Did you have young children when you first started your business?

[mrslargelashes]

I started my business in August after a 2 year break from the industry. I have 2 young children (7yrs and 1yr). I do 21 hours a week, I am a mobile and homebased beauty therapist. My client base is growing steadily, at Christmas I was working 11 hour days, compared to November when I was only doing about 10 hours a week!! Its been feast or famine, so this year I am hoping to expand my client base.

My business advisor and I have been talking about how many clients, and how much I would need to earn to pay my wage, cover costs and childcare. He is worried if I could cope with the workload that would come with having to cover all of the above. So I would love to hear from other geeks who had young kids when they started their business. Where are you know? Any tips? How did you manage covering childcare costs and overheads and did you still make a wage?

My clients mainly want night time appts, only a handful want day time appointments. At the minute I only work nights and weekends when my husband is in to watch the girls. So I'm not paying childcare. I got thinking after reading a thread on here about beauty being a 'part time' job, rather than a full time career. I have done nothing else except beauty, I have loved it since I was about 5, when I used to paint my gran's nails and do her make up. I constantly want and need to know more. But I am worried that in the long run, as a mother, and being self-employed, it might not work out to be the full time career that I intended. So come on mummy geeks, share your stories, whether you are mobile, homebased, salon based, part time or full time xx

 

[ClaireJones]

Hi, I started my own mobile hair business in may. I have two girls one of 4 and one of 3 lol. When I first started my husband worked 2-10pm so I had the mornings to work, them children went to childcare from 1-4pm. Then when I did evening appointments my sister watched them for me. But now husband has changed his wrk hours 8-6 which works out a little bit better coz most people like evening appointments x

 

[frizlinmay]

I started my business in August after a 2 year break from the industry. I have 2 young children (7yrs and 1yr). I do 21 hours a week, I am a mobile and homebased beauty therapist. My client base is growing steadily, at Christmas I was working 11 hour days, compared to November when I was only doing about 10 hours a week!! Its been feast or famine, so this year I am hoping to expand my client base.

My business advisor and I have been talking about how many clients, and how much I would need to earn to pay my wage, cover costs and childcare. He is worried if I could cope with the workload that would come with having to cover all of the above. So I would love to hear from other geeks who had young kids when they started their business. Where are you know? Any tips? How did you manage covering childcare costs and overheads and did you still make a wage?

My clients mainly want night time appts, only a handful want day time appointments. At the minute I only work nights and weekends when my husband is in to watch the girls. So I'm not paying childcare. I got thinking after reading a thread on here about beauty being a 'part time' job, rather than a full time career. I have done nothing else except beauty, I have loved it since I was about 5, when I used to paint my gran's nails and do her make up. I constantly want and need to know more. But I am worried that in the long run, as a mother, and being self-employed, it might not work out to be the full time career that I intended. So come on mummy geeks, share your stories, whether you are mobile, homebased, salon based, part time or full time xx

I am a single mum to a beautiful 7 year old daughter and have just opened my first salon 6 weeks ago,things are going brilliantly. I worked mobile for a year before I decided to open as I wanted to build up a steady client base before taking the plunge but im really glad that I have. I have fantastic parents that collect her from school and have her on my late nights, but I also do 2 half days working until 3 so that I can finish and collect her from school myself.

I think its all about finding a balance, we love what we do and we also have an identity other than mum and the happier we are the happier they are, afterall we do all this for our kids in the long run!!

I think that its defo a full time career option, do your research find out whats lacking in your area and fill that need......treat your clients like they are royalty and they will keep coming back time and time again, and keep your prices reasonable not cheap but reasonable.

Hope that helps and good luck with whatever you decide to do but its certainly worth taking the risk.

