Going back to work after maternity leave is a big milestone. If you're a busy mum and want to go back to work with more flexibility, setting up your own business could be the answer for you.

Being a new mum is a whirlwind of changing nappies, feeding your little one and enjoying precious moments together. But the time will come when maternity leave is over, and you’re making the decision whether to return to work. It’s a phase of mixed emotions; excitement, but also potentially stress and worry.

Many mums dream of working for themselves. Imagine choosing your working hours, having the option to work from home, drop your kids off to nursery, and pick them up on time.

You could spend quality time with your little ones during the summer holidays and attend all their school plays. It's no surprise that the amount of freelance mothers has doubled since 2008 and mums who work for themselves now account for one in seven of all self-employed people in the UK.

But once you have the big idea for a new business, what are the practical considerations? We consulted two working mums and business owners Victoria Jennings and Kate Stewart, for their advice on how to set up a business successfully.

After having children, both Victoria and Kate decided a 9-5 full-time job wasn’t the best option for them when parenting. Both mums wanted flexible working hours, and decided to set up their own businesses to make work fit around their family life.

Following a traumatic 48-hour birth with her daughter Ana in 2009, Victoria Jennings  went on to suffer from postnatal depression and anxiety. She didn't realise at the time, that this was the start of her journey to becoming a successful six-figure business owner.

Victoria returned to work after just four months after the birth as a Personal Assistant, and found she was only seeing her daughter for an hour a day. She realised that something had to change and trained as a child-minder so she could have flexibility to be there for her family. This became the driving force behind the creation of her Bloom baby class franchise designed to help parents and grandparents learn how to strengthen their bond with their babies using music and song.

Kate's path to running her own business started out quite differently. She was expelled from school at 15 leaving with no qualifications, and fell pregnant at just 17. Deciding to take control of her life and future, Kate studied for a Business Management degree, while working as a secretary in the Heritage Market in Liverpool as a single mum.

Kate, who recently appeared on Channel 4’s new undercover show The Secret Teacher,  went on to run a string of beauty salons and made her first million at just 23. Kate continues to work hard to provide the best life possible for her four children, three of which are under four-years-old.

Here, both 'mumpreneurs' share their top tips on how to set up and manage your own successful business.

How to set up a business: 9 top tips

1) Choose the right business name

In this competitive market, you need a catchy business name. But before you order business cards, build a website and start marketing your brand, make sure the name or a similar one doesn't already operate. There may also be sensitive words or expressions which are copyrighted by an existing company. Use the 'company name checker' and' trademark checker' on the Business Link website as a guide.

Kate advises: 'Your business name should stand out, but should also be a representation of what your business is. I wouldn’t suggest making it too long and you have to be able to imagine it being incorporated into a logo, branding and having an identity of its own.'

Once you have chosen a memorable business name, you will need to register this with Companies House and you will be issued a certificate to confirm your company's registration.

2) Register yourself as self-employed

It's important that you get registered as self-employed and inform HMRC (Revenue and Customs). Just click on the HMRC website for full details. They also have over 200 videos that explain things brilliantly and a handy how to start a business and setting up as self-employed checklist.

It's important to check to see if your small business requires a license or permit to operate. For example, there are licenses which permit you to sell food, alcohol, trade in the street and sell goods both online and intentionally.

3) Does your business have a market?

You need to know there's a strong enough demand for your service or product before you spend too much money or time on it. It is important to think about what makes your idea stand out - and choose one that you are passionate about!

Victoria suffered with postnatal depression, and as a result struggled to bond with her daughter. She found it difficult to attend parenting and baby classes because of her anxiety, but this inspired her to create welcoming parenting classes. Victoria said: 'It’s as much as following your dreams and passions as well as putting your skills into something. Being a parent and going through post natal depression gave me confidence to do something and follow it through.'

