BEFORE I started my own business I worked as cabin crew for Monarch airlines.

I was with the company for 11 years, travelling around the world. During that time I learned a lot about customer care and patience and keeping passengers happy.

My husband, Jonathan, is a pilot. After we had our first child seven years ago, I gave up work.

Two more children followed and a year-and-a-half ago we moved to the Westcountry — something we had always wanted to do.

I've always worked and wanted to have my own business — as long as I was still there for the children.

For the last five or six years I have been trying to come up with ideas for a business. When we moved here I decided it was time.

It had to be something that worked around the children. I decided to have an website and sell everything from home.

Having three children, I have quite a lot of experience of buying for them , and I thought that sort of experience would be the right area for me to go into.

Before I started the business I did a lot of research on the internet, looking at other websites and how I could improve on them.

Finding products to sell was initially quite difficult. I found all my suppliers when I visited my first trade show in Birmingham.

I was lucky enough to have a good friend who's a web designer and who did the site for me. It's been running since September and doing a lot better than I thought it would. I think that's mainly down to finding a couple of niche products and being one of the first businesses to sell them; people looking for them on search engines find me that way.

Working as air cabin crew, I learned a lot about customer care and it's something that has stayed with me.

I have always listened to what people want and I have a section on the website where people can leave feedback. If they are happy, they will come back.

I haven't had any help with the business from anywhere — I did all the research myself on the internet and through a very lengthy period of reading

Although it certainly isn't easy, my advice is just to be positive all the time. It's hard work and long hours, but you are working from home.

My evenings aren't spent in front of the telly any more. When the children are at school I'm getting deliveries ready. That stops when they get home and starts again when they have gone to bed.

When I started the business I didn't expect it to grow so quickly. It surprised me, especially in the current climate.

Including stock, the initial outlay was about £5,000. I was lucky I had savings which we used. Luckily, the business has done well enough for me to pay myself back.

I'm a bit of a stickler for perfection and, at the moment, because it's my baby I do everything myself. Eventually, if the business keeps growing, I hope to take on some staff.

As a new business it's very difficult for people to find you. But by picking a few products, sold only by a few people because they have only just come onto the UK market, I was able to advertise on Google.

I have also taken part in a few Christmas fairs and very small events in Topsham and Rockbeare, and a three-day craft fair in Exeter. That was very good for me; I got some very good feedback and a lot of people were interested in our products.

I haven't gone to any advisors because the business has taken off sooner than I expected, but I probably will seek advice when I want to take the business to the next level.

Just knowing I've established the business after years of thinking about it makes me really proud.

To anyone thinking about starting their own business, I would say just take that leap and go for it. But research what you want to do thoroughly and plan ahead.

It's a full-time job, but one that can work around your family so, for mothers, it's a way you can earn a wage.

Obviously, you don't have the same social life that you get from working in an office, but I speak to people on the phone and at trade shows. I'm too busy to be lonely.

In a year's time I hope to take on staff. My youngest daughter will be in pre-school so I can put my heart and soul into growing the business as much as possible.

A lot of people said to me that I was launching the business at the wrong time, but I thought if it works now it's going to be even better when the economy improves.