 

[pettledustnails]

i have been doing nails for ten years and have 6 and 2 year old boys . i took a kind of break between the two , only doing enough clients to keep my foot int he door so to speak ( working from my dining table lol!) when my youngest was 1 , he was such a handful i decided i needed a break and returned to salon based work . i was paying out so much on travel , childcare and % split that i was barely making £100 some weeks! i decided to look into working from home . i bought a glass desk , two chairs and started by only working when he had his 2 hour nap (two clients ) and in the evenings when the boys were in bed . my hubby is in the navy so when he was here i could offer more hours. when fred turned 2 i sent him to nursery every morning . it costs me just £9.50 a day for nursery fees from 9am - 12:30 ! i am able to fit 3 clients in that time . i also for my regulars still offer a 1pm , as they know i have fred and many of them bring their little ones to me also. i still work evenings too. i do not do mobile ,its more financially sound to work from home. i am always fully booked and have a very large client base. my ladies like coming to me , they can bring the kids , have a brew and a natter without feeling intimidated or stressing abou the kiddies. school holidays i take a few days off in the week . hope this helps a bit! xx

 

[MrsHBeauty]

I have 3 children they are 7, 5 and 2. I have my own salon and even tho I find it hard I'd love the 2 together. I have 3 girls who cover the full opening hours and I manage it, I have just got my sister to look after my youngest 9-3 3 days a week. My youngest usually comes its me but it wasn't really fair on her. I work loads - not in the treatment sense but in the running of things.

I love having a life as well as being a mum, i loved being a stay at home mum, but it wasn't enough for me.

Xx

 

[JoJo1980]

I bought my salon when my eldest was 18 onths old. He is now 5 and I have another daughter of 14 months too now. Juggling the two, what with maternity leave, school pick ups and trying to be in salon as much as possible is the hardest yet most rewarding thing I have ever done. I work in salon about 30 hours a week now and my husband is amazing and is able to help loads, as he is self employed.
Not ruling out another baby, just not yet!
Ahh, sleep is for wimps anyway! :|

 

[AleksGuz]

I have 3 years old boy and I'm mobile MUA. I'm working mainly on weddings (weekends) and I have fantastic friend who look after little one while I'm at work. For evening appointments most of my clients coming to my home or my husband is having a break at work.

 

[Rinn]

i have 4 children 19-12. i opened my first salon when my oldest was 4 months old. it was crazy busy trying to juggle everything. the house suffered, mind you it was a great deterrant to thieves... i'd imagine if 1 of them happened to look in the window he'd not bother, thinking someone else had already done it over!!!joking... it gets easier once they are all at school though. would i do it again...probably ...

 

[pinkfairy]

i have 4 children 19-12. i opened my first salon when my oldest was 4 months old. it was crazy busy trying to juggle everything. the house suffered, mind you it was a great deterrant to thieves... i'd imagine if 1 of them happened to look in the window he'd not bother, thinking someone else had already done it over!!!joking... it gets easier once they are all at school though. would i do it again...probably ...

Haha that's what I always say about my house! We've never been burgled either lol.
I have 2 boys, aged 2 and 1 year old and have just started working from home.
I work evenings and I'm way busier than I anticipated so I'm going to look into childcare for daytime appointments too.

You can do whatever you set your mind to and if you want something bad enough you'll make it work xo

 

[mrslargelashes]

Thanks for sharing your stories, its nice to hear from others in a similar situation. I can see that if my business grows, the only way to expand is by getting a childminder, so I can fit in more appointments. I didn't expect to be so busy over christmas seing as I had only been up and running for 4 months, but I loved every second. Has anyone else got any tips? xx

 

[JoJo1980]

The biggest tip I could give you is dont spread yourself so thin, you forget to look after yourself. Youre no good to anyone if youre not tip top! Seperate family and business, and keep at least one day a week ( I like sundays!!) to spend doing fun family things.
Definatly keeps our household going
well done for being so busy in just 4 months! onwards and upwards xxx
Jo xx

 

[CazCardiff]

Im just starting in mobile nails, i have 3 boys ags 7,5 and 3. The older twi are in full timd school until 3.30 anx youngest is in the school nursery 1-3.30 then hes full time in september. Until sept i am going to be doing afternoons, evenings and weekdnds when my husband is home to look after them. We dontvhave any family with us or friends that are able to help out, so i wont be full time until sept..
I si plan to have a home salon as soon as we move then i'll offer morning apps if the client has children too so its ok for my 3 yr old to be around.
X