the brain, but a way to help us relate to others at work and at home.

The Whole Brain Business Book by Nedd Herrmann is user friendly, easy to read and practical. It focuses more on the personal and inter-personal business aspects of the uses of the instrument but was still a useful addition to the overview I gained at the conference. Differences are celebrated, careers suggested to complement a person's strengths, and we're reminded of ways to get the most from all members in a team.

Another book using the HBDI could be good for parents of young children. "Why don't you understand?" by Susie Leonard Weller. Weller discusses the 4 thinking styles, and using these, suggests practical ways to improve communication within the family.

Whilst I'm not accredited in the HBDI, I've found the information gained from reading the books, attending talks and having my profile completed have been extremely useful for day to day living, family interactions and within my business.

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