In our ‘Inspiring small businesses’ series, we share and celebrate great stories from small business owners who started and run their own business. By bringing you closer to these inspiring businesses we hope that you find motivation, tips, and ideas for building yours. For our next interview, we spoke to Sara, founder of Seventeen Minutes.

What is it that you do?

I’m the founder of a quarterly self-care subscription box for mums called Seventeen Minutes. As a mum of two under four, I juggle my time between running the business from home and looking after my kids. I also understand how utterly exhausting motherhood is and I channel that into encouraging mums to take time for themselves and finding the best products to help mums slow down, relax and unwind. I’m a big believer in taking time for you and a huge self-care convert and advocate. Supporting charity is also really important to me and I’m immensely proud that £1 from every Seventeen Minutes box goes to PANDAS Foundation, a charity supporting parents with pre and postnatal mental health.  

What's the story behind your business?

I struggled with losing my identity after becoming a mother and found prioritising my own needs was crucial at points; self-care was a non-negotiable part of my routine. Then I started to look into how many other women were doing this, after having kids. It turns out that most mums need nurturing, but aren’t getting it.

So I decided to build a business – based on my own experience, and using solutions I’d found – to help other mums feel better within themselves.

Subscriptions are quarterly and one-off boxes are also available to buy. Each box is curated seasonally and I source as many products as possible from small British brands. I love that I’m able to support small businesses while also building my own.

What inspired you to start your own business? 

When I was on maternity leave with my second baby, I realised that returning to my 10-year career in publishing was no longer the right choice. My job involved long-haul travel and didn’t offer me the flexibility I needed. I wanted a work-life that would give me more time to spend with my children and was going to fit around my family. 

A few months before I was due to return to work, I decided to go for it and I quit my job. I spent a while dreaming up business ideas and finally, I started a self-care subscription box called Seventeen Minutes. 

Maternity leave can sometimes make women feel disadvantaged in the workplace or less able to progress but for me, it opened my eyes to opportunities I had never considered before. Now I’m able to spend a few days a week with my children, I’m growing a small business I love and I’m more motivated than ever.

What is the most difficult aspect of running your own business?

For me, it’s the lack of time. I started my own business because I wanted the flexibility to be with my kids a few days a week and work when they were at childcare. As the business grows, so does the workload and also my aspirations. Trying to squeeze everything in often feels impossible. I find myself easily frustrated because sometimes three days just isn’t enough time to work or sometimes one of the kids is sick and I can’t work. It’s an ongoing battle but then I remind myself why I work for myself in the first place and reframe my mindset.

What is the best thing about running your own business?

Undoubtedly it’s the flexibility, the freedom and the passion I have. I love that I can drop the children at nursery, work at a coffee shop if I need a change of scene and wear my slippers all day. My son is now at Preschool so I can manage my time and take some of the school holidays off without having to worry about annual leave. There’s nothing like running your own business and watching it grow to get your fire going. It’s become my third child and I eat, sleep and breathe Seventeen Minutes.  

To find out more about Seventeen Minutes, visit their website and follow them on Instagram, Facebook or Pinterest.