Karren Brady’s career advice on dealing with the pressures of childcare in the world of work

APPRENTICE star and West Ham United vice-chair Karren Brady answers your careers questions and meets an inspirational CEO.

Here she gives a reader advice on dealing with the responsibility and pressure of her first managerial role.

Q) I’m a mum of two and work part-time in a supermarket as well as looking after the kids, as my husband works full-time as a labourer.

But since the cost of living crisis hit, we’ve been struggling.

I can’t increase my hours, as we can’t afford childcare, but I’ve heard other mums talking about holding parties to sell beauty products that they then make commission on.

I’d be interested in getting into this, but I’m not sure how to go about finding a reputable company, or even if they’re a good idea at all.

What do you think?

Becky, via email 

A) The biggest barrier to women’s careers is affordable childcare.

Why would anyone leave their children to go to work if they can’t be sure of high-quality care, at a cost that doesn’t make working actually more expensive?

The government needs to act, especially with the cost of living crisis.

My concern with party companies is that there’s often an initial financial outlay.

They’re handing over hundreds of pounds worth of stock, so they want to ensure they aren’t losing money.

Different companies have different payment plans, so read the small print about what you’re committing to and how to leave if it doesn’t work out.

Talk to other mums to see how successful their parties are.

If you do go ahead, choose a company whose products you love – you need to be passionate about them.

And be mindful of the time commitment – most parties are held at a host’s house, not yours.

Also, explore other options that you could do around family life.

With your experience in retail, it may be worth looking into remote customer service roles, for example.

• Got a careers question for Karren?Email bossingit@fabulousmag.co.uk