Lisa Marsh is a mum of 2 and qualified Life Coach who specialises in Fertile Health. Her business Your Great Life provides a wide range of life coaching services and products whilst specializing in Fertility Coaching, helping people find the best treatment options to meet their needs and build their family. 

What inspired you to start your own business?

I have always wanted to be my own boss. I want to have time in my life for both family and individual interests. I also wanted independence, so I could follow through on my own ideas.

What has been your biggest challenge?

Without doubt, it has been avoiding the temptation to do everything myself, from web design to bookkeeping. I am really good at coaching and teaching; I need to leave some of the other things to people who are expert in their fields.

What have you learnt about yourself since you became self-employed?

I am multi-talented and have many skills and resources from other areas of my life that can be put to use in my business.

What has been the best thing about being your own boss?

I love having something to call my own, to shape and grow in whatever direction I want to go.

If you could give one piece of advice to an aspiring ‘mumpreneur’ what would it be?

Get out and network with other women in business; especially if you are working from home.  It can be lonely when you are working hard and seeing little of your friends. Other businesswomen can give you support, new ideas, contacts and respite from your work.

To find out more about how Lisa’s coaching expertise could help you please visit her website www.yourgreatlife.co.uk

After 10 years as a PA and office admin in the creative sector and education, Rebekah Harriman established RRVA after the birth of her second child with the growing realisation that combining employment, young children and a fulfilling career were just not working out. Offering Social Media and Business Support to companies across the UK Rebekah understands how important it is for your business to be focused on what you are passionate about and having someone flexible and who you can trust to look after the other aspects of it.

What inspired you to start your own business?

I have always wanted to work from home, even since I was a little girl. All the careers I came up with always revolved around working for myself and from my own home. That derailed a bit after school and the need to earn a living. After the birth of my son I began to really think about what was both a way of fulfilling my career aspirations, getting back to working with people I really liked working with and also something that actually worked around childcare! It didn’t come to fruition until after I had my daughter, 2 1/2 years later, when I matched up my skill set with the industry I loved and found out about virtual assistants. So a combination of fulfilment for my self and career, needing to earn money and something that works around my family.

What has been your biggest challenge?

Getting off the ground! Getting the small amount of capital I needed for a new Mac and software together and getting other people to believe that what I was doing was both viable and potentially very profitable.

What have you learnt about yourself since becoming self employed?

That I am more tenacious than I thought. That I actually rather like public speaking, which I hated as a child, and that a positive mental attitude does actually make things work out better.

What has been the best thing about being your own boss?

I love that I can do the school run and not miss out on the school plays etc but still run a business where I am known for my knowledge and expertise and not just being someone’s mum. That and that people actually do say ‘thank you’ when you get them a great result!

If you could give one piece of advice to an aspiring ‘mumpreneur’ what would it be?

Thoroughly research what you want to do before you launch, and only do it if you are really passionate about your business. Passion is an underrated trait in entrepreneurs and goes a very long way. If you truly believe in what you do, it comes across to the people around you, it means you keep learning about your sector and gets you through those difficult times and periods of self doubt.

To find about more about how Rebekah could help take the pressure off you and your administration please contact Rebekah on info@rrva.co.uk or visit www.rrva.co.uk

Louise Player is an Arbonne consultant, selling botanically-based skin care products. Having. been in business for over 30 years Louise had felt it was time for a change and since joining Arbonne says she has really enjoying being part of a team and had lots of support and great fun too!

What inspired you to start your own business? 

I have been in business since leaving school; I just felt that it was time for a change. I ran my previous business for over 30 years and you know what they say ‘A change is as good as a rest’.

What has been your biggest challenge?

Knowing when to stop. It’s very easy to keep on working – I tend to lose track of time and suddenly the day has gone as well as half the evening.

What have you learnt about yourself since you became self-employed?

I am very focused and goal orientated.

What has been the best thing about being your own boss?

I love the flexibility and freedom of choice that being my own boss gives me.

If you could give one piece of advice to an aspiring ‘mumpreneur’ what would it be?

Make sure you have fun along the way.

