I am sick of the word ‘mumpreneur’

OMG I am so sick of hearing the word mumpreneur! Come to think of it I am sick of all these stupid categories being set up and just adding the word ‘preneur’ on the back end of it.

I don’t understand how being a mum and running a business even became its own category? There are even Mumpreneur Awards! Mums, are not the only people to juggle work and personal balance so why the need to include it in your title like you have more pressure or challenges than anyone else just because you are a mum. Everyone has challenges!

We don’t say that fathers in business are ‘dadpreneurs’ so why is ‘mumpreneur’ such a big thing?

I actually think it is patronising and makes women even more alienated. I don’t believe in women getting special treatment in general, let alone creating all these mini segments of women within women. It is unnecessary and irrelevant to running a business. One is independent of the other.

Now I might sound like I am having a bit of a rant here and that is because I AM!!

Motherhood shouldn’t define you in your business, just like it shouldn’t define you as a woman. Does being a ‘mumpreneur’ mean you should get more support, attention or recognition? NO.
So why does the word exist?

Running a business is hard. It is overwhelming at times, stressful and your time is constantly challenged. There is no need to bring your status about a life choice into the conversation, as it relates to business. So, if I am gay am I a ‘gaypreneur’? What about if I’m single, am I a ‘singpreneur’?

There doesn’t need to be a distinction in male or female titles in the workplace or in business. As a woman, I don’t want to be treated any differently to a male. I don’t need to be and nor should I be. So why highlight that in a title? Shouldn’t we all be working in our business based on merit and results, not the status of our uterus?

And I am not alone. Many so-called ‘mumpreneurs’ don’t like the title.

Professor Mark Hart, Deputy Director, Enterprise Research Centre agrees. “Not content with working out whether someone running a business is an entrepreneur or not we have now got a proliferation of labels to describe a particular demographic group the ‘entrepreneur’ is hailing from – mumpreneurs and olderpreneurs are just two common examples!”

“They make me cringe every time I hear them as they tend to be demeaning and patronizing in equal measure playing into the stereotypical entrepreneur as a young white male by seeking to make the distinction. Demographics don’t matter in running a business as it’s what you are doing with your business that counts – disrupting markets, creating opportunities, social and environmental impact and yes, making money.”

And for the record starting a business doesn’t make you an entrepreneur so if you think that I suggest you look up the definition in the dictionary.

I challenge you to call out the ‘mumpreneurs’ you know and ask them why they think they need to define themselves in that way. The more we challenge the conversations, the more we can impact change.