Entrepreneur says aloe to home working

But organisation is key for Claire which means she can enjoy the best of both worlds.

She has run her Walsh Recruitment firm since she was 22, and had an office in Portsmouth employing a number of staff.

But then she was married, and next came the twins.

“It was not until I had the twins that I sat and thought I want to spend time with them,” she said. “Having my own business it was hard.

“I need some kind of flexibility. I have got to find something where I can work round the children and spend time with them.”

She decided to down-size Walsh Employment and started working from her Woodmancote home.

“In Portsmouth there were eight of us, it was great fun,” she said. “But it’s been more successful since I down-sized and it is just me. “Employing people, you’re trying to motivate other people to bring in business.”

Now she said she has regular clients and things are going better than ever.

She’s got time to spend with the children and she can work hard in her business. Key to her success is putting in a little bit of extra time.

“You need to be prepared to get up a bit earlier and work a bit later,” she said.

But she said fitting work around her children is worth it.

“Your children grow up before you know it,” she said.

Business

About a year ago Claire started a new venture to fit into her schedule – Forever.

She first came across the aloe products five years ago when her friend was selling for them.

“Anything that is good for you I am quite keen to ingest,” she said.

As an active gym-goer she found the products helped her as aloe is good for joints as well as digestion.

She decided to get involved with Forever, and said things are going really well.

She said a lot of her sales come from word-of-mouth recommendation, as the products work so well.

“You do not have to be a sales person,” she said. “It’s purely on recommendation. The products speak for themselves.”

Claire, 39, lives by the aloe products, and said even her twins drink it.

“Amber and Oscar drink berry nectar one,” she said. “It has helped their digestion.”

The products are produced from pure aloe, and Claire said the drinks can transform digestions, joints, skin, hair and nails.

“People who have been drinking it for a few weeks, you can tell. It is full of nutrients.

“I have helped 100 people, and have about 50 regulars. People start realising it works.”

She said the aloe works particularly well for people with arthritis or IBS, as it alleviates the symptoms.

“You’re helping people. It is a lovely feeling when you get an email from someone thanking you.”

Taking the aloe is a long-term thing. If you stop drinking it things will go back to the way they were, and Claire said people soon see how the aloe is working.

She said working with Forever is great and the company has a ‘huge support group’.

“You get your hand held every step of the way,” she said. “You get plenty of training.”

She said it fits in well with her life, as you can do as much or as little as possible.

“You can hold coffee mornings, or knock on doors and do hard sales,” she said.

“But everyone you know is a potential customer.”

For now, Claire said she is happy with the way things are and is comfortable running her two businesses.

Her advice to working mums is this: “You have to do what makes you happy and not put yourself under too much stress. Don’t try to be superwoman. “But if it means going that extra mile and staying up later it is not forever.

“Do not lose sight of your goal.”

Visit www.clairehw.myforever.biz for more information about Forever aloe products.