Starting a business often involves making a life-changing decision and timing can be all-important. Usually the idea comes years before the dream becomes a reality and can be driven by circumstances.

In the case of Jodie Gaul, (pictured) her talent as a designer had led her to start making children’s keepsakes featuring the child’s name following the birth of her first son, Theo, now four.

What was initially a hobby with friends and family as customers has developed into a fully-fledged business, Illustrate My Name, and a full-time career based in her home at Freeland, near Witney.

Ms Gaul, 29, was previously a graphic designer at Abingdon-based Leadbitter Construction before the birth of her second child, Max.

“I initially did a piece of art for my son’s bedroom and I did a few more for friends and relatives. With two children under five I was also thinking about working from home. I finished with Leadbitter after my maternity leave on the grounds that I wanted to make the business work,” she said.

Now she is able to fit the demands of motherhood around the business, although she finds herself working most evenings.

As well as her own designs, Ms Gaul has also selected products from other designers to increase her range.

“I contacted a lot of suppliers and visited trade shows but I am very particlualr about quality. There is so much out there for babies and children, I wanted something that would last and be treasured.”

Stock includes bookends, cushions, bags, money boxes, pictures and stickers with prices ranging from £7 to £150.

And Ms Gaul has just won a contract to supply some of her own designs to a major department store, details of which are still confidential.

“That could be massive. I sent samples to the head buyer and they called me in straight away. It was like going into the Dragon’s Den.”

Ms Gaul has used her talents as a designer to create her own website which has helped to keep her set-up costs down to about £2,500.

Since then, she has invested in search engine optimisation to help push her site near to the top of the Google rankings and has achieved sales in the United States and Australia, as well as throughout Europe and the UK.

“A lot of work is being put in but the business is going from strength to strength,” she said.

* Contact: Illustrate My Name: 01993 882399. Web: www.illustratemyname.com