Starting own business + SAHM-dom - any tips?

[BrummieOnTheRun]

Or am I just kidding myself that this can work?! Help! I need inspiration!
We're living on one salary while I set something up which means we can't pay for full-time childcare. Although I'm still in early research phase, I already feel that I'm failing to spend enough time with either the kids or the business. And there's far too much C-Beebies going on
Would really love to hear some top tips from anyone who's managed to juggle a business start-up or working from home with childcare. The children are: nearly 3, just 1 and minus 3 months.

We run a B&B, well I do mostly while my husband works as a builder maintenance but does help out! We took a break while was pregnant then started when DD was 10 weeks old. I had a friends daughter who can and helped in school holidays and half term. She came at 8.30 got dd up fed her dressed her played took her to the beach etc (we are lucky a 15 minute walk) while I did breakfasts, cleaned chenged beds etc, and was finished by 12. Then I had the rest of the afternoon to spend with DD. I am also the main breadwinner in the family. Don't know if that helps probably doesn't but if you can find someone failry cheap to come and do thigs in morning it just gave us a clear run to do things admin wise and then time with her.

you dont have to have full time child care - looking at sophies post you can get a lot more done without children there so why not get a childminder for the mornings or afternoons (doesnt even need to be everyday) and then you can concentrate on one thing at a time without feeling that both are suffering.

im a childminder so i do have my own business as well as obviously caring for my own children, its hard i start my day at 6am and finish at 8ish and weekend's are not much of a break either really, by the time i have finished cleaning up its gone 8pm on a fri night and i have to make sure my house is presentable on a sunday evening for the following day and that paperwork is up to date - though i admit sometimes im just so shattered this falls by the way side a little at times.

it is working though and we are paying our bills.

Good luck !

i would love to run a B&B btw Sophie, how did you manage to start that up? i'm guessing you need a fair bit of money to get you started plus moving to the sea side?

Tks Sophie and LMG. I do have a couple of girls who do 2 afternoons and one full day. But it's £8/hour so can't really extend it much further. I do get masses done in those few hours - you have to be so focused and organised, don't you?

It's the rest of the time that's frustrating. Trying to cook half decent food for the kids for each meal, trying to keep them entertained with something reasonably educational... Always fail to manage both.

And if I'm on the laptop trying to do business research or my business plan I feel I'm ignoring the kids. If I'm with the kids, I'm slightly resentful that I'm not able to do the stuff I gave my job up to do (the new biz).

Maybe I just need to schedule better. 2 hours for kids, 2 hours for work, 2 hours prepping a big batch of food that can be frozen, etc.

Hi love my girls. We are very very lucky, my family have owned an estate in dorset since 1642 with land and properties and so we live on one of the houses on the estate. We have been doing B&B for nearly two years after many failed attempts by me to trin as a primary school teacher. Its hard work but the money is good and pays for the house, us and a holiday so not to bad. Surprisingly we are still getting people in to stay. I had a property in Ireland which I brought at the right time and sold so we had the furniture to get started plus what we had when we moved in and it has been just a question of doing things as we need to. For instance this year all the bathrooms and the bedrooms are getting a revamp with the some of the money from the house sale, but found some excellent bargains on the internet. Eventually we will get round to doing our space. Luckily DH can do all the maintenance so that helps.