4) Write a business plan

Good market research is crucial when you're starting a business. This doesn't have to involve lots of money either - in fact, market research sites such as Euromonitor and Mintel publish reports into a variety of different topics. So check these websites to see if there has been any recent research that's relevant to you and your new business idea.

Like any project, how to start a business successfully depends on a good plan. It doesn't have to be fancy but you should write down what your goals, spending details, how you will cover costs and what you plan to charge for your product.

Kate advises: 'You can find a template business plan online and adapt it to your business.  A business plan should outline your concept, what it is, how it solves problems and how it is useful to your target market. You'll need to have an understanding of your competitors. Take a look at their trends/themes and whether you can match them.

Then, you'll need to know how your company will be structured. Are you running it yourself? Or, will you delegate some work to others.'

Kate continued: ' Business workshops are great if you're just starting out. Find yourself a business mentor, and make sure you’re a member of the British Chamber of Commerce.'

There are a number of organisations that can help you find a business mentor, such as online government mentoring service mentorsme.co.uk.

5) Get online

Having a website is almost essential now and it doesn't have to cost a lot of money. Free websites like Moonfruit, Weebly and Wordpress offer easy templates without needing any technical skills.

You can also buy your website name easily, e.g. if you set up a cake business and call it: 'Love Cakes', you can buy the domain name 'lovecakes.com' or 'lovecakes.co.uk' from a website such as 123-reg.co.uk or godaddy.com. You can then direct that website address to go to your free website. It might sound tricky, but once you've bought the name, your provider will offer you support. You can even have a business email address such as 'orders@lovecakes.com'.

6) Network

The online resource FindNetworkingEvents is a great way to access networking events, business clubs, seminars and workshops in your local area. Kate said: 'Networking events are great places to market your business and meet people.'

Social media websites such as Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn can be invaluable when you're learning how to start a business. You can set up a Facebook page and get your friends and contacts to 'like' it and spread the word. Use it to showcase your service or product, highlight any offers or new items and interact with your customers. Twitter can also work out well if you follow relevant users and engage with them.

Tell people what you're doing - mums at the school, your neighbours, friends at your local gym. Word of mouth is still one of the most powerful tools around and people are always keen to support those they know and local businesses.

7) Be realistic when it comes to your finances

Before decided to set up your own business, Kate advises: ‘You should weigh up your childcare costs, travel expenditure, weekly food shop and household budget. It’s important to work out if going back to work or setting up your own business is going to be financially beneficial to your household.’

She continues: 'You must have an idea of  you financial projections - what you expect to be coming in, and what expenses you’ll have going out of the business. If you’re starting out I’d recommend monthly projections, or quarterly, and as you become more established you can look at yearly projections.'

Funding is one the most important aspects when working out how to start a business. Avoid spending too much to start with. You may have to invest in products or equipment to get going, but if possible, avoid investing in anything that requires a big commitment.

If you don't have the money to start with and don't want a bank loan, you can see if you're eligible for a small government business grant. Check the Business Link website for details. You might also prefer to set up a business bank account - talk to your existing bank first, then shop around for a good deal.

How to set up a business: Is the price right?

Too often, people get the pricing wrong for their service or product. Under and over pricing can be equally devastating, so spend some time deciding on the right price. Work out exactly what you will spend on making/producing each item, or how long the service will take - and cover your costs plus profit. Remember, people are paying for your time, expertise and the convenience of not doing it or making it themselves.

8) Self-belief and confidence

Confidence is key for business success. Kate advises: ‘The most important thing is self-belief and self-confidence. Don’t think because you’ve had a baby you’re any different to the person your were before. You still have to have that go-get-them attitude. You have to get up in the morning and look at your child and think I’m doing this for you. My biggest inspiration are my children. They’re the biggest drive behind you.’

9) Make quality time for your kids by being organised

One of the most important things is dividing your time between your business venture and your children. Every minute of your time needs to be used and planned productively. Making time for your children is crucial and when you do get that time together make sure it's quality time without mobile phones or emails.

