Moms have profits. Polish women set up e-stores while on maternity leave

When to return to work after having a baby? Or not to return and go on your own? Data Shoper shows that an online store is an easy way for a business startup, and all you need to set it up is funds from the 500+ program. The stories of mom-owners prove that a plan with a business on maternity can work out great.

One in three Polish companies is managed by women, according to a report by the Women's Entrepreneurship Foundation. Interestingly, the situation is very similar in the US. The NAWBO organization estimates that women-led companies account for 39 percent of the country's businesses. However, they are responsible for only 8 percent of jobs in U.S. companies and only 4.2 percent of their revenues. This would mean that "women-owned" companies are largely microbusinesses operating on an outsized scale.

E-business an option for the flexible

The Shoper data collected from several hundred store owners operating on this platform for the "Multi Challenges" report indicates that just an online store can be a good way to start with your own business. Nearly half of the sellers (49 percent) declared that they run the store on their own and among those operating for less than 3 years this figure reached 67 percent. More than two-thirds of respondents declared that the store is an additional source of income for them.

- Many stores using Shoper software have grown tremendously, becoming thriving businesses. However, for the first few years, most of them do not have a separate office or warehouse. Vendors do not hire employees, they engage in "after hours" sales activities themselves. That's why starting with a new store seems a good task for young moms who are not working professionally. Launching online sales is simpler than opening a traditional store. It does not require investment in premises and spending several hours a day behind the counter. For a monthly subscription, even in the option Shoper Premium, funds from the 500+ program would be enough ," says Oliwia Tomalik, Marketing Manager at Shoper.

Stores grew out of parents' experiences

The children's industry is a fast-growing slice of Polish e-commerce. The number of transactions in stores operating in this sector on the Shoper platform in the first half of 2019 increased by 32 percent compared to the previous year, and their total revenue by 36 percent.

It is not uncommon for motherhood itself to become the inspiration for young mothers to launch a store just in the parenting sector. This was the case with the Noski Noski and Spoko Stara stores.

- Noski Noski is a family business that I created with my life partner. Our parenthood became the impetus for a change in life and career path - to open a toy store. The big inspiration for the creation of the store was our son Edek and our parenting shopping decisions. We wanted to create a place that supports other parents in this life adventure. Trading seemed interesting to us because we had never done it before. In 2019, selling online seems to me to be the most perfect form of commerce. For both buyers and sellers it is convenient, economical and ecological. Today, moms use the Internet very intensively. They can get knowledge and support from it. They can also find products ideally suited to their child's needs in a store like our s," Marta Nendza co-owner of the Noski Noski store describes her career path.

- Being a mom inspired me to start parenting-themed Spoko Stara profiles on Instagram and Facebook. From these came the idea to set up store. I found that being a modern mom who has a lot to say about motherhood is the path I want to take. I opened a store for laid-back and happy women who, by wearing my stuff, can manifest to the world what they think about particular topics. This is my independent project, which I do in conjunction with raising my child. Most often I work during his nap time or at night, so I find such work harder than the standard full-time job in a company I have known for years," assesses Agnieszka Lili Antoniak owner of the Spoko Stara store.

Mom has an idea

Online commerce, due to its nationwide or even global reach, fosters niche businesses that wouldn't have a chance to reach sufficient scale as traditional stores. In turn, entering the parenting world with fresh eyes helps moms discover undeveloped niches in the market.

- My husband and I created the store when our eldest daughter was less than two years old and our next children, twins, came into the world. We started to delve into the subject of reusable diapers ourselves, and it turned out that this is a niche product with great potential," says Katarzyna Malorny, co-owner of the store Chmurka Biała, "Selling on the Internet gives unlimited access to customers from all over Poland. Modern mothers preparing for the birth of a child or encountering their first parenting problems mainly use the Internet. Originally, the store was supposed to be a supplementary activity for me. Running it online seemed like an easy way of working for a mom who stays at home with her children. There are no rigid working hours, no need to go anywhere. It turned out to be worth investing more of my time in this business, looking for new ways to communicate with customers, or improving the storefront. My husband became very involved in these aspects ," explains the owner of Cloud White.

- My main product is author's ponchos and car jackets, which allow you to safely transport children in a car seat in autumn and winter. Out of the need for such a product and the lack of such a solution on the market, I started sewing them myself," says its owner, Patrycja Syska-Janas, about the creation of the Patulove store. "Being a mother determined the choice of a business formula, which is an online store. Being able to do my work in the afternoon or evening, in case my children need me "here and now" is priceless. Being a mom has also opened my eyes to many aspects, including business ," notes the Patulove brand author.

Among the more than 13,000 online stores operating on the Shoper software, the most popular categories are Home and Garden, Clothing, and Health and Beauty. The fourth place is occupied by stores selling children's accessories - the share of this industry currently accounts for 9 percent of stores on the platform.