A day in the life: Adina Belloli of Little Lunalu

Adina Belloli is founder of Little Lunalu, an online retailer selling clothes and accessories for children aged up to four. She is also mum to a 17-month-old daughter, Luna. Adina tells us about a typical day in her life as a busy entrepreneur

Morning

“Three days a week, I get up at 6am and go to my yoga class, while my husband Giorgio gets up and gives Luna her milk, changes her nappy and so on. After getting back at 8.15am and having my shower, I feed Luna her breakfast and then four days a week her nanny arrives at 9am. Then I start my work.

“At the moment, there’s just me and an intern, although my husband helps out in the evenings, so there’s a lot to get through and I need to limit the time I spend on each task. I work from home, but go out to meetings.

“From 9am, when Luna’s nanny takes her to her toddler group, I answer emails and make phone calls. I also go through orders, pay for merchandise and schedule pick-ups and deliveries. Next, I update my social media profiles or write a blog for my website. I have to stick to my schedule closely, because it’s easy to get carried away, especially with Facebook and Twitter. I allocate a certain amount of time to each task and stick to it.”

Noon

“At 12 or 12.30 if I’m home, I try to have lunch with Luna and then I’m back to work. Right now it’s buying season for 2010/11, so I’m in meetings and showroom appointments a lot between 12.30 and 5pm. We check out lots of brands and try to find items that aren’t available here in London.

“I also use the afternoons to do the less interesting tasks, such as dealing with accounts. I have an accountant, but still have to keep track of my stock and sales, so I spend a couple of hours a week doing that.

“I like to remain organised and view everything on spreadsheets. It’s tempting to spend more time on more exciting things, such as researching new products, but you must allocate time to dull tasks, too. I also spend time working on our children’s foundation – currently, we’re organising a fundraising event in New York. Five per cent of our sales go towards the foundation.

“At 5pm Luna’s nanny leaves and I make her dinner. I make sure I wind down towards the end of the day so I don’t miss out on that. From 5.30pm I feed Luna her dinner and play with her. At 6.15pm it’s her bath time, and then from around 6.45pm I spend half an hour reading to her. My husband gets home at 7.15pm and has a bit of time with Luna. At 8pm she goes to sleep.”

Night

“When we’re having dinner, we make sure we turn our phones off. Then it’s back to work from 9-11pm. Giorgio’s help is invaluable, because I have no background in apparel and he’s a designer. This is my first season, so I’m just learning the ropes and making sure I’m buying good quality brands. I also have to ensure I get the sizing right.

“Hopefully, soon I should be able to stop working after dinner and have some more time for myself and my husband. As the business grows, the plan is to hire staff so I can spend more time with Luna and Giorgio.

“Sometimes, it’s tempting to believe that non-working mums get a better deal, because they can spend every minute with their little ones. I feel guilty sometimes, but I think that’s normal. It’s a matter of finding a balance. I make sure I have one day a week off work so I can totally dedicate my time to Luna – although I still work when she’s sleeping. At weekends I really cherish the time we spend together.

“When you work for yourself, things can be more flexible. For example, if Luna is ill I can change my schedule. Also, because I work from home, although I don’t work in the same room, I can pop in and see her at any time.

“As a mumpreneur, support is essential. Having Giorgio there to share parental responsibilities means I can do my yoga and go out with my girlfriends for dinner every other week. Little compromises really change the balance for everyone.”

• Visit the Little Lunalu website