Victoria said: ‘I love a good notebook and a planner, I am very old fashioned and have to have everything written down. At the beginning of each week I write down my goals/actions and tasks that I have to complete. Then each morning I write out my daily tasks, prioritising each one. This helps me stay focused on what needs to be done before school pick-up times.’

Become a professional multitasker

Multitasking will become your superpower. Learn how to multitask effectively in order to make best use of your time. Think baby on your hip while you take a phone call.

Victoria said: ‘My secret to multitasking is that most of my phone calls are taking place whilst I am cleaning or tidying the house. I see it as an opportunity to wash the dishes or empty the washing machine etc whilst I am on important calls! No one has yet figured out this is what I am doing so it works well!’

Create a support network

One of the most important things when starting a business is asking for support from friends, family or child-minders. It’s important to find a reliable childcare or a nursery you can use when things get busy. Check gov.uk to see if you are eligible to receive 30 hours of free childcare a year if your child is aged between three and four-years-old. Your eligibility depends on if you are working, how much you earn, your partners employment and income, and your nationality.

Kate said: ‘I don’t have a big close-knit family around me, so I had to put my kids in nursery. Handing your kids over to someone else to care for them is a massive deal so I did a lot of research. Ofsted is the best place you can go to, check out what other people are doing.

'Search social media forums, or parenting groups and read over other peoples reviews and comments.’

Nikki, 50, lives in the Lake District with her husband Mal, and their three sons, aged 20, 16 and 14.

She juggles parenting her three boys with maintaining her blog, midlifechic, and running her own successful creative agency with her other half, which she set up after the birth of her second child - and now she’s teaming up with JD Williams' Colour Council mentorship scheme to show other women that they can do it too.

Here, she tells us about the challenges she faces as a mother and a business woman, and how she manages to make it work regardless…

It was after the birth of my second son that my husband and I knew that we needed to leave London.

We realised that even on a good salary, we couldn't afford two sets of nursery fees, and the long hours of our permanent jobs at fashion chain Selfridges had become a nightmare. Even though the company was really flexible, rushing to the nursery for six o' clock pick up was horrific!

It made sense for us to work for ourselves, and our skills were a natural synergy - he'd been head of the creative studio, whilst I was head of marketing, so we both left within six months of each other and decided to make a go of it with our own creative agency. Obviously, I had my doubts; the trouble with setting up your own business is that you don't have the guaranteed income, the paid holidays, the sick pay. You do have bad months, and that's really scary, especially when you're in it with your husband, so it's all of your income - yet we found that what we lost in worry, we gained in the ability to juggle our hours to be at sports days and school assemblies.

We started it up in 2002, and a little over a year after we kicked off, I was pregnant again - news which came as a bit of a surprise! The company had just taken off and it was really thriving, and so it was a shock, but I carried on working regardless. A few months later, when I was due to give birth, we lost a really big contract, because I wasn't going to be able to fulfil it, and there was nobody else at that time - but when our third son came along, he was, of course, more than worth it.

Eventually we made the decision to move up north; the schools were outstanding, and we knew that it meant we could reduce our housing and living costs as well. We cut down on our old lifestyle - what was once three holidays a year soon became one, for instance, and a lot of the 'high life' that we had in the city was sacrificed for our new, improved work-life balance.

In the past, some people have doubted my ability to be both mum and business woman, and it has been difficult - especially when I had to be at the school gates - to manage things like meetings; clients often weren't very understanding about me having to be back for 3pm. However, there's nothing more satisfying than proving them wrong and doing a brilliant job, and when you're working for yourself, as long as you don't miss a deadline, the client doesn't need to know if you're doing it at 5 in the morning or 12 at night. I'm the first to admit that I'm bad at switching off - I spend more time on my phone than the boys! - and once I've had a meal with them and done any homework that they need, as soon as they’re off to bed it's back to work. But I've had the meal, and helped with the homework, and that's the important thing.

