Accounting for Change: From accountant to mumpreneur
Emma Shah, founder of Willow Information Management, tells Inspired Mums how a career break to look after her young children allowed her to re-evaluate what she wanted to do in life. With the help of career coaching, Emma was able to regain her confidence and build on her accounting background to become a successful business owner.
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What work did you do before you set up your own business?
I was a management accountant for about ten years before I stopped to have my children. When the kids were small I did a range of voluntary work as we were living overseas in Thailand and South Africa.
What work do you do now?
I run my own business called Willow Information Management which helps businesses organise and report information. I produce user-friendly, relevant reports that save my clients’ time and include the correct information for running their business. This is critical for business success as it allows them to drive the right business decisions.
What made you change career direction?
When we moved back to the UK, I realised I had no inclination to go back to accounting. This was partly because of the irregular hours but also because when you are on a career break you remember the parts of your job that you didn’t enjoy. The spreadsheets and reporting work were what I really loved doing.
Did you have a light bulb moment when you knew you wanted to run your own business?
Through my coaching with Fiona at Inspired Mums I realised that flexibility was crucial for me because of the kids. I knew I wasn’t willing to commit to anyone else’s hours. Fiona gave me the confidence to go for it – I think I would still be sitting here thinking about it if it wasn’t for her support.
How did you find getting back into the world of work after your career break?
I still find juggling my time with so many balls in the air a challenge. Particularly when you are working at home and all your other responsibilities are calling you. It takes quite a bit of will power to focus on your business. But I have really enjoyed it and definitely reap the benefits of the flexibility.
What are your future plans for your business?
After the Summer I want to grow my business to the next level so I’ll be networking more. That’s not my natural territory at all but I’m definitely more ready now than a year ago – I’ve managed to regain my confidence and believe in myself and my ability.
What is the most rewarding aspect of working for yourself?
Being able to do something for yourself without compromising on family life.
How have you found managing your work-life balance?
It has been harder than I thought – it’s easy to still say yes to everything –every sports day, every assembly, every coffee morning and almost forget you have to fit in work. So now I try to work Monday to Wednesday in school time and say no to social events unless they are really important.
Any tips or advice for would-be mumpreneurs out there?
To give it a try and think what’s the worse that can happen? Also, look for some support and find the right sort of help. In my case, Fiona really helped me gain confidence and clarity about what I wanted to do. She was exactly who I was looking for as she’d been in a similar situation so could offer some practical advice.
For more information about Emma’s business, visit www.willowinformationmanagement.co.uk
If you think that career and confidence coaching could help you gain clarity about your business goals and career direction as it did for Emma, contact Fiona on fiona@inspiredmums.co.uk today!
