Leicestershire business tackling the hidden mental load of family life reaches two national awards finals

A Leicestershire business which says the relentless mental load of running a family home is leaving parents exhausted has been shortlisted for two national entrepreneur awards.

Rothley-based Boutique Housekeeping is a finalist for both Best Small Business and Most Inspiring Entrepreneur at the 2026 National Entrepreneur Awards.

The company provides dedicated housekeepers and home managers to families across the UK, taking on not only the practical work involved in looking after a home but the planning, organising and remembering that comes with it.

Boutique Housekeeping believes this largely unseen workload has become a growing problem as family life has changed.

With parents juggling careers, children, school, activities, appointments and the everyday demands of running a household, the responsibility for keeping everything moving can still fall disproportionately on one person's shoulders.

The company was created around the belief that providing professional support in the home can have an impact far beyond simply making it cleaner or tidier.

Caroline Chilley, founder of Boutique Housekeeping, said: “There is a mental drain that comes with running a busy family home that thousands of people experience every day but rarely talk about.

“It's not simply doing the jobs. It's remembering that something needs doing, planning it, organising it and constantly thinking about what comes next.

“Family life has changed enormously, but the support available to families hasn't necessarily changed with it.

“We believe expert home management can create calmer lives, stronger relationships and more time for families to actually be together. That's what we're really here to provide.”

The business has also set out to change perceptions of housekeeping itself.

Boutique Housekeeping has developed structured training, including its own Boutique Housekeeping Diploma, alongside career pathways designed to turn a role which has traditionally been overlooked into a respected profession.

Caroline added: “We're equally passionate about the people who work with us.

“Housekeeping is skilled work and should be recognised as such. We want our Home Managers to have proper training, opportunities to develop and a career they can be proud of.

“We've never been motivated by becoming the biggest business in our sector. We want to create the greatest positive impact.

“We genuinely believe happier homes create happier families, happier communities and ultimately a happier world. To reach the finals in two categories is wonderful recognition of what our whole team is trying to achieve.”

Run by Entrepreneurs Circle, the National Entrepreneur Awards are now in their 14th year, celebrating the entrepreneurs who build, inspire and transform the UK economy.

Nigel Botterill, founder of Entrepreneurs Circle, said:

“Some of the best businesses are built around solving problems that millions of people experience but very few actually talk about.

“Caroline and Harriet have identified one of those problems and built a business around giving busy families back something incredibly valuable: time and headspace.

“But what makes the story even stronger is what she's doing for the people working in the profession too. Boutique Housekeeping is investing in training, creating career pathways and raising the status of work that has historically been undervalued.

“To reach the final in both Best Small Business and Most Inspiring Entrepreneur is a fantastic achievement and thoroughly deserved.”

The winners of the National Entrepreneur Awards will be announced on Monday 7 September at the ICC Birmingham across 10 categories, including the prestigious Entrepreneur of the Year.

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