Lisa Tallant and Yvonne Khan have very different companies but share the same source of inspiration - their children.

Lisa, 24, of Idle, decided she needed to branch out and start her own business after seven months of maternity leave left her unable to settle back into her job as an NHS communications assistant.

Instead she decided to employ the skills she knew she had into a new PR venture. Her company, Pink Tall Ants, promises to do the hard work so you don't have to.

Meanwhile, Yvonne, 34, of Clayton, decided to start her business, called Yvonne Noor, producing ornate headdresses and costume outfits after becoming a single mum.

Such is its success that she now employs six people and is looking to employ other mums who can work from their homes.

She said: "It can be very hard for mothers. I was a single mother myself. I started out in business designing and making bridal head wear but have branched out into catwalks and theatres.

"What I would like to do is to employ single mothers and housewives who can't really leave the home to work to produce items for me.

"I really want these women to benefit from my business; they are so keen and have so much to offer. It will allow them to earn good money working from home and help build self-confidence which is crucial for those seeking a way out of the benefits trap. Maybe they will be able to take the skills they learn and set up for themselves one day."

Yvonne employs six staff engaged in preparation work but envisages employing as many as 30 when the business takes off.

There has already been great interest in her designs and she has pulled off a major coup in that her headdresses are being used in the latest music video by US rapper Snoop Dog.

"It's branched out a lot from bridal wear," she said. "I've got quite a big gay following that I design for and items of mine are appearing in music videos. I am aiming for the top market and hoping to attract famous stars to wear my designs on stage or at premieres. I am also looking at selling to big high street stores."

She aims to raise money from her business for charities, especially to help children in Africa.

Meanwhile, Lisa admitted that being on maternity leave gave her the chance to broaden her horizons.

"After returning to work I'd lost any interest I might once have had for the job," she said. "I spent some time searching and applying for other jobs but finding something interesting, well-paid and ideally part-time proved difficult.

"I'd always liked the idea of working for myself. But the thought of not having a product or specific skill to offer, coupled with a complete lack of business knowledge, had always put me off."

After much mulling over she hit on an obvious solution.

"I have excellent organisational skills, boundless energy and love organising people," she said.

"I realised I could earn my living doing just that, but for myself not some other company. I read a newspaper article about someone who'd made a successful career as a virtual PA and I realised I could do that."

But what is a virtual PA? According to Lisa it is: "a company that offers virtual administrative assistance to new and small businesses. By eliminating the hassle and expense of employing someone, Pink Tall Ants Ltd enables business owners to spend more time doing what they do best and less on boring administration."

The firm provides a range of services from mail merging to meeting arrangement, article writing to proof reading.

"Businesses can use us for as little as one hour per week to several hours on a regular basis or even just for one-off projects. You only pay for the time your job takes. There's no covering the cost of lunch breaks, annual leave or sick days. There are no additional costs for equipment because we are based in our own office."

All this appears to be a huge undertaking for a young person with a small child.

"At times it's felt a little daunting, especially when it comes to understanding the legalities and accountancy rules involved with setting up a limited company. But overall its been fantastic. I'm enjoying meeting new people and sharing the experience of running a business. Most of all I love the flexibility that this job brings. Some of the tasks can be done in the evenings and at weekends, leaving me available for other things during the day."