I do have moments of mum guilt - during the school holidays, even though they're teenagers and they're happy enough on their Playstations, I always feel as though we should be out doing something together. At the end of the most recent break, my youngest was the last to go back, and usually when this happens we do something special together - but I had an invitation that I couldn't bring myself to turn down, and so I couldn't give him what he always called a 'mum day.' I still feel bad thinking about it now! However, deep down I also know how proud all of my boys are of me running both my blog and a business, and bringing them up simultaneously. They realise how hard I work and what I've put into it all.

I'm also very lucky that I've got the option of going to the office or working from home. A year ago, I went back into an external business for three days a week to help them with a rebrand, and it was a real eye-opener. It was almost like the women with children were punished for having children; there was absolutely no exception made. I was amazed at how hard they worked and the way that they didn't get any extra time off - if their children were sick they had to take holiday. One woman's son got his GCSE results while I was there, and she couldn't be there with him that morning, or even take his call. Of course, that's not always the case - Selfridges were great when we were working parents - but it made me feel very grateful my situation. It's still a very hard workplace for women out there.

My advice to any mother who is thinking of breaking out from that world and starting a business of her own would be if you can, start slowly - if you're already doing a job, try and set something up over a period of six months in the evenings and weekends, which is really tough when you've got a family, but the long-term benefits will be there. When you work for yourself, you probably work twice as hard as you do for an employer, but it's on your own terms.

Things always fluctuate - you'll have a run of about six good months when it's all going really well, and a run of six months when it's not going so well, and so you start panicking and thinking, 'this is it, we're going to have get jobs'.

And then every single time, just as you're about to give up - something great will happen. It almost tests how much you want to stay in what you're doing!

Over the years, I've learned that you can't have both freedom and security, but for me, the freedom of running my own business outweighs the risk. You just have to be brave and take that chance.

JD Williams champion women to live life to the full – encouraging you to lead a colourful life and take on new challenges – and they understand the moments shaping your lives.

Balancing life and motherhood is never easy, but it can be an even more challenging task when you're running your own business.

Rasha Khawaja established her company in 2010, and has been working for herself for the past seven years. During that time, she's also welcomed two young sons, who 'completed her family'.

Here, she spills the beans on kickstarting her self-employed career, and how she juggles her roles as boss, wife and mum...

The idea for Rasha's company came to her whilst completing a programme at Oxford Business School.

'It was there when I had a genuine light bulb moment,' she says. 'Something in my mind simply clicked into place, so I came back with a mission to support creative companies and to seed the brightest minds that would one day be the job creators of the future.'

Seven years and two children later, she's now the founder and CEO of Toucan, a company that supports start-ups through those all important early stages.

'We are deeply passionate about making meaningfully impact, unearthing new talent, and using creativity for inclusiveness,' she explains - but how did Rasha go from mentee to managing all of these mentors?

'We started with the help and support of friends and family, but mentorship was also crucial to how we got started - it is a huge value add to be connected to someone who is highly experienced in your industry. They can provide you with advice, based on personal experience, and teach you lessons that they learnt from their own mistakes.'

'I like to practise 'Kaizen' ('change for better'), which refers to the continuous improvement that I look to make in both my professional and personal life. My mentors always taught me to look beyond and above myself and to always try to improve myself, to elevate myself.'

Fancy the chance to be your own boss and kickstart your own business with the support of Toucan's mentors? Enter the Ignite Awards today!

Of course, no business is created without challenges, and one of the biggest obstacles Rasha faced was finding a group of people to help her bring her vision to life.

'I did not have a team in place and this became a major hurdle as the company began to expand,' she adds. 'This challenge luckily transformed into a highlight because, as soon as I put together my team, I found my sounding board - collaboration is key to progression.'

Toucan has gone on to win awards and support many early-stage companies with their ventures, but despite her success, Rasha says that 'family always comes first'.

