Mumsclub founder receives MBE at Buckingham Palace for her “services to entrepreneurship”
Jane Hopkins MBE, visited Buckingham Palace on Wednesday 14th March 2012 to collect her MBE for her commitment and dedication to provide support and advice for mums looking to start a business around their family.
Jane Hopkins, 37 from North Warwickshire created mumsclub in 2007 when her son was just 18 months old. She receives her MBE for Services to entrepreneurship in recognition of the continued support her organisation supplies, free of charge to any start up business with a working mum at the helm.
Jane’s reason for developing the website was for personal reasons; the end of a relationship left her broke and needing an income. Whilst claiming income support and benefits she researched new business opportunities, it was this research that led to the creation of mumsclub, quite by accident. She simply wanted to meet other working mums so retrained in website design and created a community forum which gathered interest and hundreds of members. Soon after she developed an idea for a new magazine and launched the first ever annual Business Mum Awards in 2008. Various other initiatives such as National Business Mum week, regional networking clubs and live events means the mumsclub brand continues to grow and is now regarded as not only the first but the leading mumpreneur support organisation in the UK.
She now has over 5,000 subscribers, support from one of the biggest parenting brands, Mothercare who distribute her magazine and more than 20 area managers running regional clubs.
Jane says “I am deeply thrilled and honoured to have been awarded an MBE. The Investiture day was the most daunting thing I have ever done, but my family and I thoroughly enjoyed every moment of it. I am humbled to have been nominated for this award and I hope I will be able to use this honour to further the mumsclub reach and connect with more of the 1.4 million* women running businesses in the UK!”
*Office of national statistics:
- 4.1 million self employed in the UK
- 14.2% of all employed people (autumn 2011)
- Two thirds of the Self Employed are men
- 60% of these becoming Self employed since 2008 are women
- Therefore there are 1.4 million self employed women in the UK, we expect at least half to be working mums.
Mumsclub has some exciting developments planned for this year including a new site, Business Mums Week 1st-7th October and many more so keep a close eye on their site this year.
