Mum-of-two Joelle Seksum, 37, tells www.motherswhowork.co.uk how she set up her business Josoblu, www.Josoblu.co.uk, when she couldn’t find a suitable baby change bag when her first child was born.

What work did you do before you set up your company?

I renovated a few properties before having my first child, Lucie, and have been a full-time mother since.

How did you fund the business?

We raised the money for the business through a combination of personal loans, savings and great financial support from my family.

What was the motivating factor for starting your own business?

When Lucie was born I wanted to buy a pretty, sturdy and practical change bag I could take out with us, but the models on offer were quite dull. I thought to myself, ‘Yes these products need to be functional but there’s no reason at all why they can’t also be fun, bright and fashionable too’ and so decided to take the plunge and design my own range.

Having two young children meant that a flexible working arrangement was key and by setting up from home I could run my own business, whilst at the same time being able to spend lots of time with my children.

What do you enjoy most about running your own business?

I love the flexibility it affords me. We’ve designed our office so that there’s space for the girls to run around and play whilst we work and it’s really rewarding having a productive day with the children around.

Seeing my designs go from paper to reality is also a real buzz and it’s great to know that with every sale we’re building a future for our children.

Running a business can be a mixed bag sometimes. What have been you highs and lows so far?

Business Low:

We’ve had to work really hard to get the site up and running and there have been moments where there have been setbacks that have left us wondering whether it would ever happen at all, but we have just had to stay focused and carry on.

We were under immense pressure as we had a container full of stock arriving and had difficulty finding a warehouse to rent. Being a start up, it was difficult to find the right premises we could afford and a landlord willing to let to us.

Business High:

It felt fantastic when the stock of our bags finally arrived in our warehouse and when our website went live. When we opened for business I felt like all the effort had been worthwhile.

We have also been very lucky to have found a really good network of professionals to support our business.

How have you managed to stay on top of your career with the demands of motherhood while running a business?

It’s been a struggle but my husband and I take turns to step away from work and look after the kids. You have to try and separate time with the children from time working on the business so it’s important to be able to go into work mode before becoming mum again. Being both all the time just wouldn’t work.

How has running your business impacted on your relationship with your partner and children?

Sometimes we are both under pressure and get on each other’s nerves.  We’ve been together for 17 years and know when to give each other space.

The children always come first and we fit our work around them. They get to see a lot more of their daddy now which is great for everyone.

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?

Having children inspired me to start designing baby bags and the rest just followed. It’s fair to say my kids changed my outlook and ultimately led to me embarking on a career I wouldn’t have thought about before.

The simplest way to manage your time between the business and your children is to try and become two people. One of them is the ‘business’ you, that stays focused on achieving the goals of the company and the other is the ‘mother’ you, who looks after your children.

My single biggest tip is to adopt a routine that works for you and stick with it. For example, get up and  dressed as if you were going to work, spend several hours on the business, then spend time with the kids over lunch, then return to the business for the afternoon before leaving the ‘office’ for the day to become mum again all evening.