Need outside opinion on working from home again with 3 kids please!

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HOTWAX

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Jan 13, 2016
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Location
Belfast
Hi, I'm in a predicament and appreciate some outside opinions other than my own and my husbands.

I rent a room in a hair salon, I specialise in HOTWAX intimate waxing, HD brows and make up (weddings etc.) I work 4 days a week and am really busy. I have a 6 year old at school, and a 3 year old at nursery. I have recently decided that I'd like to have another child. My childcare costs and rent are £1100 a month and I make about £400 at the end of the month. Still have to take materials out of this.

My dilemma is, do I work from home and only work a Saturday and a Thursday night, not have to get as many people though the door and cut out all my costs? It would leave me free to deal with the kids picks ups etc. I could be around the house and there to make my husbands life easier as he works away a lot and is always needing to be there for pick ups from the nursery etc..

I'm worried I'm throwing away my business which is thriving, but not giving me much profit due to childcare costs and rent.

Should I work from home for a few years while my kids are young and I have a third child then when they are all at school start up with premises again? I'm 38 just turned.

Help I'm scared I'm doing the wrong thing
 
Due to your childcare costs, if I was in the situation I'd have to decide whether I wanted to be a 'housewife' or run a business, I think at this moment in time the 2 don't mix for you and to go on and have another child would more than likely push the business even further away.

I don't see at the moment that it's worthwhile for you, if you can work from home then that would definitely be a bonus and bringing another baby into it would be the route I'd go down, I just don't think it's feasible to keep a salon running :)

Hope I've read this right and don't come across as though the two can't mix as they definitely can but at the rate you're paying now I would prefer to be home with the kids more and cut down.
 
Looking back from the point of view where my kids are 16 & 18, I would say you have all the time in the world to run your business but that time with little ones is precious and needs to be savoured (whilst simultaneously pulling out your hair lol) as time moves on and they are soon grown.

Why run yourself ragged just to hand all that money over to someone else? You'll build so many memories by spending more time with them ... whilst still "keeping your hand in".

I started nails when my 2 were both at school full time and have built it up over the years. Plus I've not missed many assemblies/school plays/sports days etc because you can fit it round how you like.

When I look back, being there when they were little was priceless.

I fully appreciate that some people are driven nuts by being at home with kids, fair enough, it's a very individual thing and I'm not saying what's right or wrong, just my thoughts xx
 
Very much in agreement with Blossom above.
I have been through the same situation too
My choice was to work from home and build that up around child care. I only paid for two afternoons of child care and did the rest in the evenings or when mum could babysit
That way I was still making a bit of money, keeping my clients on the go and keeping my skills up.
Later I still went on to open a large salon etc etc

It can be done!
Good luck [emoji106]
 
Aw thanks so much for your replies. It's such a hard thing to decide. I'm so scared of throwing away my business, but as you say, I keep thinking of the future and will I really remember those extra years I put in with business or will I remember having a third child and being there for my young ones. If I built my business up again after 2 kids I'm sure I can do it again after a third.

It's so nice to hear from others that have been in that situation and it's worked out ok.

I really appreciate your time. Thanks xx
 
I'm in agreement too.

Having my own business is new to me but I gave up a long career as a business advisor with HMRC and took a 5 year career break which ended up 12 years! I do sometimes regret having to start over again but they aren't babies for long and I feel very lucky that I was able to have that time with my 3 kids.

I might have given up that career but I'm loving my nail business and it's slowly getting busier and I've been on my own with my kids (now 14, 11 and 9) for 6 years and I can work around their school holidays and evening classes etc. They do drive me nuts at times but it was definitely the right decision for me and them.

Good luck whatever you choose to do :) x
 
So strange i was going to ask for this sort of advice also as I am exactly in you position at the moment, not with new baby but a toddler with childcare costs that are through the roof! And the rent of a room...well its all gotten a bit much and i hate not seeing anything back on the quiet months. Ive decided to go back to doing beauty at home (still very recent so need to put this plan in place first) but i feel like you that im giving in so quick in a business thats going in the right direction, but child care cost take the micky and tbh dont leave most parents with much choice but at least if u worked from home you have the flexibility for the children! Then again its not forever, i'd be tempted if i still came out with £400 or so after all the rent and childcare to perhaps keep going for as long as possible but wait to see how i felt after i had actually had the baby weather or not you want to carry on working or be a stay at home mum as you never know how you'll feel. Its such a toughie! Damn you childcare cost's
 
If you're going to work from home only for a few days/reduced hours heres my tip - do the treatment on your menu that's brings you the most profit so that you make as much money as possible from those hours you are working, drop the other less profitable things off the menu.
 
If you're only making 400 a moth after all your costs you could make that doing one day a week at work at home.
Is there someone that could look after your babies one day a week? X
 
It sounds like I was being mean saying only 400, what I meant is your costs are very high
 
Yes I think if I was just sticking at 2 I would carry on as I am and suck it up as it wouldn't be long till my youngest was in school. It's the potential new baby that's making me think twice. I just hope that people won't be funny about coming to my house. I know I'll not have the same amount of customers (and don't want the same amount) do you think people are understanding about it?


Gina Ballerina, yes I know £400 isn't a lot for a months work, I also need to buy my wax out of that which is )£130 a month. I was so focused on having a business I wasn't noticing that I wasn't actually making any money!!
 
I have 3 children (9,4 and 1) and have just set up at home. I was working 24 hours a week at a salon before my maternity leave with baby number 3.

I'm planning on working 2/3 evenings a week and one afternoon . I did this for the first time last week and earnt almost half my months wage at the salon and I only missed one school pick up. I also do a lot of intimate waxing.

If things continue that way it will be the best decision I ever made xx
 
Hot wax don't you dare reduce your prices if you're working from home (just in case it crossed your mind) xx
 
[emoji4] thanks for the heads up! I'm going to wait to see if I have a third baby and then see how I feel when potential baby arrives. Thanks all for your advice! X
 

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