I set up my first business as a freelance book indexer about 10 years ago when my children (Naomi, 17 & Kimi, 15) were younger. My husband Dave and I, lived away from family so childcare was always a problem. I was a stay at home mum when my girls were born but when they started school I felt I could be doing something more productive with my time than housework! I wanted a career that meant I could still be there for my family and indexing was perfect. However, …

A long long  time ago in a village far away in Yorkshire there lived a little fairy called Sarah.  Now Sarah being a mummy and being worried about providing for her family, worked all hours god sent on her family’s business but alas to no avail, as it went under in January 2011 last year. Undeterred Sarah would not give up that easily and so The Ironing Fairy was born.
Life was pretty tough last year we had no money as we lost it all with our previous business that we …

Name of Business: Maga Therapy
Your Name and Age:  Dawn Symons, 44.
Tell us about your family: Three children 22-12yo. Lovely partner, Tony. I live near the coast in mid-Cornwall, where I was born and grew up. I commute (most weeks) to South Surrey where I share a flat, then into London to treat clients at The Hale Clinic, I have a private office at St Pauls.
What did you do before coming up with your business idea (previous career, stay at home mum etc) and how was it making the transition? Back in 1985 I studied …

Name of Business: East Midlands Night Nanny & Babysitter
Your Name and Age:  Elizabeth Stokes, age 33
What does your business offer/what do you do? 
I am a Night Nanny. I care for babies through the night whilst parents catch up on their sleep.  I have experience with: newborns, twins, prem babies, NG tube fed babies, reflux, colic, allergies, eczema & special/additional needs and administering medication.
Sleep deprivation is really hard to cope with and many new parents long for a night of unbroken sleep. Employing me as a Night Nanny enables them to …

Claire Fryer & Lisa Vassallo have been friends for over 20 years – we met at school and have been lucky enough to be able to set up in business together. We love what we do and think it shows!
Life before One to Three seems like a long time ago now! Immediately before we set up the business we were both working in a freelance capacity, fitting projects in around our children. Claire’s professional background lies within PR agencies and Lisa has a marketing background with blue-chip organisations.
It was over …

Name of Business:
KiddyCharts
Your Name and Age:
Helen Neale, 38
Tell us about your family
I have a wonderfully supportive husband, Paul, whom I have been married to since 2003 – he puts up with my constant jabbering about the business which is no mean feet!  My children are 6 and 4; and they help me make sure that my charts are suitable for my audience, as they are my audience!
What did you do before coming up with your business idea and how was it making the transition?
I have been a business analyst for …

Name of Business: Mummy’s Maid Ltd
Your Name and Age: Kez Luckett aged 39
Tell us about your family: I am married to Andy who is a Network and telecoms manager. We have two children Amelie who is 6 years old (going on 16) who loves Hannah Montanna, high School Musical and anything pink and girly and Jack who is 3 years old and into anything relating to building or bob the builder(although he does secretly love Peppa Pig too). We spend a lot of our spare time renovating our family home …

Peggy Melmoth (39) lives on board a narrowboat with her husband, and daughters (aged two and four). She works from home as a writer, professional blogger and virtual assistant.

 When did you launch?

Before I started my business I was a medical secretary and a self-employed hypnotherapist. My previous career had included bookkeeping, managing a music recording studio, working for Friends of the Earth and managing the administrative office for a neurosurgical operating theatre. I gave up hypnotherapy when my second daughter was born because I found that I was juggling too …

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 …