Raising young children while running your own business is a tough task, but it’s a juggling act Merendi Leverett has a handle on.

The Closeburn resident is in line to win an AusMumpreneur Award, which recognises successful entrepreneurs who choose to be self-employed all while caring for their children and families.

Co-ordinated by online magazine Connect2Mums, the awards also recognise working mothers and their success in business, product development, services and innovation.

Mrs Leverett, the owner of Merendi Health and Wellness Centre, is one of the five finalists for the Best Business Service Award.

The mother of three established her business five years ago when her twin babies Alex and Will were just three months old, offering mums and bubs exercise classes “from the back of my car”.

“I thought it would be great because I could work my own hours, and starting mums and bubs it meant I could get fit at the same time as interacting with my children and socialising with other mums,” Mrs Leverett said.

“It just sort of took off from there … because my background is exercise and injury rehab I started picking up some more clients and it just snowballed.”

After moving into its own premises four years ago, the business has since expanded to offer holistic health care services out of four locations across the Moreton Bay region, at Brendale, Redcliffe, Bribie Island and Caboolture.

Mrs Leverett, whose youngest child Caitlin is two, said the biggest obstacle to parents running their own business was time management.

“It’s trying to organise to be able to spend time with the kids, and now that they’re in school, being able to go in and help out at school, and make sure that I’m not working too long hours here,” she said.

“Also trying to find staff who are competent, capable and willing to put in the effort so that if I’m not here the place isn’t going to fall apart.”

When it comes to offering advice to aspiring mumpreneurs looking to juggle a client base with nappy changes, Mrs Leverett said business owners, like babies, should learn to crawl before they walk.

“I say go for it, but I would definitely say start off small,” she said.

“Maybe start with a few hours a week and then build up slowly – don’t try and go the full hog and go and open a franchise or anything like that.

“Trying to raise babies and children, and having sleepless nights and lots of things like that, I found starting off slowly and limiting the hours I worked helped make sure that I didn’t jeopardise raising the kids.”

The winners of the AusMumpreneur Awards will be announced at an awards dinner at Rydges Hotel at Southbank on Saturday night.