What better way to pick up tips about balancing family and business commitments than to speak to successful mumpreneurs who've been there and done it ?
"Everything works around my family. I work when my child sleeps - quite . I used to teach yoga in the spare room while he was sleeping when he was six weeks old! It's hard, but worth it. I don't mind working all night if it means I get to spend the day with my boy"
"Work-life balance means something different to everyone. My balance is simple: the children ultimately come first. I'm the mum at soft play with notebook in hand scribbling away. I do hang out my washing late at night and block-book meetings for when my children are at pre-school. I also avoid business phone calls when they're about. I can guarantee one of them will need the toilet and will feel the need to announce the fact when I'm on the phone! I love my children and my business. Although my life is manic and I don't always know what day of the week it is - I wouldn't have it any other way!"
"It's not easy. As the business and your children grow, the balance must adapt and at times it can be very stressful trying to the needs of family and customers . I time slots. I work flat out while my children are at nursery and school. I answer phone calls and emails and work on new creations during nap times. But once the kids are home, I focus on them. This means I work most evenings when they've gone to bed and do some work at weekends, but you must be committed . Unless you're passionate about your business you won't have the commitment to see you through the long hours and relentless demands on your time"
"Half the time you don't manage to balance your business and your children - because it's bloody difficult . You need a supportive partner, grit, determination and spirit, too!"
"The joy of running your own business is you can decide how flexible a work day you have - which was my main reason for starting my business when I had my children . Also, childcare was expensive and a drain on my budget, so having used childcare when launching my business, I now look after my children the majority of the time in tandem with running my business"
"Balancing my business and family commitments is a constant struggle, but my daughters know no different . They're used to me taking a call and saying 'shush - this is important'. , I've never missed a play, hockey match or activity - the girls come first. I do most of my work when the girls are in bed, which means too many late nights. My day usually begins at 6.30am. Babypotz won't grow without my constant input. Even if I weren't running my business, my relationship with my children would be the same. We have a super relationship and I never neglect their needs"
"Combining the roles of a mother of two with director of Kidz4Mation has been a rewarding challenge . We started the business from home, which made things easier because my younger daughter wasn't in full-time education then . Now they're both in school we operate the business from Central London offices. Commuting is a challenge, but worth it to run the business. And I still have a lot of quality time with the children. Having a supportive husband is what makes life easier. Between us we look after our children and our home"
"Planning your days and week is essential. All our domestic chores are carried out on a weekend or early mornings. While the kids are at school I cram in as much work as possible - especially important phone calls - trying to make those can be a nightmare when you have children requesting drinks ! Luckily, many of the other people I deal with have the same problems, so we all understand. After school it's all about the children. When they're in bed I do more work for a few hours. Having an understanding partner is essential, because they can take over looking after the kids when necessary"
"Without my family and friends' help I wouldn't be able to cope. It's not easy, and you're always worried about getting the balance right. I never stop working. I'm always attached to a phone or computer somewhere, but I devote days to my daughter where we have 'our time'. No phones; no computers; doing everything she wants to do. Usually, once a week - and we both love it!"
"To cope with the demands of work and family I've created a business that's flexible. Most of the business is online. I live in East Sussex, my business partner lives in Edinburgh and we have staff across the country, so we work most of the time . We create new eCourses and write books, which can at a time that suits, and other things we do can be scheduled ahead so I can always be there to collect my kids from school or to attend a school event . My tip to other mums planning to start their own business is to work out how many hours they have available, and how much they need to earn to balance the family budget . Work out the profit per hour you'll need to generate and use that to your business ideas to see if they will generate enough money"