'Without them for constant support and endless inspiration I would not be here and my company would not be here,' she admits.

'Irrespective of your occupation and lifestyle, even if there are two working parents in a family, it is undoubtedly a challenge. However, the rewards certainly outweigh the obstacles. Myself and my husband are hugely lucky to have a valuable support system to help us along the way.'

'Bundling out the house in the morning is always quite the task but we have settled into a rhythm that works for us. There are so many fellow working mothers that I meet every day and it is great to have a community of working women that I can share my challenges with.'

Rasha's key motivation is knowing that she's working to provide for her young family in the years to come: 'Knowing that I am building future prospects for my family and my children, whilst doing something that I am truly passionate about is hugely rewarding.'

'A guilty mother is not a productive mother. I have learnt that being a positive, strong model is the best thing that I can be for my children.'

'If they were old enough, I hope that they would be proud that their mother supports early stage businesses in the creative sector. Meanwhile, they are more focused on when the next episode of Peppa Pig is going to be on, as they should be!'

Rasha feels so passionately about the importance of parents in the workplace that she's partnered with Time Inc. to launch the Ignite Awards, which gives you the chance to be your own boss and kickstart your own businesses with the support of Toucan's mentors.

So if you've ever wondered what it'd be like to take charge of your goals, work for yourself and get your exciting idea off the ground, now would be a good time to start...

If you don't want to leave your kids, and enjoy looking after other peoples' children, becoming a registered childminder could be the perfect career for you!

It's a rewarding job which has huge perks. Not only are you able to spend all day with your own children, you'll save lots of money on their childcare. You can stay at home in your comfortable surroundings and create a beautiful bond with the children you're childminding.

Childminding is a well-paid profession and childminders create their own working hours - you can pick the families you work with and most aspects of your job are on your terms. This is an opportunity to be a hugely important figure in a child's life and make a difference to a person's early development. You could meet other childminders and become more known in your local community.

What does it mean to be a childminder?

As a registered childminder you would look after 1 or more children under the age of eight for more than two hours a day, usually in your own home, for payment. You would deliver the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS), which is a play-based framework for children up to the age of five and be inspected against the requirements of EYFS by Ofsted. You would offer the children you care for a happy and inspirational environment and see the children that you care for grow and develop.

What is a typical day like when childminding?

• Visiting a park, local shops, library, playgroup or children's centre • Arranging fun and stimulating learning activities, observing each child's development and planning future activities • Providing meals and snacks for the children • Taking children to and from school, pre-school or clubs • Working with other local childminders to organise group activities

How do I register as a child minder?

You must be 18 or over and have the right to work in the UK to become a registered childminder. You can contact your local council to find out about Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) training courses and becoming a childcare provider in your area. You'll also need to apply for a DBS check through the Ofsted portal and you can apply online for the Childcare Register and EYFS register.

Keep in mind you will have to pay a fee to join the registers, which could be from £35 up to £220 depending on which register and where you will be childminding.

Registration may also involve completing a Paediatric First Aid course and an introductory childcare course of at least 12 hours. You must get public liability insurance as a condition of your registration. Once registered you can join the National Childminding Association who will provide you with help and advice in getting started as a registered childminder. You will also be able to access Public Liability Insurance, money off accounts books and contracts.

Dream of starting your own cake business but not sure where to begin? You've come to the right place. Goodtoknow's jargon-free guide to starting your own cake business steers you through the process with expert advice from successful cake business owners around the UK...

Dream of starting your own cake business but not sure where to begin? You've come to the right place.

Goodtoknow's jargon-free guide to starting your own cake business steers you through the process with expert advice from successful cake business owners around the UK...

1. Contact your council

Before you start selling your delicious cakes and bakes, there's a bit of red tape to sort out. If you're setting up your cake business at home, the first thing you need to do is to contact the environmental health department at your local council to arrange a kitchen inspection and approval of your premises.

