When you become a mother for the first time, you really have no idea what to expect. Will you relish the time at home with your new born or will you feel abandoned and yearn for the return of your working life? Many mums decide the only way to strike that elusive work-life balance is to start their own business – just like Polly and Helen here at Cuddledry!

Antonia Chitty runs her own PR business, writes books and offers help to other mums thinking about starting a business through her blogs, Family Friendly Working and The Mumpreneur Guide. Antonia also won ‘Inspirational Business Mum of the Year 2009′. In this post, Antonia talks about her experiences of setting up her own business:

I didn’t find my first maternity leave very easy. The day my partner went back to work I felt like crying. What was I supposed to do all day with this small pink bundle? Nothing in my previous career had quite prepared me for motherhood.

I went along to a mother and baby group, met some other women with new first babies and gradually got the hang of things – but was still quite relieved when the time came to go back to work. Don’t get me wrong: I didn’t want to leave dd, but I did want to get back to a world where I felt in control.

Fast forward nearly four years. Maternity leave 2. I love being at home. Dd goes to playgroup three or four mornings a week. Ds, just a few weeks old reliably falls asleep in the buggy as we drop her off and I race home because I have so much that I want to do. I’m not racing home to do the housework, though. I’m racing home because I have my own business to run, and I love it. I’m writing a book too, something that has been an ambition for many years.

I lasted 9 months back in my old career, feeling like a square peg in a round hole. I couldn’t keep up with the drinking and nights out with workmates. I felt like I had to rush my work to leave every day in time to get back to nursery. I was spending great chunks of my salary on childcare. I didn’t feel like I was doing a great job as a mum. And worst of all someone else was seeing dd grow up and become more and more interesting.

I saw a media call out for a mum who wanted to sort out her work life balance and responded. I had a session with a life coach and had to tell the journalist about it. For me, that session was the start of something amazing. I’d never imagined working for myself, yet in that short conversation it became exactly what I needed to do. I got off the phone, called a contact on a trade mag and pitched a couple of articles to her. She loved the ideas and I had the confidence to hand in my notice. I spent the next three months working on my day job and building up freelance work in the evenings.

Now, dd is 8, ds is 4 and I also have a one year old. I juggle school, nursery and a part time childminder. I work while Ds2 naps and some evenings. I have built up a network of people who support my business – a website manager, a bookkeeper, an assistant who all work part time and mostly from their own homes too. I love the fact that I can be there at school events and choose just how much childcare to use and how much time to look after the children myself. It’s not always easy, but it is totally worth it.

Do you, like Antonia, have experience of setting up your own business? Or maybe you secretly dream of being your own boss but haven’t quite yet made the leap – please leave a comment, we’d love to hear your thoughts! Leave a comment this week for your chance to win a copy of ‘Motherhood’ on DVD.

Return to the Cuddledry website