Carrie Webster online Auction site (Pic:Roland Leon)

It’s an issue facing all new mums who are eager to return to work.

Soaring childcare costs mean that for many going back simply doesn’t add up financially.

A recent study by Aviva shows that mums could end up £98 a month worse off by going out to work part-time and paying childcare costs, rather than staying home to look after the kids.

So no wonder growing numbers are ­becoming “mumpreneurs” – ­women who combine running a business from home with looking after the kids. So here we take a look at how to go about bringing in extra income from home…

GET ADVICE

If you’re thinking about setting up your own business, get as much advice as possible. There are plenty of websites, like Mumsclub.co.uk, where you can get tips and discuss ideas with other mums. And Businessmum week.co.uk lists ­networking events.

SETTING UP YOUR BUSINESS

If you start off as a sole trader, you are classed as self-employed. As well as income tax, you have to pay two types of national insurance.

Alternatively, you can set up as a limited company. You will have to file accounts and annual returns and pay corporation tax every year. You will also have to register with HM Revenue & Customs and you’ll need a business bank account – see our table on the left for those ­offered by the big banks.

JOIN WITH OTHER MUMS

nervous about going it alone or looking for inspiration on what to do? Then consider joining forces with other ­mumpreneurs.

For example, ­Magic Moments is a nursery ­photography franchise for which you pay a £699 joining fee and around £2,400 for a full portable studio.

The ­company claims earning potential in year one is £7,500, rising to £12,000 in year two for around 20 hours’ work a week. For more information, visit www.magicmomentsdirect.com.

MAKE MONEY IN EVENINGS

If juggling the children and ­working during the day is too daunting, consider taking on a role that only involves working in the evenings – by hosting parties to sell goods, for example.

Companies that employ ­consultants to sell products this way include ­Pampered Chef, Body Shop, Mini IQ books, Ann Summers, Avon and Usborne Books.

With the ­Usborne scheme, you get paid around £1 for every £4 of books you sell, a rate which rises as your business grows.

USE THE INTERNET

There are plenty of ways to ­generate extra money without ­having to set up your own business.

For example, you can get paid up to £3 when you fill in a survey online through at the ­OnePoll.com site. Another site worth a look is ValuedOpinions.co.uk, which pays you in store vouchers.

Case Study

‘It was impossible for me to go back’

Carrie Webster, top, decided to set up her own ­business from home after realising childcare costs and the difficulty of juggling everything made going back to her full-time job impossible.

At first the 35-year-old “mumpreneur” set up the website www.babyswaporshop.co.uk just to make a few pounds selling on her growing son’s old baby equipment.

But the site took off and now has 180,000 ­members, all buying, selling and swapping ­anything and everything baby related.

Carrie, who lives with husband Shane, 39, and their sons Liam, 15 tomorrow, and Cory, two next month, says: “I’d worked for a housing association for 11 years, but had always had it in mind to set up my own business from home.

“My husband works in a web design agency so he helped me to build the site. I’ve been amazed how it’s taken off, but it has been hard work.”

Carrie, from Rushden, Northants, adds: ­“Choosing this route is not the easy option and I find myself working long hours. I make a few hundred pounds here and there to help pay the bills but everything else goes back into the business with the aim of making it a household name.”

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