For the latest in our series of editorials focusing on Irish Women in Business, we’re talking to Christine Carolan, the founder and designer of Happynest which provides a unique range of premium quality reversible nursery products and babywear.
Here Christine, in her own words, tells us about how her children inspired the idea behind her business and what she has planned for the future…
I have always been creative and had designed costumes for events and plays in the past as a hobby. Having worked in the corporate world for 15 years, my time was taken up working very hard and travelling so I didn’t have the time to spend on my hobby. I was made redundant in 2012 and once I got over the initial shock, I decided to reinvent myself and do something I was really passionate about. I have always said I would love to be self-employed. I was clearing out all of my children’s old clothes and bedding. I had some beautiful items that I would rather gift to friends but they were all pink. I contacted a friend of mine who was pregnant and asked if she knew what she was having but she didn’t know and I thought to myself, isn’t it a shame there aren’t products out there that you could gift to people ahead of the birth of the child but colour specific? Based on that initial thought, I designed bedding and accessories that are reversible from pink to blue. My products are not only beautifully designed, they are also very safe. I launched the business with three products to start off with but have a catalogue of designs coming down the line.
My aim was to offer a range of affordable clothing for babies that were unique to the market. I had a large range of designs and realised I had to focus and maybe launch two or three designs first and see how the reaction would be. I never thought that they would take off the way they have. However I have always believed in my product. As a mum I knew what I had struggled with when bringing up my two girls, Eve (6) & Sophie (4). When I brought Eve home from hospital, I will always remember how anxious I was having this new little person to be responsible for. I had her in a snowsuit as it was January and I was worried as she looked so tiny and swamped in the suit. I couldn’t relax until I got her home and that’s where the Cosynest idea came from. My catalogue of designs are based on real experiences.
Once the seed of my business idea was planted, I discussed it with my husband and he backed me 100%. Then I contacted the Fingal Enterprise Board, now known as the LEO (Local Enterprise Board), and the support was fantastic. They informed me of a course they were starting on the following Monday called Start Your Own Business which I signed up for immediately. That was the best decision I made as I learned so much from the 12-week course. We covered financial planning, PR, marketing and much more. I still revert back to my notes two years later!
It took a long time to find a manufacturer who could make our products to the specific design that I wanted. A lot of the factories struggled with the reversible concept. I also had high standards for my designs and wanted to ensure the best fabrics were used and all passed the testing to ensure I could enter retail also. Once I had the prototypes, I met with some buyers and the feedback was very positive. Once my products went into production, I needed to start the PR strategy and spread awareness. I started to engage with the public and introduce the brand and the concept behind it. We also launched the website.
A normal working day doesn’t really exist but I’m not complaining! I wake most mornings at 5.30am and try to get a bit of work done. I leave the house at 6.20am to go to the gym when I can. I am home from the gym at 7.40am in time for the school run. I prefer early morning sessions as it’s when I am most alert and I get to think about my day while exercising. Once the girls are at school, I normally have meetings scheduled. My daughters are both attending school in September, Sophie in Junior Infants and Eve in first class, so I will have a bit more time to work on the business. Once the girls are settled after school, I can attend to some emails. I love the flexibility of working around my role as a mum and also being allowed to purse my passion which is business. I will often work when the girls go to bed but when it’s something you enjoy, you don’t mind that. In the early days of starting the business, I brought my daughter to one of my business meetings which wasn’t ideal but thankfully the company I was dealing with understood.
I love managing the business and promoting the brand but I also really enjoy meeting mums and talking to them about their children and experiences as new parents. I am a people person so I enjoy the interaction. It’s also important for me to do this in order to learn from them and create new designs. Parents are my sounding board as every new design I have is drawn from conversations I have had with mums and dads.
I have had a lot of great moments since I started this journey in 2012. However one that really sticks out for me is the realisation that I was really up and running. I had applied for a Priming Business Expansion Grant with LEO (Local Enterprise Office). I had previously received support in the early days and had qualified for a feasibility study which I was delighted with. Having launched the business in March this year, we have been trading for a few months. I applied for the Priming Business Expansion Grant and was delighted to be awarded funding. This validation made me feel that all the hard work had paid off, that I was now recognised as a business.
Although we are relatively new to the market, we are already about to stock in two boutiques in Scotland and I am in conversations with retailers in Ireland also. I have a catalogue of designs coming down the road and the feeling on the market is one of excitement. I am a people person and love getting out there and talking to my customers. I have had amazing feedback from women in business who have offered me advice and support. One in particular is Alison Canavan who runs many ventures. She is a mum herself so understands the pressures of juggling family life and running a business. I intend to keep networking and meeting new people. I will also, in my role as owner and designer of the Happynest brand, be looking to the LEO (Local Enterprise Office) for more learning and development. I realise that social media is a huge tool in getting my brand to market so have been actively engaging with Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and Pinterest to name a few. I have been on an amazing journey so far but I feel it’s only the beginning and there’s a lot more to come!
For further details about Happynest, visit the website here. To suggest other great Irish women to feature in this series, please drop us a line to [email protected]
