MM Entrepreneur
Mum at work!
You may think that having seven children would be challenging. You may think that running a highly successful business would be challenging. But if there is one thing that Sinead Norton loves, it’s a challenge…
At MM we love to hear about successful mums, who have managed to combine raising their family with pursuing their own dreams. So you can imagine how delighted we were to hear about one mum, who has not only done that for herself, but is helping other mums to do the same! Forty-four year-old Sinead Norton is the
founder of the fast-growing mum network Mums at Work. With members based as far afield as Dubai, there’s no doubt that Sinead has tapped into a resource that was greatly needed by mums everywhere and yet, ten years ago, her own life was anything but a dream! ‘Even though I had had my first four kids
relatively young, I had still managed to carve out a successful career in sales,’ she told MM. ‘Then, ten years ago, when I was now a single mum looking after four kids, I was unexpectedly made redundant. Once I’d got over the shock, however, I decided to start utilising the skills that I had developed over the years and set up my own business instead of being reliant on someone else for my income again.’ Sinead established Swift Cleaning and Ironing Services and, within a short time,
4 Modernmum
had a staff of five and a turnover of £200,000. By this time, however, she had spotted a gap in the market for laundering wedding linens and so she decided to set her sights on working directly with hotels to maximise events. Within a year of
opening, Sinead’s company was contracted to thirteen local hotels. ‘We still use our professional laundry
equipment,’ she continues, ‘but now Swift Wedding Services launders its own stock, which is worth in excess of £60,000. This has allowed us to supply and dress more than 3600 weddings and events in the last six years.’ By the time that Swift Wedding
Services had become a success, Sinead had married for a second time and had welcomed another three kids – including twins – so she knew better than anyone the trials and tribulations that come from balancing work and family. So, having overcome challenges in her own career, she decided to try and help other mums, who were looking to create or grow their own businesses. ‘My passion,’ she says, is for helping
mums to make their way in business and I wanted to support and encourage them to build their businesses.’ The result was Mums at Work, an online
group of like-minded mums, which in its first year of business has now grown to an amazing membership of 3000!
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