Name of Business:
Charlotte & Co.
Your Name and Age:
Charlotte Semler 41yrs
I co-founded Myla in 2001 and had an amazingly exciting 5 years growing that business into an international brand.
Although the Myla brand and product concept was groundbreaking our business structure was pretty conventional:  A London head office with full-time staff, a dedicated call center and fulfillment warehouse in Essex, 10 retail outlets inLondonand one inNew York.  And a 7 day a week work schedule for the myself and my business partner.
The birth of my twins in 2005 coincided with new investors …

Name of Business: The Handpicked Collection
Your Name and Age: Jo McGivern (Age 39)
Tell us about your family: I have three children, Annabelle age 7, Thomas age 5 and Jack who is nearly 3. And of course my husband Simon. They are all great fun – and we love spending family time together.
What did you do before coming up with your business idea and how was it making the transition? Before starting The Handpicked Collection, I was a director of a Luxury PR Agency. Moving into retail was a steep learning curve – the first …

Name of Business:
eleventyone Limited
Your Name and Age:
Melinda Holohan, 41
Tell us about your family:
I am married and have two little munchkins who are 3 and 5.
What did you do before coming up with your business idea and how was it making the transition?
The transition was easy – I was pushed! =) I worked in asset management and was made redundant, but it was the best thing that had happened to me since my children. I went home and sat down with a piece of paper and made two lists: what was …

Your Name:    
 Sandra Patterson
Age:                        
39
Business Name:       
Kids Bee Happy
Website Address:    
www.kidsbeehappy.co.uk
Date Founded:      
 April 2011
 
My family;
I am married to Alistair, and I have two lovely daughters, Eleanor aged 9, and Jessica aged 7.
 
What did you do before coming up with your business idea and how was it making the transition?
I was a Chartered Accountant by training, working in London, and very disillusioned.  I decided to ditch the lot and move to Scotland.  Within a couple of weeks of moving up to Scotland I met my husband, and we were married a few …

Name of Business: bigbooklittlebookcardboardbox
Your Name and Age:  Frances Weir, aged 35
Tell us about your family:  I’m married with a son aged 3
You featured in a Family Friendly Working profile in September 2010. A year on, how is the business going? The business is going well, far better than I would have anticipated! My sales are increasing month on month and my income exceeds the salary I was earning in the part-time job I gave up to launch my business.
To what or whom do you attribute your success? While I allow …

Name of Business:
The Clothes Tree Ltd
Your Name and Age:
Mhairi Clarke, 37
Tell us about your family
I have a wonderful eight year old son, Ben
What did you do before coming up with your business idea and how was it making the transition?
Prior to starting The Clothes Tree I had carved out a successful career in PR, setting up my own lifestyle PR consultancy whilst juggling client work in other sectors. I then took up position managing the communications for Noel Fitzpatrick, BBC One’s Bionic Vet, splitting my time between Scotland and Surrey. …

Name of Business: Dillonstoybox.com
Your Name and Age: Seema Carter, 42
Tell us about your family, Husband, Simon and Son, Dillon
What did you do before coming up with your business idea and how was it making the transition?
Director PA for nearly 20 years. Have always wanted to start our own business, so decided to set up an online shop selling quality wooden toys which we have always loved. My son Dillon was the inspiration behind this.
When did you launch? 2010
How did you get started?
Set up own website and sourced products from local …

Name of Business: Nearly New for Baby
Your Name and Age: Kate Baker, 36
Tell us about your family: I live in Warwick with my husband Barny and two children. Harry is almost four and Grace is 10 months.
What did you do before coming up with your business idea? My friend Sarah and I came up with the idea for nearlynewforbaby.co.uk whilst on maternity leave from a media communications agency. Sarah heads up the digital department and I work in marketing and PR.
When did you launch? 1st July 2011
How did you get …

Name of Business:  No Added Salt

Your Name and Age: Kay Shearing,  51

Tell us about your family
 I have a daughter – Donna who is married and has twin daughters,  and a son Steven who is also about to get married.   My husband Steve and I have been married for 34 years.

What did you do before coming up with your business idea and how was it making the transition?
I already ( and still do) run a building company with my husband, I work from home as our office is built onto …

Sam Willoughby is the multi-award winning business owner of What’s On 4 Ltd, with 1 million visitors a year to its online directories. Sam has taken a kitchen table start up to international franchise in 4 years. Sam contributes regularly to books to help women in business, articles in the national press and is speaker and judge at the Business Mums Conference. Her business awards include Practical Parenting magazine’s Business Parent of the Year, HWWBA Womanpreneur …