Mothers: hidden resources of society

Be the entrepreneur of the future! – this is what parents with small children were encouraged to do at the interactive meetup organised by Coca‑Cola HBC Hungary and Loffice Coworkid. More than sixty mothers had the chance to acquire the legal, strategic and marketing knowledge essential for company formation at the #futuremum event organised within the framework of the #YouthEmpowered program and it proved that anyone can be a successful entrepreneur - even as a parent.

The #YouthEmpowered program has expanded its focus to mothers in October. Their job seeking opportunities are hindered by household duties, while in terms of maturity, experience and diligence, they stand out from other job seekers. If these qualities are not valued by employers, mothers can utilize them in a business of their own.

Therefore, experts and participants discussed chances of starting a new business at the #futuremum event held in Loffice’s headquarters in Paulay Ede street. Many mothers are riddled by questions that inhibit them and view starting an enterprise of their own as an insurmountable challenge.

At the event, employees of leading organizations equipped participants with a practical pool of knowledge that can be applied instantly in the market. They were Dr. Lilla Sáry, Oppenheim’s lawyer, who presented the benefits, features, cost and tax implications of various company forms, dr. Éva Révész, lecturer at the Corvinus University of Budapest who talked about strategic and financial planning, Anna Fruzsina Südi, a coordinator of Google, who provided an insight into the exciting fields of communication, branding and online marketing.

According to Orsolya Nyilas, external communications manager of Coca‑Cola HBC Hungary, moms are the hidden resources of the Hungarian society. “They have high ambitions and great experience. If we give them the right knowledge and tools, they are capable of a surprising performance” -she said.

According to the latest survey conducted by the Median Institute, of the corporate programs that support job seeking, #YouthEmpowered program is the best known in Hungary - 10 percent of the adult population have heard about it. The survey also revealed that young people are becoming more optimistic about their chances of finding a job and, after their qualification and knowledge of languages, they named self-knowledge an important ability that improves their chances in the labour market.

At the beginning of the year, Loffice team launched Coworkid Foundation, which supports mothers in the job market. According to co-founder Kata Klementz, parents are a resource still untapped and their employment rate is low. “With the Coworkid program, we want to align parents' career plans with employers' needs. We have developed a concept that addresses not only the needs of parents with small children, but also the needs of companies that are open and accepting of them. Whether it is a program promoting entrepreneurship, a training to support return to the labour market, or career counselling, we assess a company's current needs, define a concept and put it in practice.”