Why Mums with small businesses flipping rock! – Mummascribbles

As we were leaving school on Wednesday, Zach casually informed me that his teacher’s last day is today. That no she wouldn’t be joining them on their trip to the seaside on Monday (to which I am sure she is breathing a sigh of relief), and that no, she also wouldn’t be in next Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, or for their last day on Friday.

I was shocked. I mean teachers don’t get holidays right? Well, that’s a bit of a lie because his Reception teacher wasn’t there for the last three weeks of the Summer term but that’s because she was getting married. She was initially a supply teacher after his first teacher had to leave and go back home to Ireland, and her wedding had been booked way before she was offered the permanent position. So yes, sometimes they do take holiday!

I digress.

I managed to get information from Zach about how the government were making his teacher do it, and something about her putting people in prison, and I came to the conclusion that she in fact has jury service, which has now been confirmed as correct!

I was shocked. Not because I had no idea about this. I usually hear this kind of information through Zach. No, I was shocked and panicked because he was telling me this as we were leaving school on Wednesday and at this very point in time, I had not sorted teacher presents! It had been on my mind, but I thought I had a whole extra week to do so! Suddenly I realised that I needed said presents by Friday afternoon. What the heck would I do?

Now, let me explain a little as to why I didn’t just go into Poundland and grab some toot for them. I hands up don’t do that! I like to buy thoughtful gifts. Personalised gifts. Not mugs or chocolate, or bath bombs, but something that is going to be handy for them to have. That they can have in class. Use every day. I usually buy a personalised notebook for the teacher and the teaching assistant, and then a little something else as well. But it was too late to order a personalised notepad wasn’t it?

Well no. No it wasn’t.

You see around the whole of this Country are Mums who run small businesses from their homes. They put their kids to bed and they start on their admin, or they make up their orders, and they package their orders ready to take down to the post office the next day. Some sit there until the early hours, trying to make their businesses work around their kids, and trying to make it a success. And it is these Mums in business that I love to support with my purchases. It is even these Mums in business that I love to support with my VA work – because I truly get them! And it is these Mums in business who came to my rescue on Wednesday evening!

You see being a Mum in business myself, means that I am in a few Facebook groups of that kind. A whole network of amazing Mothers creating beautiful products. And so I tapped into them. I put out an urgent request. I asked if there was anyone who would be able to create something like a personalised notebook that very night, and get it in the first class post to me the very next day. And within a very short time, I had a flurry of wonderful products to choose from! And chose I did. Once the kids were in bed I placed my orders with two separate Mums in business. One for a couple of personalised notebooks and one for a couple of personalised pencil cases. And within no time at all, they were sat in their house, making up the orders for me and getting them ready for the post office first thing yesterday morning. They even took the time to send me photos of the products!

And this is why Mums in business are so bloody epic. Because they care. Yes they want the sale – of course they do. But they also want to help. Because no doubt they will find themselves in their own similar pickle one day and they will require assistance too!

The service I got on Wednesday night from the two Mums was second to none. They both replied within minutes – one to process my order, the other to confirm that she had received it and was already working on it. They were both going to send it first class, first thing on Thursday morning. They went above and beyond to try and get them to me in time.

I would not have got that service from an online shop. That would have taken days! I probably wouldn’t have even got that service if I had just placed an order through Etsy without speaking to the business owner first. But because I did, my problems were sorted.

Of course, now I just need to hope that Royal Mail have done their thang and that the postman delivers them this morning so that I can wrap them, pop them with a card, and take them to school on the afternoon school run. Well, one of them. The teaching assistant can wait for hers as she is teaching them all next week!

My advice for when you are stuck in a pickle and need to order something quick – find a Mum with a small business, send her a message on Facebook, and I have no doubt that she will do her absolute best to help you out. A) because she wants the sale to help feed her kids, B) because she will always be up working until at least midnight so can probably squeeze you in, and C) because she is just flipping awesome!

All hail the Mums with small businesses! Especially the wonderful Louisa from Classet Collections and Sarah from SJ Custom Clothing & Gifts who have both hopefully saved my bacon!

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