Growing up, my aunt was an entrepreneur I looked up to.
By the time I woke up at 10am — when I spent holidays at her home ― she would have prepared us a scrumptious breakfast, visited our grandmother, planned her working day, had phone meetings with her fashion production house and was ready to take on the world.
My cousins and I often accompanied our aunt to her fashion business, where she managed inventory and reviewed customers’ orders.
To me, she juggled both her fashion business and household so efficiently that nothing seemed to be falling behind.
Her business thrived, with clients from across the GCC region, and she also made sure that she spent time with her children and made precious memories.
As an adult, I ventured into entrepreneurship.
I went through numerous challenges and often remembered my aunt, wondering how she was able to balance things better than me, when I did not have five children and a household to manage.
I realised that mothers have what it takes to not only start a business, but to also build a thriving one.
Motherhood and entrepreneurship have many things in common.
For my aunt, time was the most precious commodity. While some entrepreneurs would waste their mornings scrolling on their screens, my aunt knew that she could get most things done before her kids woke up.
Mothers are professional multitaskers, a skill equally important when managing a business.
My aunt took us on visits to her fashion business to check on her production and clientele, and she would follow that with a trip to the ice cream parlour for our summer treats.
But the most important skill of all? Mothers are great negotiators, and they are in a constant negotiation mode with their children.
In business, negotiation is an important skill to master, whether it’s dealing with vendors or clients.
In fact, I learnt my negotiation skills from my mother, who often told my siblings and me that being a mother means you have to constantly motivate, inspire, advise and sell an offer or an idea.
When the Covid-19 pandemic hit, many mothers around the world who had been furloughed or laid off from their jobs resorted to entrepreneurship as it provided them with the flexibility to be financially independent and close to their children.
Mothers make great entrepreneurs. They can multitask, negotiate and manage their time efficiently.
This is not to say that it is easy, or that all mothers are able to juggle both so efficiently.
Being a mother is one of the most challenging jobs in the world, and entrepreneurship is no easy feat. Both require constant attention and care to grow and thrive.
As we celebrate Mother’s Day in the UAE tomorrow, it is important to think of ways we can support mum entrepreneurs and help them be financially independent, while contributing to the economy.
Mother's Day 2022 — in pictures
Data by the Boston Consulting Group reveals that if women and men participated equally as entrepreneurs, the global gross domestic product could rise by 3 per cent to 6 per cent. This would boost the global economy by $2.5 trillion to $5 trillion.
Thus, empowering mum entrepreneurs makes good business.
Entities could support them by opting to work with mothers who offer freelance services.
Entrepreneurship funds could launch mentorship and networking programmes specifically tailored to empowering mum entrepreneurs.
On an individual level, we could support mum entrepreneurs by highlighting their businesses or services on our social media channels or simply referring them to entities or individuals looking for a particular product or service.
Entrepreneurship is a challenging adventure, but mothers are equipped to take it on. Supporting them will not only help them thrive, but the global economy as well.
Manar Al Hinai is an award-winning Emirati writer and communications consultant based in Abu Dhabi
