Tell us your name and a bit about your family? When did you become a Mum and to whom?
I’m Sofi and I’m mum to 2 gorgeous girls, Alice (5 years old) and Grace (2 years old).
What’s your business called?
Lime Blue VA
Can you describe it in one sentence?
I provide my clients (small business owners) with a bespoke administration service that meets their individual needs.
When did you become a Mumpreneur and what inspired you?
I became a self employed virtual assistant in August 2015, it’s something I’d thought about for many years but the reason I took the plunge last year was that my eldest daughter was starting school and I want to be more flexible for her.
How did you fund your start up?
The start up for my business was quite easy on my pocket, my main requirements were PC, printer/scanner/copier and insurances. So I was able to purchase these things from savings and then keep adding to my requirements as the months passed, like website, business cards etc.
How do you manage working around your children?
I try to work as much as possible when my girls are at school and nursery but if I do need to put in more hours then I do these after they have gone to bed. I try, where possible, not to work when they are around.
Can you describe a typical day, what tasks do you have to get done, how do you manage your time?
Being a VA, there is no typical day, it varies greatly but that’s what I love, I love the variety of my job and helping lots of small businesses. One day I might be creating a beauty bible, the next day I’m creating invoices for an architect or researching travel in a foreign country. I find that having a limited number of hours that I’m very focussed, so my daily routine is that I drop my girls off at school and nursery, come home, computer gets turned on whilst I make a cup of tea and then that’s me at my computer until I have to leave to collect my girls!
What challenges have you faced in your business and how have you overcome them?
I guess the biggest challenge is having to make all the business decisions on my own and not having an office buddy to bounce ideas off. I overcome this by not rushing any business ideas, talking it through with my husband and then implementing any changes etc when the time feels right.
What’s the best thing about being Mumpreneur?
The flexibility for my girls, the variety of work from working with lots of different clients and helping small business to grow.
What are your plans for the future?
To work with more small businesses and expand my knowledge base so I can offer even more services to my clients.
What advice would you give for someone just starting out in business?
Stay strong, focussed and remember your reason for going it alone.
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