Never say never.
That’s the advice that Wiradjuri woman Jo-Ann Lee gives to other solo mums in Australia. She is a chef, a mother of three and the founder of Goanna Hut, where she creates her own native teas and offers a modern Koori catering service.
But none of it would have been possible without the guidance of Global Sisters, a non-for-profit (NFP) organisation supporting women to start their own business and achieve financial security.
Jo-Ann’s $200 start-up has now generated over $300,000 in revenue.
“It’s an extensive and nurturing support system which gave me a strong sense of security,” Jo-Ann said.
“I was surrounded by a group of women, who offered unwavering expertise and valuable connections.”
On Tuesday, Global Sisters announced the launch of a new program for solo mums receiving government payments (Parenting Payment Single) to receive three years of free and tailored business support.
With funding from the NSW government and the private sector, the NFP’s project will help 300 single mums to kick start their business.
Traditional employment for solo mums is challenging to maintain whilst raising children, Global Sister founder and CEO Mandy Richards said, and the purpose of their program is to give these mums another option for income.
“It’s incredibly difficult for solo mums to access flexible, secure and sustained employment when they are juggling family life,” she said.
“The more traditional and full-time employment opportunities are largely out of reach, leaving them to navigate options that are generally casual, unstable and short-term by nature.
“As a result, women who are solo parenting are more likely to circle back to social security payments by necessity of their circumstances.”
Global Sisters’ flexible and accessible programs give women what they need, when they need it, for their business pursuits.
“What is important is the flexibility that comes with being able to earn an income from home despite other circumstances,” Richards said.
The AMP Foundation donated $1 million to the Global Sisters’ program, while the NSW government committed to a Payment-by-Results contract. The Paul Ramsay Foundation has also partnered with Global Sisters to deliver the program.
The funding facilitates the program reaching 300 solo mums, providing a three-year program, to the value of $4,500, free of charge for single mums on the Parenting Payment Single government payment.
Richards said the program will contribute to the broader systemic change needed to increase women’s economic participation and foster their financial independence.
“It takes us one step closer to our vision for a world where every woman is financially independent and where self-employment is a genuine option for any woman who chooses that pathway,” Richards said.
Global Sisters was founded in 2016. Over the last seven years, the NFP has provided assistance to 5,500 women and enabled emerging women-led micro businesses to access more than $7.6 million in pro bono business support.