Accountant/bookeeper Jodie Riddex, 29, tells motherswhowork.co.uk how her smart thinking when choosing her course made it easy to start her own business (Accounts by Jodie) when her duaghter Caitlyn, four, was born.
Company: Accounts by Jodie
Job title: Self employed accountant/bookkeeper
Profit in first year: ?3,000 (I was only working part-time setting up my business and was temping as well until I built up my client base)
What was the motivating factor for staring your own business?
Initially, I had wanted to go to university but couldn?t afford the fees. I knew I wanted to study accountancy and came across the AAT.
It?s the non-graduate route into the accounting profession and is a great alternative to university as it allowed me to study and work at the same time. After I qualified, I worked for various companies but found being an employee very restrictive and felt that I wanted to take complete responsibility for earning a living.
I knew that I wanted to open my own accounting business so became an AAT Member in Practice. This allowed me to set up on my own and I haven?t looked back since.
What are the best bits about working again?
Well, I only had six months maternity leave so I was only a ?stay at home mum? very briefly. I loved my time off with my baby but did soon miss having adult conversations and my brain did get a bit bored towards the end.
Running a business can be a mixed bag sometimes. What have been you highs and lows so far?
The lows have been the sacrifices I had to make in the first few years, like missing ?special days? at Caitlyn?s nursery school. I was constantly working very long hours and it was really hard on our whole family.
As for the highs, I always get a little bit excited when I sign up a new client, especially when they?ve come from a personal recommendation. But the real highs about working for myself are the simple things which I?ve worked so hard for. I like being able to cycle to school with Caitlyn, taking her to ballet lessons and attending her school assemblies ? she really appreciates it and it?s lovely to see her smiling!
What is available to mothers now that you wish you had access to when your family was young?
It?s only four years since I became a mother so I don?t think much has changed since then, although I now hear they?ve introduced ?stay in touch? days where you can do a few hours a week work for your employer during your maternity leave without losing maternity pay. This is something I really wanted to do but wasn?t allowed to at the time.
How have you managed to stay on top of your career with the demands of motherhood?
I never set out to be a ?high-flyer? or a ?perfect mother?. Instead I strive to earn enough to pay the bills and enjoy every second I spend with my family. I achieve this by planning my time as effectively as possible. I also find the AAT online forums really helpful as I can access them at any time. In a way, the people on the forums are the closest thing I have to colleagues so it?s nice to see what?s affecting their businesses and share tips.
I am also very grateful to family and friends who have helped enormously with childcare – it has meant that Caitlyn has experienced a variety of situations which she otherwise wouldn?t have done.
What has been the high point along the way?
Filing the last tax return on 31st January is an annual celebration. I?ve not had one yet that?s missed the deadline, although it has got nail-bitingly close!
What is your worst experience along the way?
Staying up until four in the morning to complete something very important for a client, only to find that he had got the date wrong and it was due the day before.
Any tips for expectant mums, or mothers who feel that you can’t have a successful career and a happy family life at the same time?
Do not to underestimate how much your child can get from spending time with others.
I feel that Caitlyn has gained so much confidence through spending time with family and at nursery before she started school. I love hearing her stories about what she?s been up to. We are very close and fit all sorts of fun into the time that we do get to spend together, and that works for us.