To find out more about Louise’s business visit her website www.gorgeousgoddess.myarbonne.co.uk or you can call her on 07827945531 or email her at louiseplayer@myarbonne.co.uk

Mum of 2 Anne-Marie Mittelman founded her VA business, A Virtual Angel, in May 2007 on the back of her balloon decorating business. Having 15 years administration experience in travel, logistics and training  means that she can help business owners focus on what they do best by delegating the rest!  And on top of that Anne-Marie is also the latest member of the MTB team, taking on the new role of Local Group Co-ordinator.

What inspired you to start your own business ?

Following the birth of my son in 2005, I set up Celebration Sensation, a balloon decorating business, as my creative outlet to my corporate PA job.  Whilst on a noisy Underground train, a client rang and questioned where I was, I apologised and explained I was on my way to a PA Conference.  I was then asked if I could help organise their conference, which was a huge success and at the end of the day, the client said I was an “Angel”.

What has been your biggest challenge ?

My biggest challenge has been building my business as a 5-9er, whilst working full-time in the corporate world.  Working full-time limited my opportunities for networking to help grow my client base and also was a time management challenge for working 5-9 with small children.

What have you learnt about yourself since you became self-employed?

I have learnt that ultimately I am responsible for my own destiny and whilst this is great from a work/life balance point of view, it’s also very scary from a financial commitment point of view too.

What has been the best thing about being your own boss?

Being able to work around the children, doing the school runs, attending assembly and the ultimate school plays without having to “ask permission” first.

If you could give one piece of advice to an aspiring ‘mumpreneur’ what would it be?

Be brave, have self-belief and ensure you have a strong support team behind you.

You can follow Anne-Marie on Twitter at @AVirtualAngel. To contact Anne-Marie please email info@avirtualangel.co.uk , call 0844 588 1588 or visit http://www.avirtualangel.co.uk

Suzanne Dibble is a highly experienced, award winning business lawyer with over 13 years experience. Suzanne worked for 9 years at global law firm DLA Piper before moving in-house to ITV plc and then becoming Legal Director of Hamptons International, the award winning national estate agency. In addition to first rate legal experience, having been a board director of a £100m+ turnover company, Suzanne also has a huge amount of general business experience which translates into practical legal and commercial advice for clients.

As a ‘mumpreneur’ herself, Suzanne set up lawyers4mumpreneurs in 2009 to focus on mumpreneurs’ needs in setting up and growing their businesses and is now a household name in the mumpreneur community as the trusted first port of call for affordable, friendly, jargon-free business law advice.

Suzanne advises on all areas of business law including franchising, licensing, website compliance, e-commerce terms, distance selling, data protection, intellectual property protection, employment and consultancy, outsourcing, partnerships, investments, acquisitions and joint ventures.

What inspired you to start your own business?

Quite simply, the desire to work flexibly around my children.

What has been your biggest challenge?

Finding enough hours in the day!

What have you learnt about yourself since you became self-employed?

I need to be less of a control freak. Outsourcing certain functions is necessary if I wish to expand my business but I am finding relinquishing control very difficult.

What has been the best thing about being your own boss?

Being able to be as innovative as I want and not feeling restricted by other people.

If you could give one piece of advice to an aspiring ‘mumpreneur’ what would it be?

Go for it!

Website: www.lawyers4mumpreneurs.com
Email: support@lawyers4mumpreneurs.com
Twitter: @law4mumpreneurs
Phone: 0330 100 0320

Forward–thinking Alisa Burgess left her 9-5 to become an Associate with Usana Health Sciences, so that she would have a flexible working arrangement already in place when she starts a family.

What inspired you to start your own business?

I was working as a PA and Office Manager for over 20 years and in the last few years I felt I was really living in a rat race, not enjoying my work and working very hard with little reward.  I really wanted to do something that would help people and make a difference to people’s lives. I also wanted to have flexibility in my working day and more of a work/life balance.  I knew I would have to work for myself and wanted to work from home as I wish to start a family.

What has been your biggest challenge?

My biggest challenge was to find a business that I could do from home with a low start-up cost and products that I could passionately believe in with top quality training and support.

