Dadpreneurs want their due
October 20, 2011
Andrea Gordon
FAMILY ISSUES REPORTER
Some self-employed mothers get miffed at being called “mompreneurs.” After all, they argue, you don’t hear anyone calling the guys “dadpreneurs,” do you?
Well actually, yes. At least that’s how Brian Houle of Ottawa describes himself. “Like one of the mompreneurs, but I’m a dad,” says Houle.
He’s been home with his kids for a decade, and nine years ago launched his company, Memories2dvd, which transfers video and photos to DVDs.
Like many women running home-based businesses, Houle wanted to keep working while his children were young, and to be able to control when, where and how much.
Around the time his eldest was born, Houle was laid off from his position in high-tech sales. After her maternity leave, his wife returned to her demanding job as a financial planner, and Houle opted to stay home rather than look for another job. He soon began to research potential business opportunities on the Internet during his son’s naptimes and evenings.
The first few years of business were slow as he soon had a second son to care for. But the business soon turned a profit and now gains 100 to 200 new clients a year. In 2010, Memories2dvd was voted small business of the year by Kanata Chamber of Commerce.
Houle loves his dual roles but wishes he knew more men in similar situations. That’s one reason he wrote the Canadian magazine Mompreneur a letter three years ago, introducing himself as a “dadpreneur” and asking if he could join the community.
“I may be a male, but I’m a ‘mompreneur’ in every sense,” he wrote, describing how he balances school pickups, cooking, cleaning and a small business.
“From what I can see, there aren’t enough stay-at-home dads, let alone enough of us running businesses for me to start a group of our own.”
He hasn’t been the only one to ask, says Mompreneur publisher Frances Wright. Seems like the founder of Diaper Dudes, who caused a fashion sensation with its diaper bags designed for men, is one of a growing number of guys spotting parenting niches. Stay-at-home dads with engineering and tech backgrounds have come up with better stroller wheels and other baby gear, she says.
But for now, Mompreneur will stick to its focus on women.
In the meantime, Houle has sought community through the Stittsville Moms group on Facebook. This year his youngest started grade 1, so his business productivity has picked up.
“I love what I do. I believe in it and there’s a need for it,” says Houle. But minutes after a phone interview, his phone rings again. It’s the school. His 7-year-old has a fever, so Houle rushes to pick him up.
“He fell asleep on my shoulder while I answered a few emails then I put him to bed. It’s moments like that which continue to drive me.”