2. Contact the tax office

Whether you're planning to run your business full-time and register as self-employed, or as a sideline on top of your day job, you'll need to contact HMRC who will issue you with the correct tax codes.

3. Set up business banking

It's a good idea to set up business banking for your cake business. Cake maker Kerry Atterbury recommends Santander, which currently offers a free Business Current Account for life. Barclays Business Start-up account gives you free business banking for 2 years plus free business seminars on topics like attracting more customers.

4.Get insurance

'Check with your mortgage company and house insurance firm that it's okay for you to work from home,' says Kerry Atterbury of Kerry's Cakes, Shropshire. 'Search online for the best deal on product and public liability insurance,' adds Amy Nolan of Cakesfrommykitchen.co.uk, Derbyshire.

Read Kerry's story of setting up her cake business

5. Get a hygiene certificate

You'll need a hygiene certificate as well as approval from the council. 'Contact your local colleges and learning centres about food handling/hygiene courses. You can sometimes get these for free,' says Kerry Atterbury. You can also complete a food safety level 2 certificate online from various companies (try food-certificate.co.uk).

6. Word of mouth

If you're starting a cake business, start spreading the word among your friends, family and colleagues. Most cake makers get their first orders from people they know. 'Practise your recipes on family and friends, too' suggests Angela Davage, who runs a cake business in Somerset.

7. Find your niche

Decide which cakes you want to focus on. Cupcakes? Celebration cakes? Wedding cakes? Developing a niche can help you hone the identity of your company's brand, choose the right name to stand out from other businesses. 'Think about what makes you different from other companies. Is there something you do that others in your area don't?' says Lydia Mckee of Sugar & Lace Cake Company, Bucks.

8. Sourcing ingredients

Ingredients will be one of your biggest costs, so it's important to shop around and decide where to source them. Amy Nolan from cakesfrommykitchen.co.uk recommends Costco when you need to buy in bulk. Or you may want to support local farmers by sourcing your eggs, butter and milk from them and making this a feature of your cakes. Don't forget offers at your local supermarket too.

9. Packaging and decorations

You'll also need to find reliable suppliers for your cake boxes, bases, stands and decorations. Amy Nolan recommends cakestuff.co.uk, while goodtoknow's cupcake queen Victoria Threader rates Sugarshack.co.uk and eBay for decorations. 'Some of the big online suppliers are also good places to get advice and specialised courses,' say Rachel and Annette of Morello Bakery, Hants.

10. Get baking

It's time to get baking your cakes and hopefully accept your first of many orders! But there's still a few things to think about...

11. Pricing

Pricing your cakes is one of the trickiest things about running a cake business. 'We calculate the cost of ingredients then put a 3-4 Xs mark-up on it to cover decorating and our time,' say Rachel and Annette of Morello Bakery, Hants. 'I use a spreadsheet with the quantity and price of ingredients and baking time. Bear in mind the customer is paying for your skills and experience. Always respect yourself when you price your work.' says Polly Pomfrey of Polly's Patisserie, East Sussex.

Read Polly's success story

12. Marketing

'Once you're up and running, marketing is one of the most important things to keep plugging away at,' says Polly Pomfrey. Business cards, flyers, word of mouth, a portfolio of your work to show to prospective clients, and contacting local and national press are all low-cost ways of spreading the word about your brilliant cakes.

13. Set up a website

A website is key to marketing your business and the easiest place for potential customers to see pictures of your cakes. If you're not sure how to set one up, rope in a technologically minded friend or use blogger.com: Google's free blog service which has lots of easy templates.

14. Social media

Twitter and Facebook are a free and easy way of marketing your business. To create a Facebook page for your business, just go to the pages section on your Facebook homepage and click on 'create a page'. It's also an easy way of communicating with fellow cake makers and swapping advice. Lots of cake business owners hang out on goodtoknow's recipes Facebook page!