HIGH-FLYING working mums perform 18 different roles from cook to accountant which would cost them £50,000 in pay, it is claimed.

However, many of these mum magnates' have set up their own businesses after becoming multi-skilled while bringing up babies.

More than nine in 10 business mums say their success is down to a range of skills they developed after becoming a mother.

And four in 10 mums who have set up their own business got the idea for it while pregnant or within a year of their baby being born, claims research by Yell.com, the online service from Yellow Pages.

Once mums set up their own firms, the study found they perform a remarkable 18 different roles including being a gardener/DIY expert, secretary/receptionist, launderer, accountant, cleaner, babysitter and cook.

The can also multi-task, plan ahead and they have a can-do attitude.

Those polled estimate they would have to pay an annual salary of around £50,000 for someone else to undertake these tasks.

Yell.com commissioned the study to mark its sponsorship of the Inspirational Business Mum of the Year at the 2008 Prowess Awards.

Yell.com wants such mums to nominate themselves for awards by visiting www.bizmums.yell.com SUPERMUM Roles they do at home and at work include: Gardener/DIY expert Event co-ordinator Personnel manager Chauffeur Marketing/PR manager Counsellor Customer relations manager Teacher Personal shopper Sales person Secretary/receptionist Launderer Accountant Cleaner Babysitter Cook