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5 min read
A day in the life of a new mumpreneur

Teagan Underwood is a ‘mumpreneur’ and loving it.

The local travel agent is one of many women who’ve found the flexibility being their own boss really pays off when raising a family, although she admits that nurturing a new business and a new baby is a juggle.

“It's a tough slog … but I love it," Teagan says. 

October is Small Business Month – and shopping local is the best way to support young entrepreneurs rather than big corporations, she says. For while the NSW Government is holding free and low-cost events as part of its annual program to boost small businesses, Teagan believes the big challenge remains cost-of-living. 

“I would love for my husband to work even just one day less or my Mum to be able to drop one day of work to help me," she says.

“It would be great if there were more options for affordable and flexible childcare, particularly for those under two years of age, I have been looking into BubbaDesk Wollongong and the concept is fabulous, but it comes at a price of $160 a day.

When it comes to ways the government could help small business, particularly 'mumpreneurs', Teagan says: “I suppose the big one is I would love to pay less tax – but don’t we all!”

Thanks to Teagan for taking the time to share her journey, from small business start-up to multitasking mumpreneur.

When did you start your business and what are you most proud of achieving?

I launched my business in November 2023. When Covid hit, the company I was working for unfortunately went under. I tried a few different roles after that, however, quickly realised I just wasn’t as happy as I was when I was a travel agent. I knew I’d have to rebuild my client base from scratch and, with most of my past roles being in management, I thought why not do it for myself?

In my overall travel career, I’m most proud of the multiple global awards I have received. But since opening my own business, my proudest achievement has been booking over 300 holidays, some big and some small, spanning every continent, all within my first year of being open.

When was your daughter born and how much time off did you take?

My little girl arrived early November 2024! Call me crazy, but I haven’t taken a single day off since opening my business. I take a lot of pride in what I do and I always want to be available for my clients even if that means replying to enquiries from a hospital bed in labour (true story… my fiancé actually had to take my phone off me at one point!).

How has having a baby changed your working life? 

The biggest change is phone calls, I really struggle to make or take calls during normal business hours as I simply want to give my clients my full attention and remain professional. These days, I encourage new bookings to come through via email or I schedule phone appointments for when my fiancé is home from work.

I’ve also introduced a small planning deposit for new quotes that take over an hour to put together. It’s fully deducted from the total booking and this helps me to ensure my time is covered whilst I juggle business and family life.

Do you have help with childcare? 

I don’t currently have help with childcare, which is my own personal choice. Funny enough, I used to work in childcare straight out of high school at our local Happy Hearts Academy [in Helensburgh] and during Covid I was the director of a childcare centre in Menai for 18 months.

I know first-hand how hard it is to find spots for children under two years of age and the costs are incredibly high. With my business, my workload is unpredictable – some days I could work 12 hours, other days only one hour – so paying high childcare fees when I could have a slow day just isn’t realistic at the moment. 

What does an average workday look like now?

These days my workday starts the moment I wake up. I rush to my computer (while pumping breastmilk!) and squeeze in as much work as I can before my fiancée heads off to work.

During the day, I work through every single nap my daughter has and soon as my fiancée is home I’m back on the computer finishing everything off for the day. I often find I am the most busy outside of normal business hours (9am-5pm) as this is when my clients are at home and planning their holidays – which works well for me! 

One thing that hasn’t changed is my commitment to my clients – if they contact me before 5pm, I’ll always respond the same day even if that means working until midnight.

Why would you recommend being a mum with her own business?

Opening my own business, which is also my passion, has been the best decision for me and my family. I can earn a comfortable income while still having full control over my hours (besides when emergencies call). 

Yes, it is a lot of hard work but it allows me a lot more freedom compared to my previous office roles. Another huge perk is that, of course, I love to travel and I don’t have to ask anyone’s permission anymore to leave the country!

Contact Teagan-Travel Managers for personalised advice and exclusive discounts on group tours & accommodation. Visit the website or follow Teagan's business page on Facebook

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