The mums and daughters building businesses together

When Harriet Maguire threw her mum a surprise party for her 60th birthday, she had an idea for a company.

But she needed some motherly advice.

"I couldn't find a company that was able to organise it all," said the 27-year-old, from Woolton in Liverpool.

"My mum has always done this kind of thing so I thought we could really make a business out of this."

Her mother Angela was no stranger to organising events, having hosted charity fundraisers each year for almost three decades.

So Harriet created a business plan to set up a planning, co-ordinating and styling company - in essence a one-stop shop for those organising events and parties.

She showed her ideas to her mother, who was in full support of her daughter's plans, and the business - The Events Agency - was born.

"Don't get me wrong it's testing at times, but I feel like now we've really got a good balance," said Harriet.

Building a business with your mother or daughter is not for everyone.

But for Harriet and Angela, it is the mother and daughter bond that has helped shape the business.

These sentiments are echoed by mother-daughter duo Jane and Chantelle Joseph.

The pair, from West Derby, run Regal Entertainments, which specialises in pantomime, plays and family entertainment. They also run St Helens Theatre Royal.

"She's my first call of the morning and my last call at night," said Chantelle.

"We talk about everything from work through to what every mother and daughter talk about.

"She really is my best friend, my idol."

Chantelle, 40, credits her mum with instilling a love of theatre in her from an early age.

She remembers watching her mother's passion for production when she went to rehearsals when she was just four years old.

Jane was working as an assistant director for Aladdin at the time.

"It's all I've ever known really because mum's been in the entertainment industry all her life as well," Chantelle said.

"I've literally grown up in a theatre trunk."

Now working together, it is all about team work.

"Mum spends a lot of time on the creative side of the productions," said Chantelle.

"I do the everyday running of the theatre, but any kind of creative decisions that I make with regards to casting or buying a new piece of scenery or having some costumes made, we do it collectively and we do it together."

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