Name:? Clare Collins
Age: 34
Children: Fred, two and Esme, nine months.
Business: Coochi Ltd
How did the idea for your business come about?
My friend Annie and I were talking about how to make bathing our slippery new babies a bit easier and Annie’s mum had mentioned a “bathing apron” – a towelling apron. It sounded like a great idea and we took the concept, modernised it and made one for ourselves. When all our friends wanted to know where to get one, we decided we would go into business together and Coochi and the Coocoose bathing apron were born! We have now sold thousands all over the world.
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How did you fund it?
With my own savings and from selling shares.
How do you manage your business with childcare commitments and running a home?
With difficulty…and with help! I find the key is I have to turn the computer off and concentrate on the children when they are here. If I try and do both (children in front of Cbeebies while I answer a few important emails) I feel guilty. So I try to only work when they are at nursery, or when they are asleep or at weekends when my husband can take them out. They go to nursery two days per week. I have to have a cleaner, too and a Blackberry so I can check my emails at the park!
What is the best thing that has happened to you as an entrepreneur so far?
Doing our first ever Baby Show at Earls Court in October 2006. We did it all ourselves with the help of friends and it was such hard work but the response we had from the public was so exciting. It was then that we knew we had done the right thing. I was also really excited to get the Coocoose into the Grobag catalogue, Bump to 3.
And the worst?
Two things: The first was that we have had competitors launch similar products and copy many of the things we have done. It was heartbreaking at first but now we realise that all good ideas will run this risk and there is room in the market for others. We feel ours is the best (of course!) and we have legal protection of our design so no one can copy it exactly. Also, we ran out of stock! We had a really busy couple of months and our manufacturers let us down and we ran out – it was a nightmare and is something we will make sure doesn’t happen again!
What would you do differently if you could turn the clock back?
We have made lots of mistakes – mainly to do with trusting our manufacturers in Turkey too much. But we have learnt so much from our mistakes that I am not sure I would change them…
Any tips for mums who are considering setting up a business?
It can be stressful and a bit like having another baby! You need to make sure you switch off, but I would say be brave and take the plunge. The highs are so worth it but your friends and family need to be behind you 100%.