What have you learnt about yourself since you became self-employed?

I have learnt that I am much more capable, resourceful and proactive than I thought.  It is not as scary as you think it is, in fact I enjoy it more than any other job I have ever done.  I have also learnt that if you put your intentions out there and take action things start to fall in to place more easily than you imagine.

What has been the best thing about being your own boss?

Being able to plan my work around my life, not plan my life around my work.

If you could give one piece of advice to an aspiring ‘mumpreneur’ what would it be?

Find something you can enjoy and hopefully be passionate about, think about what you can offer.

To find out more visit www.harnessyourhealth.usana.com or email Alisa at alisaburgess@usana.com

Mother of 2, Tracy Clarke, has developed her business whilst looking after her family and working full time.  With a degree in Media Production and as a teacher of ICT, Tracy has turned her sewing skills into a business making hand make accessories for babies and new parents, including Bibbla dribble bibs, bags, changing mats, blankets and gift sets in a range of fun and funky fabrics.

What inspired you to start your own business?
My son who is now 14 months old was my inspiration, I wanted unusual baby items that I just couldn’t find elsewhere, so I made my own!

What has been your biggest challenge?
Juggling a family, a part time job as a teacher and the business!

What have you learnt about yourself since you became self-employed?
I’m not as organised as I thought I was, but I’m getting there!

What has been the best thing about being your own boss?
Working my own hours, I only answer to myself, and selling something to a complete stranger who appreciates the work and effort you put in, its really rewarding

If you could give one piece of advice to an aspiring ‘mumpreneur’ what would it be?
Ask for help when you struggle! No one will think any less of you and it will help build those connections for later on.

To view Tracy’s full range of fantastic products please visit www.paintedghost.co.uk or email paintedghost@gmail.com

Gemma Hopkins started Little Gem Business Support in 2010. Like many mums who start a business, she had years of experience in paid employment and now puts those skills to use in her own business which gives her the flexibility to work around her young children.

 What inspired you to start your own business?

 I was made redundant in April 2010 and my husband was doing a PGCE so I decided to utilise my skills as a self employed person to enable other businesses to work at their own strengths.

What has been your biggest challenge?

Having the courage to put myself  ’out there’ and sell my services.

What have you learnt about yourself since you became self-employed? 

That I do have more skills than I ever gave myself credit for in the workplace.

What has been the best thing about being your own boss?

Being able to earn an income and not have to ‘beg’ to be allowed to go to events at my daughters’ school and being able to work to my own clock.

If you could give one piece of advice to an aspiring ‘mumpreneur’ what would it be?

Be realistic.  Building a business takes time and confidence to build.  If there is an area of your business you are really not confident with then find someone who is and save yourself some time.

To find out more about what services Little Gem Business Support have to offer then please visit www.littlegembusinesssupport.com or contactGemma directly on info@littlegembusinesssupport.com

babyballet’s Managing Director Claire O’Connor spotted a gap in the market within the dance industry and has created an award-winning concept and franchise business whilst being a dedicated mum to her 4 children, Harry(14), Charlie (6), Claudia (4) and Kitty (2). All Claire started with was an idea and a whole lot of determination so it’s incredible that babyballet is now the UK’s leading pre-school dance concept loved by over 8,000 children (and their grown ups) every week in 27 franchised areas! 

And Claire just keeps on picking up awards for babyballet – she was picked as ITVs Mumpreneur in 2008, won Best Interactive Business Award at the Mumpreneur Conference & Awards 2010, and walked away with both Best Franchise and Business Parent of the Year 2010 awards at the mumandworking award ceremony last month. 

What inspired you to start your own business?

The initial inspiration for babyballet came from my own personal experiences and a desire to provide dance classes for children that were different from all the rest. I realised that there was a need for non-competitive dance classes for children. I grew up surrounded by dance as my mum had a traditional dance school, which didn’t really suit my personality.

When I went to dance school I wasn’t the best, I wasn’t the right shape and it seemed that only the best were accepted, which left me with a lack of self confidence and self esteem, and a very poor body image. I left at 14, fed up with not quite getting the best grades or lead parts in shows.

