Rise of the Mumtrepreneur

“Mum Businesses” are becoming more and more common. These days, with childcare costs becoming higher and higher, many new mums take time to re-evaluate during maternity leave and consider their career options going forward. It is becoming increasingly common for Mums to set up businesses whilst on maternity leave, and aim to build this business to a level where they can cease their traditional employment.

For many, they have great ideas, but knowing where to start is the challenge.

We love hearing success stories, and always watch programmes like Dragons Den to hear about couples, families and indeed mums, who have pursued their dreams, bit the bullet and launched a successful company from scratch.

Two mums who have done just that is Amy and Julie from Cheeky Chompers, the bib come teether product which appeared on Dragons Den and took the world by storm! We are massive fans, and were lucky enough to chat to Amy and Julie about their thoughts on setting up a business and where to start. The questions were suggested by our network on Facebook and we hope you find them helpful! xxx

*Please note – these responses are not verbatim and therefore should not be taken as direct quotes* 

At what point do you think your idea can be considered a business and not just a hobby?

From day one we knew we wanted to create a business, not just a hobby. We saw a gap in the market for a teether to a dribble bib, and knew instantly that it would make mums lives so much easier. The reality came when we first showcased at the Baby Show and got brilliant feedback by everyone who saw us. It was then when we realised that we had something worth pursuing!

How do you deal with competition or copy cats trying to do the same thing as you?

As our products are unique and the first of their kind, any replicas are noticeable. We patented our idea from day one and make sure all our products are trademarked to deter any imitations.

We’re conscious, however, of spending our lives chasing down copycats. We want to make sure we are focused on building a brilliant product that is high quality and that actually works, so that parents trust us and keep coming back, rather than choosing copy-cats.

As a mum, much of my business is run during my daughter’s naps – do you have any tips to help achieve that work life balance?

Balancing work with motherhood is definitely a struggle when running your own business. We still conduct a lot of business after the kids go to bed!

The most important thing is not to feel guilty when taking time away from the kids to work. Getting our own office space also helped us to balancing work and life because it enabled us to devote all our time to the business while in the office. We both manage to spend three days a week in the office which allows us to get things done faster and more efficiently than we do when we work at home while parenting at the same time.

Having family members and friends around who don’t mind babysitting, is key, so that you can focus on your work for a couple of hours.

The word momtrepreneur is bounded around a bit and I think many people don’t take it seriously – how did you gain respect as a new business in the parenting sector?

The best way to gain respect as a new business is to take yourself seriously. If we had undermined our abilities to execute our idea it is likely that we would have been disheartened early on by criticism and given up.

It’s so important to surround yourself with others who have the skills you don’t, but also work with people who respect what you are doing and take you seriously. Some manufacturers we spoke to in the beginning were quite patronising, but when we met our current manufacturers they totally got us and its been a great working relationship ever since.

Do you need a business plan even at an early stage (I’m not sure where to start!!)

Creating a business plan during the early stages of your idea can be difficult because so much can change so quickly. We wrote out our business plan when we went into Dragons Den with sales projections and growth. The Dragons didn’t believe we would meet our targets but we’ve completely surpassed our initial business plan, and its been re-written several times since.

It is important to set goals and targets that are suitable for you and your business for the next 3, 6 and 12 months and to keep reviewing these goals as things change. If you are unsure of these targets it might be useful to consult a business advisor. This will help give you some direction and an idea about what to expect in the future for your business.

How did you know your idea was a good one? I want to get feedback on my ideas but worried about sharing it too soon!

Putting our product to the test was key to knowing if we were on to something. Our first experiment was sending Neckerchews to 20 families for feedback. Of these families, 19 responded with positive feedback. This gave us the confidence to keep going.

If you are confident in your idea, it is important not to be shy and put it out there. This can often be the most difficult hurdle, but once you have some feedback you will be able to deliberate your next step.

Are you aware of any opportunities for new mums in business to get any mentoring or support?

It is definitely worth applying for grants and sponsorships. We were awarded with a Scottish EDGE award (Encouraging Dynamic Growth Entrepreneurs). The grant enabled us to extend our product range, add new designs of the Neckerchew, and investigate further expansion into international markets.

Opportunities like these depend on the type of business you are pursuing, which is why it is important to do your own research as to who may be able to help you and which grants you are eligible for.

I have an idea I want to pursue but limited design skills (apart from sketches!) – I feel like I am stuck at a point where I can’t move forward – where do I go from here?!

On areas we were unsure of, we sought professional help. We hired a student from university to do the branding for Cheeky Chompers, who we still work with now. He totally understood the brand and has developed the brands visual identity.

You can see Amy & Julie on Dragons Den here – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mWhHAZ-tqGs