Tell us your name and a bit about your family? When did you become a Mum and to whom?

Samantha Scott, I am a military wife of 2 boys, Daniel age 6, Brayden age 5.

What’s your business called?

I started my first business back in 2016 running baby and children’s nearly new sales with Mum2mum Market. I then started childminding this year and we are called Samantha’s Little Monkey’s.

Can you describe it in one sentence?

Mum2mum Market are nearly new sales for families to sell their pre loved outgrown baby, children and or maternity bits for a bit of cash back so that other families can come along and buy good value items at lower cost

Samantha’s Little Monkey’s – I look after other peoples children from a home base setting offering exactly that, we play, go to the park, do lots of messy activities and crafts

When did you become a Mumpreneur and what inspired you?

I started Mum2mum Market in 2016 as a way to get a little bit of myself back while it was very handy to work around my family life, especially with my husband being a away a lot I needed to make sure it would still work

I started childminding for a very similar reason but wanted it to become a second income for us as a family too and also with Brayden now approaching school age I would have more free time but I wanted to still have something that worked around my family

How did you fund your start up?

Mum2mum was funded by my very generous mother in law who I get on very well with, Childminding was funded by the Mum2mum Market business

How do you manage working around your children?

Mum2mum Market advertising is done while children are sleeping or in the evenings and I schedule many things in so I bulk spend my time, one you find a routine its much easier, the actual event is a family day out for us, my husband helps when he is here and so do my children, childminding is done from my home so I am able to still look after my own children and house life, its a really good balance

Can you describe a typical day, what tasks do you have to get done, how do you manage your time?

With Mum2mum Market I schedule most of my things from an evening or nap time, unless its an enquiry via email I normally can reply straight away, childminding is a bit more full on, I can have up to 6 children under 8 years old including my own, most days I only have 4 but once a week I am full, we do crafts, play outside, messy play groups etc … while children are nappy I might be able to get a load of washing in if I am lucky hehehe I am still able to sort dinners out while making sure the children are safe and happy

What challenges have you faced in your business and how have you overcome them?

Urm I would say making sure that I keep to schedules and routines, its harder sometimes when my husband is away so much as their isn’t that relief or extra help in the evenings, so just trying to keep it balanced and making sure it still always works for us as a family

What’s the best thing about being Mumpreneur?

Having myself back not being referred to always as someones mum… or someones wife… and being able to be their for my children doing the school runs, going to assembly and plays and sports days, my minded children enjoys all these things too

What are your plans for the future?

With Mum2mum Market, I would love to be able to pass it onto another mumpreneur and help them with them something of themselves, it defiantly helped me, if I wasn’t able to find the right person then I will continue with it myself, as with Childminding this something I will continue till at least my own children have left school if not longer, as long as it fits in with everything else

What advice would you give for someone just starting out in business?

Make sure you are ready to put in the hard work, as long as you do the rewards will come, sometimes it can take longer than other times and also depends what it is you are doing, make sure you have support – my husband and family where amazing at keeping me focused and helping me out when I needed it

Is there anything else you’d like to tell us?

I think one of the important things is that what ever you are doing its something you enjoy and works for you you and your family

Mum2mum Market Hampshire –https://www.facebook.com/Mum2mum-Market-Hampshire-166582593693636/

Samantha’s Little Monkey’s –https://www.facebook.com/Samanthas-little-Monkeys-272405333635788/?modal=admin_todo_tour