Unfortunately I suffered post natal depression & I was a single parent following the birth of my first child. I went to work for my mum helping run her dance school because I couldn’t find a job which fitted in with my circumstances.

It was through this time that I recognised that dance classes hadn’t changed since I was younger and I was adamant that I wanted to change things.

I felt that children were still being zapped of their confidence at dance classes rather than being proud to reach their own potential and taking the positive aspects of the art into their later life. I wanted to change these attitudes so designed the non-competitive classes so that children are pumped full of confidence from an early age so they can grow being proud of who they are rather than comparing themselves to the varying shapes and sizes of others.

Due to the initial success of the first classes and spotting a niche in the market, I decided to expand the business by franchising as well as develop a range of uniform and merchandise.

I am so proud now to see so many children enjoying the classes across the UK and so many women (lots are mummies) running their own successful babyballet franchises.

What has been your biggest challenge?

My biggest challenge to date has been managing the growth in the business. I started with an idea and a whole lot of enthusiasm but as the business was such an immediate success, the reality of growing a business soon became a challenge.

At the beginning I was involved in every day to day task up to the point where I simply couldn’t manage the workload anymore. I was adamant that I wouldn’t jepoardise family life so I employed staff to take on duties so that I could concentrate on building the business and developing the brand without it having a negative impact on the family.

What have you learnt about yourself since you became self employed?

A lot! It makes me realise how hard I have worked and how much I absolutely love babyballet. It’s true what they say, ‘when you find a job you love, you never work another day in your life’.

What has been the best thing about being your own boss?

The biggest advantage for me is having the flexibility to work around my family.

If you could give one piece of advice to an aspiring ‘mumpreneur’ what would it be?

If you’ve got an idea, go for it! Reach for the stars, be positive and don’t feel guilty about pursuing your own dreams.

To find out mor about babyballet classes and franchise opportunities please visit www.babyballet.co.uk

Debbie Atkins, like so many mums in business, set up her own company after the birth of her daughter in 2008. She loves the freedom of running her own business and has a very strong idea of where she wants it to go.

What inspired you to start your own business?

Whilst employed I was looking for a new challenge in my career and working for a firm dominated by male directors, I felt my choice to start a family would hinder any further progressions for a long time to come. I felt that the best chance would be to run my own business. It’s a scary thought to leave a well paid job and then have to find countless clients to be able to generate an income which pays the mortgage! … but I was focused, determined and optimistic and with the arrival of my daughter and a new chapter in my life it seemed the perfect time!

What has been your biggest challenge?

My biggest challenge was the thought of trying to ‘sell myself’ in order to gain new clients. I had found networking in the past an awkward experience and then I came across ‘Mums The Boss’ meetings, these were a very different experience. Rather than full on networking it was a welcome relief to go along and meet like minded ladies, to share our experiences and achievements. Just by being myself and talking to people I have already made some great contacts and even several new clients.

What have you learnt about yourself since you became self-employed?

Working from home has so many advantages but there are also one or two distractions! I often find myself cleaning or doing a load of washing instead of working. I never thought I would start my own business from scratch. I had seen ex-male colleagues do it and often thought wow that would be so good but never had the guts to do it. Until one day, just over two years ago and I am not looking back! It’s been the best thing I could have done.

What has been the best thing about being your own boss?

Being the boss! Not having to answer to anyone or feel guilty taking time off, and avoiding the office politics. I love the fact that my achievements are all my own and one day soon I WILL progress my business to the level where I can have my own premises on the local High Street. I am driving this business wherever I decide to take it!

If you could give one piece of advice to an aspiring ‘mumpreneur’ what would it be?

Be positive – you CAN do it. From my own personal experience the best way to progress your business is by networking.  Of course mums networking’ is the best, but also just spreading the word to family, friends, neighbours and acquaintances. Often people don’t realise what you do or that you are looking for work – this has worked wonders for my business.

For more information about Atkins & Co Chartered Accountants and the services they offer then please email Debbie direct  debbie.atkins@atkinsandco.com or visit the website www.atkinsandco.com