As every working mother knows, getting the balance right is tricky if not downright impossible.

The work/life double act came as a challenge for new mum Denise Tyler. But it also proved to be the launch pad for a new business.

Following the birth of her daughter Freya, now aged two, Denise looked for a publication or web site that would help her with some of the new issues she was facing.

She couldn't find one so she set up a webzine called Mother @Work.

Denise, 35, from Kemp Town, Brighton, said: "The web site has been a long time coming.

"When I had Freya, I looked around for somewhere that dealt specifically with all the issues that face a working mother, whether they are returning to work or their children are about to leave home. I couldn't find a single source for all this so decided to create one."

Denise, a freelance writer, took a number of courses to learn necessities like web design. Then she enlisted the help of two other mums, Vicky Shepherd and Diana Wolfin.

They launched the site on November 1 after a six-week pilot run and it is already getting 1,500 hits a day.

The site concentrates on working, family and personal lives and has pages dedicated to work/life balance, finance, health, child care and education and two directories on services and information and web shopping.

There is also expert advice from Fiona Price and Lorraine Thomas who answer questions on finance and parenting.

Dads are not forgotten either - there is a Father's Say page.

Denise said although most mothers knew how to find information on issues like tax or nutrition, they did not have the time to devote to hours of research.

She said: "We are archiving everything so hopefully we can become a one-stop shop for them."

The research she has done and her own experience has taught Denise there is no such thing as the perfect work/life balance.

"It's a unique thing. I think the secret to finding it is not to expect to find it. A lot of women expect to be superwoman and set very high standards.

"There are so many variables you have to go with the flow. I have just learned not to worry about all the small stuff - if the front room is untidy, who is going to die? It's not that important."

The webzine's feature pages are updated monthly and the news weekly. For more information, visit www.motheratwork.co.uk

Wednesday November 12, 2003