Starting a business before having a baby

[rumbles78]

I'm considering starting my own business but with a new family on the horizon I'm not sure if I'd be being foolish?
Having worked full-time for years I'm 99% sure I want to run my own business

Does anyone have any experience in this?

@924s it's not just whether the business with thrive or not, as you said it's down to type of business and experience.

The main consideration here is the emotional side of it. The guilt of trying to finish an email or some work and then realise that your baby was looking at you the entire time and you missed those moments of connection is awful.

I've done alright for myself not bragging, I just do enough to get by but my priorities have changed. I won't measure my life's success on how well I do in my career now, it'll be the job I do with raising my DD and any future children, so thinking for one minute that I've missed out on something, or could have done more but didn't because of running my own business is tough to accept.

I didn't believe it when people told me the first few months go quickly but they really do and I do wish that she had been able to be my sole focus, but unfortunately for me circumstances meant I couldn't take that time (which I would have been able to if I hadn't made the decision to go self-employed).

@924s then perhaps they should pay for that advice rather than scam it from genuine, hardworking business owners on this forum?

@halfbuffy yes!

My eldest turns 16 in 4 weeks. I can remember staying up until 2/3am to complete deadlines. He didn't sleep through until 4.5
I had two more kids and I've worked for myself throughout in spite of a split.

They are what inspire me and keep me going but no way could I have done any of this when my first was born!

Two good posts (we’ll ignore the one about people being out of order for asking for advice on an advise forum rather than paying for it). Hopefully this will give the OP food for thought. If you need any more help and don’t want to post on here (who could blame you) drop me a message (or cross ginger’s palm with silver for her words of wisdom)

OP, what kind of business?

@gingergenius can't imagine doing it with 3!! Good on you!

Right better go to sleep, got a baby to raise and a business to run

@924s sorry Hun - I actually have a life and a business and my kids but you crack on with your PA bullshit.

It's a tough life but go for it. No one is stopping you.

Nope. Not a troll . Just very aware of the difficulties of starting up a business with a newborn.

Night @halfbuffy hope you get some sleep

OP I'm afraid I wouldn't recommend it either. Had my business for 10 years and 2 kids 3 years in. I really resent not having that lovely newborn bubble too. I found it took a toll on my mental health as the mental load was crazy. I was so jealous of friends who could focus on the baby. Hard to put into words now but I remember it well enough to still feel strongly about it.

Also no one will appreciate you are actually working, they'll drop in etc because you're home with the baby. And it is infuriating!

Interesting first posts 924s.

Running and starting your own business is bloody hard. Would I do it with a new born? No way.

I was so jealous too of the baby groups that other mums could go to, the relaxed bubble they seemed to be in. I was always on the phone, desperate to keep the clients happy and achieve for them. In my case, I needed to make money - I didn't have husband's income to rely on at all. So if it's a side project / nice-to-do thing for you OP then go for it, but not when the baby is just born. I promise you will want to be there to observe all the firsts, and concentrate on them, and the sleep deprivation alone will be tough without the added worry of trying to achieve business wise.

Wait 6 months and see what kind of baby you have - if you have a colicky crying no-sleep baby or even have PND yourself it would not be sensible at all...

It is very hard. I was answering work phonecalls within days of dd being born and currently juggling meeting clients and doing work while dd naps. I really wish I had the luxury of being able to take even a few weeks off maternity leave but it's just not possible. Thoughout my pregnancy I also tried to keep it quiet fearing that my clients would go elsewhere if they knew.
Don't want to put you off as there are benefits to running your own business but you need to be aware of how difficult it is to have a baby and keep your business going.

Also don't be fooled into thinking you won't need childcare as some previous posts say. You will. How anyone can work with the kids at home is beyond me.

I have somehow managed to enjoy a bit of 'maternity leave' even though I'm a single mum and had no savings. I stayed part time at my employed job for the sole purpose of receiving maternity pay but, even so, it's basic SMP (c.£640 pcm). This plus a bit of tax credits is enough to cover my (thankfully very low) mortgage repayments, basic bills and food.

Aside from the big project when DD was 8 weeks old, I didn't do any work apart from bits of admin until DD was 4 months old when I resumed working 6 hours a week. I paid a babysitter to come to the house while I worked. I had to do this to retain my clients. It has been very very hard at times, listening to DD crying at the babysitter.

I feel guilt that in DD's first few months I wasn't there for her 100% plus guilt for not being able to give my work 100%.

Like others have said, I wish I could have just completely focused on being a mum for the first 9 months without this nagging feeling that I 'should' be getting work done whenever there's a chance.

Having said all that, this will be worth it in the long run. If I went back to my PAYE job DD would be in childcare for 12 hours a day (2 hour commute to London office) at the end of my maternity leave. So, on balance, maybe me having to give a bit of myself to my business in the early months is offset by the benefit to DD of not going into long days of childcare from 9 months? When she goes to school I'll be able to take her and pick her up, I'll be able to put my work down and go to her school assembly or whatever.

It'll always be tough juggling being a good mum and meeting deadlines though, but that could be said of working for an employer too.

Not having the security of sick pay is my biggest long term concern.

However, if it turns out not to be practical, I'm in the fortunate position of not needing to work.

It’s very easy not to be worried, nervous or stressed about your business if it doesn’t matter whether it brings any money in or not.

Op listen to the sensible posters on here who have had businesses that needed to pay their way. It’s tough but incredibly satisfying. For me the hardest thing was never feeling I could turn down work and never properly being off the clock when phone calls and emails came through.

If your line of work allows for wearing jumpers back to front and only have a vague idea what day of the week it is, it'll work well with a newborn. Anything more taxing may be hard to do in the early months.

I went self-employed when my first was a baby. We didn’t need the money to pay the bills, but I’d previously been a higher rate tax payer and like nice stuff. So I was incentivised but not pressured. I only worked very part-time and when he slept. I never needed childcare. It worked for me because a) my hourly rate was high enough to make it worthwhile doing a couple of hours here and there; b) my baby likes to nap in bed with me there but didn’t wake with me working next to

Pressed post too soon. Basically noone has a clue whether it will work for you op, because we don’t know what type of business you’re going to try, what type of baby you’re going to get, what effect becoming a mother will have on your mental health. It can work, but it needs the right combination of circumstances.

Sorry but that’s a little rude.

Gingergenius

Just realistic based on my own experience. Hopefully the OP has forged a path that works for her.