The road to becoming a Mumtrepreuner started before I had my wonderful daughter Danielle. It really began when I caught the online sales bug whilst working in accounts. In the early noughties I became fascinated by, the then, newly established Ebay. The idea of having access to an international clientele and of being able to make money using a simple online platform thrilled me. I had never really considered sales before, but when I saw someone selling a dress, an identical copy of which was sitting in my wardrobe I decided to set up my own account. I watched the bids go up and up. And from there I was hooked.

Spurred by my first success I started selling anything I could get my hands on in my house. Slowly, but surely I started to learn and develop some serious online selling skills. By the time I took maternity leave I was hosting seminars teaching people how to sell online, juggling doctor’s appointments and contemplating the idea of handling a long commute whilst my baby was at home. Although I had a job in accounts waiting for my post-baby, in a role I had dedicated twenty five years to I felt I had finally found something that truly stimulated me.

So using my new found online selling obsession I started researching new products, trying to find a niche product that would allow me to give up my job and look after my beautiful baby girl. After looking around I came upon mosquito nets, a specific product – useful, family orientated and, at the time, in short supply. I found a local supplier and bought their entire stock that very day. Armed with lots of family support and my new found monopoly I sold out within weeks.

Spurred by this initial success I decided to invest more into mosquito nets, looking to the international market for a supplier capable of filling my demand. And that is how my business started. A decade later my daughter is almost a teenager and my company is thriving.

As the Mosquitonets4U brand grew I invested in a graphic designer and a web designer – creating a firm online presence. I now trade internationally, providing quality, good value mosquito nets to America, Europe and Asia and recently/ Mexico.

I recently stumbled upon the term mumtrepreuner when reading a fantastic blog by Sara Howard. It is one of those words that has recently been added to our vocabulary to describe concepts that didn’t really exist before the turn of the millennium. It was exciting, to realise that my hopes, dreams and plans slotted in with a whole group of women taking charge of their future. Wanting to play a role in their children’s lives whilst needing financial independence and stimulation. Whilst I had acted on maternal instinct and sales experience it was rather nice to know that I was the sum of a larger part. Being a mumtrepreuner marries two important parts of my life – my ambition and my role as a mum.