'I don't sleep': Women entrepreneurs doing heavy lifting on childcare

"I don't sleep - I live on coffee," says entrepreneur Julie Peadon.

The Sydneysider, a single mum of three kids under 10, launched her art class business Julie Peadon Art last year.

It was an "educated gamble" that saw her turning to fine art lessons for kids and adults, deciding not to re-enter corporate life and instead engage with her long time love of painting and drawing.

As the primary caregiver to her children, she estimates she spends 60-80 hours a week on the business and the majority of the rest of her waking hours looking after her family.

Peadon is not alone. Research from design platform 99 Designs this week of 1,900 entrepreneurs who use its global platform found women founders spend significantly more time on childcare than their male counterparts while often working with less funding.

Thirty per cent of mothers who run businesses spend more than 50 hours a week on their businesses, compared with 10 per cent of men.

One in five mothers spend up to 40 hours a week looking after their kids, compared to 12 per cent of male founders.

Men are also more likely than women to have raised significant funding for their businesses: 36 per cent of male founders have raised more than $140,000 in funds, compared with 22 per cent of women.

Peadon manages her responsibilities with the help of a wide network of family and friends, but says there needs to be more information about where business owners can turn to for help and connection.

"You really need to leverage the village," she says.

"I think it comes down to communication, and I think there's a lack of awareness about where to go for help."

Less than one year into her business, Peadon is on track for revenue of $80,000 this financial year and has started hiring staff.

She says she doesn't currently rely on much paid childcare and is aware that should she need to use this, it would put pressure on her finances.

"I couldn't afford it [after school care] every day. It adds such a burden to my cashflow... I can run my business and have my kids join me, thank goodness."

The March quarter index report from women's finance platform Financy found there are more than 650,000 underemployed women in Australia compared with 420,000 underemployed men. The disparity is likely because women are engaging in part-time business or work while fulfilling primary care responsibilities, the index suggests.

Co-founder of women's business network Business in Heels Lisa Sweeney says it's not surprising women are more likely to balance primary care responsibilities and business growth at the same time.

"We see an extraordinary number of founders set up their businesses as they take maternity leave and they have the experience of 'my business has taken off and now I'm a mum'," she says.

99Designs chief executive Patrick Llewellyn has four children himself and says the results of the research are "extraordinary".

"I think my takeaway is that I'm really lucky to be in the position I am in...I have a wonderful team that allows me to work in a flexible way, I'm really lucky to have a super supportive partner in my wife."

He believes more support to affordably access childcare and aged care, as well as businesses ensuring staff of both genders work flexibly, could help balance out who does caring duties.

"We're starting to think more and more about how we can provide an equalisation in our workforce."