Digital Twenty Four are committed to empowering small businesses. Part of that commitment will be interviewing local entrepreneurs who inspire us and who are doing some awesome work. Over the coming months our blog will dive deep and go ‘Behind the Business’ to learn the success stories of local Northern Ireland business owners.
Leading the way in the first of our ‘Behind the Business’ series we have one of the most viral products to come out of Northern Ireland. Developed and launched only two years ago by Kerry Nevins to combat severe colic and reflux, the Babocush is an innovative solution that provides babies with the support they need. Kerry has won many Innovation awards for the Babocush in such a short space of time including Women In Business and Aer Lingus.
Why are you in business?
By accident …I created a product – Babocush – in desperation to help my second baby who was suffering horribly with reflux and colic. I wanted to create somewhere for my baby to lie on his belly, comfortably and safely, in the same position offered by my chest / shoulder. Something that didn’t cause him to scream with pain when set down and that simulated the vibration of my voice and the beat of my heart – because it didn’t exist already.
Where do you see your business in the next year? In the next five years? The next ten years?
2018-19 we’ll be in the largest stores worldwide. We spent last year attending global baby fairs and met with the biggest retailers around the globe. Everyone who encounters the Babocush instantly sees the massive benefits it can bring to both parents and to the baby. We have spent the past 2 years building up a phenomenal online customer base and felt it was time to expand.
Within the next 3-5 years the aim is to sell out to a big buyer.
10 years, I’ll be retired and travelling the world in my private jet. “Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss, you’ll land among stars“.
How has technology, such as computers and the internet, impacted on how you conduct business?
To date my business has been e-commerce only so without technology, I’d have had to get the babocush into stores from the beginning which would have massively reduced my ability to really get to grips with the product, customer demand, customer need and get the chance to talk to my customers directly. My profit margin would have been cut too which would have meant slower growth for me. Selling directly to the end user means I keep all the profit (I invest it back into the business). Also, 100% of my marketing has been carried out through social media, allowing me to reach a huge audience which I could have never in a million years equalled the ‘old fashioned’ way. To date our videos have been viewed over 200,000,000 times. Our videos go viral and we run very targeted campaigns too. We have achieved a massive following to date on social media with over 180k followers on our Facebook page and over 32k on our Instagram page. Our social channels are growing massively. We hope by the end of 2018 we will have. combined following of 250k!
Whom do you seek advice from for your business?
Niamh Taylor – Managing Director of Digital Twenty Four , my financial advisor and my web designer, Pale Blue Dot – people who I’ve become very close to through working with them and am honoured to now call my good friends. I trust them 100% and am delighted that they are part of a small but very special team. They keep me sane and help me to see things from another perspective when I’m too wrapped up in the moment.
Does your business have a stated mission statement, the reason that this business exists?
We are a 100% family owned, family run business. We love to support the mothers of the world in the incredibly hard job of raising children, so that they may come out the other end knowing that they did the very best they could do.
Do you do marketing for your business?
Yes, digital marketing via social media, particularly focusing on Facebook ads. Marketing is relatively new to us because with the babocush being so unique, it quickly attracted a lot of attention and went viral on Facebook as soon as we launched, being picked up and shared by hundreds of big names, celebrities and news channels across the globe. The Huffington Post, CNBC, Daily Mail all covered it as well as thousands of Facebook and Instagram viral pages – Unilad / Buzzfeed / 5 minute craft.
Who are your competitors?
We have no competitors really because the babocush is a totally new and innovative product – nothing like it exists which is amazing for us.
A huge thanks to Kerry Nevins – Founder of the Babocush for giving us an insight into her business. You can find out more about the Babocush at www.babocush.com
