Jo Shaw, 38, a mum of two girls, and a wife works part-time in marketing while running her online bakery supply store.
Find out how she juggles her family and work commitments while having fun making her business grow.
Tell us about your business
Just Bake (www.justbake.co.uk) is an online business selling fantastic baking supplies – cupcake decorations, cutters, cupcake cases, wrappers, sprinkles, dragees, cake pops supplies and much more!
What work did you do before you set up your company?
As well as running the business I also currently work in marketing on a part-time basis
How did you fund the business?
Loan for initial set-up costs
What was the motivating factor for starting your own business?
Desperately wanted a business of my ‘own’ that I could shape to what I wanted it to be.
What do you enjoy most about running your own business?
Being in control of the company, having the ability to ‘make things happen’ and being able to work flexibly around the children and home life.
Running a business can be a mixed bag sometimes. What have been you highs and lows so far?
Highs – the positive feedback that I get from customers about the excellent customer service that we offer and also the fabulous feedback about our website.
Lows – working late into the night!
How have you managed to stay on top of your career with the demands of motherhood while running a business?
Giving myself set times of the day when I will work on the business and also those when I will spend time with the family. Using my time wisely e.g. once the children are in bed can be a good time to catch up on marketing on social media.
How has running your business impacted on your relationship with your partner and children?
I don’t think there has been any negative impact. The children love the business and are keen to get involved wherever possible.
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?
- It can be done. Just take one step at the time. At times, it feels as though there is too much to do and learn.
- Try to take one step at a time and soon you’ll find that you’ve achieved so much more than you initially thought possible.
- Finally, enjoy it! Starting your own business is extremely rewarding – take the time to remember this.
