Work from home and in the office - The managing director

Tuesday 15th April 2008

Most of us would love to be able to divide our working hours between home and the buzz that an office gives. Meet three women who have done just that

Stephanie Ozanne, 43, is married to Mike, 47. They have two children, Monty, 11, and Hugo, nine, and live in Marlow.

“After having children I desperately missed the buzz I got from working. When the boys were approaching school age, I promised myself that I would create a new working environment so that I could enjoy the best of staying home and working.

While on holiday in Florida I decided that I would find a new product and bring it over here. It was after chatting to a friend that I knew I'd found what I was looking for.

Her American husband, a psychotherapist and hypnotherapist, had founded a range of 'mind training' CDs designed to help you rewrite your subconscious thoughts. The CDs, which you can play in the background as you get on with your day, play subliminal affirmations to help with everything from low self-esteem and weight loss to giving up smoking.

I flew to Washington State to learn all about the products, and immediately applied for the licence to sell them in the UK.

At first I promoted the CDs at alternative health exhibitions and by sending a newsletter to customers. But after a Daily Mail article mentioned our products, the phone didn't stop ringing with orders.

The next three weeks was a blur of packing up CDs and licking envelopes. I persuaded a couple of old friends to help and took on several temps. We worked from my kitchen, but after three weeks I moved the operation to a business centre in Marlow.

The business has grown quickly. We sell online and through mail order, and have built relationships with around 5,000 therapists, who also distribute our products. Twice a week I start my day by exercising with my personal trainer then I'll pop to the office for anything from a few hours to ten minutes, depending on what I'm working on.

I work five days a week but never in a structured way and I'm never usually in the office for more than two. I've managed to organise a way of working that means I'm almost always home when the children return from school, and I've created a very successful company. But although my life can look idyllic, I had to work like mad to get it like this!”

Old Job: Sales and marketing manager.
New Job: MD of an alternative health business, Vitalia Health.
Start-up costs: £100,000.
First Year's turnover: £120,000.
Projected turnover for 2008: £1.3 million.
Top Tip: Realise that the first two or three years running your own business will be extremely hard work.
Best move: Employing an excellent operations manager from the start, which means I don't always need to be at the office.
Worst mistake: Not always keeping an eye on spending. I paid for services (such as £200 a month on press cuttings) that I didn't always need, and initially I didn't review regular costs (like suppliers) to make sure that I was getting the best price.

• The managing director
• The communications manager
• The website designer

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