Starting a business while you’re also keeping a small human alive sounds ambitious. But plenty of mums do it, and the timing makes more sense than you might think. Maternity leave gives you a window to plan, and the shift in your daily routine can make you see opportunities you wouldn’t have noticed before.
You don’t need a grand vision or a huge budget. A lot of successful small businesses started with a skill, a spare hour during nap time, and a willingness to figure things out as they went. Find out how to take those first steps and what actually matters below.
Business Ideas That Work Around a Baby
The best businesses for new mums are ones that can flex around unpredictable days. That usually means services you can deliver remotely or on your own schedule, or products you can make and ship without needing childcare every time. Some options that tend to work well are:
- Freelance writing, design or virtual assistance: project-based work you can do in pockets of time.
- Tutoring or coaching: online sessions that you can schedule around nap times or when a partner is home.
- Handmade or personalised products: Etsy-style businesses with manageable lead times.
- Reselling: buying and selling pre-loved items on platforms like Vinted or eBay.
- Social media management: content scheduling and community work that doesn’t require fixed office hours.
The key is to be honest about how much time you genuinely have. Starting small and growing gradually is far less stressful than overcommitting in the first few months.
How to Register with HMRC
Once you’re earning money from a business, you’ll need to register as self-employed with HMRC. You can do this online through the Government Gateway, and it’s simpler than it sounds.
You’ll need to register by 5 October in your second tax year of trading. So if you started earning in the 2024/25 tax year, you’d need to register before 5 October 2025. Missing this deadline can result in a penalty, so it’s worth sorting early.
Once registered, you’ll complete a Self Assessment tax return each year, declaring your income and any allowable business expenses. Keep records of everything you earn and spend from day one. A simple spreadsheet works fine to start.
If your income stays below £1,000 in a tax year, the trading allowance means you won’t owe any tax on it. Worth knowing if you’re just getting started.
Setting Up a Business Bank Account
You don’t have to open a separate business bank account if you’re a sole trader, but most people find it makes life much easier. Keeping personal and business money separate simplifies your bookkeeping and makes your tax return less of a headache.
Several UK banks and fintech apps offer free or low-cost accounts aimed at small businesses and sole traders. Tide, Starling and Monzo Business are popular options that are quick to set up from your phone. Most will let you categorise transactions, send invoices, and connect to accounting software if you need it later.
How to Find Your First Customers
This is where most new business owners get stuck, and it’s understandable. Getting your first few clients or customers can feel slow, but there are practical ways to speed it up.
Start with the people already around you. Let friends, family and old colleagues know what you’re doing. Word of mouth still works, and people who know you are far more likely to take a chance on a new business than a stranger online.
Beyond that, every small business needs a way to generate qualified leads. Whether that’s through a simple Instagram page where potential customers can find you, showing up at local networking events, or even just a basic landing page that explains what you do and how to get in touch. You don’t need all three at once, but you do need at least one channel that brings interested people to you rather than waiting for them to stumble across you.
Online communities are also worth using. Facebook groups for local areas or specific niches are full of people looking for recommendations. Being helpful and visible in those spaces can bring in enquiries with very little effort.
Pricing Your Work Fairly
One of the most common mistakes new mums in business make is undercharging. It’s tempting to keep prices low to attract customers, but it can lead to being very busy and still not making meaningful money.
Research what others charge for similar work. Factor in your time, any materials or tools you need, and the hidden hours that don’t feel like work but still take time, like admin, emails, and planning. Then price at a level that reflects that properly.
Don’t be afraid to start at a fair rate and increase it as your reputation builds. Your time has value, especially when there’s genuinely less of it.
In Conclusion
Starting a business as a new mum won’t always go smoothly, and that’s fine. Some weeks will be more productive than others, and the business will grow around your family rather than the other way around. The mums who make it work aren’t the ones who had perfect conditions, they’re the ones who kept going even when the baby had other ideas.