What inspired you to set up Spongy Feet?

I needed a creative outlet and an identity separate from being a mother. I had no idea what I wanted to do at first - my husband helped me figure it out. When Sophie was about 4 months old, I took the simple idea of a baby blanket, paired it with unique and hard to find prints and took off running. I wanted to create a high-end product that would appeal to boutiques which meant I had to have a different spin on a familiar product.

What is your background (previous career area?)

Custom furniture design and marketing - absolutely no background in anything I currently do!

Did you have specialist training in sewing/designing? - if so what/where was your training?

I got my BS at Brigham Young Univeristy in International Relations and Japanese - certainly a far cry from what I do today. No background in sewing - just great teachers in my mom, my friend Carrie and my psuedo grandmother, Maria.

How did you go about setting your business up? (from a business perspective - initial funding etc) Did you have any professional help?

I took it VERY slow, didn't really set anything up formally until it was clear that this was a money making machine. I only spent what I made, took out no loans and used only a little personal family money. I didn't want to go to the trouble of setting a whole company up until I KNEW it was going to work. I'm not advocating doing that necessarily, but it worked for my business model.

I was contracted by the Nickeloedeon Kids Choice Awards to be a part of their celebrity gift baskets for the award show when the company was 2 months old. I had to make 45 blankets and had about $100 - I panicked. This was not a paid contract - retailers always try to get into celebrity gift baskets and award shows, so to be asked is "payment enough". I called my parents in a panic and they sent me a check for $700. That was enough to do the project properly and start to set things up for my fledgling company. I couldn't have done it without their help. After that, I took no additional money out, no loans - I only used what I made on orders and funneled it back into Spongy Feet.

Did you carry out any research you carried out to know your business would work?

I visited A LOT of high end children's boutiques and got to know my competitors products. When people are spending substantial money for your product, it had better be good. I watched who was buying in these stores, how they dressed, how quickly they made decisions about what they were going to buy. And I KNEW from watching them that I had a great shot with my product. Everyone thinks their baby is special...so they want something equally special and unique for this amazing little person. Spongy Feet is an ideal fit for those who want the best quality AND something unique.

Where do you carry out your work now?

We have converted half of our garage - that is the cutting/manufacturing space. I also store all of myfabric out there in lots of bins and shelving. I have also converted a portion of a walk in closet for the sewing machines. I'm looking forward to when we move and having a bit more space to spread out!.

Do you need lots of specialist equipment?

No.

Do you still make the blankets yourself?

Mostly although I also have a seamstress that I use occassionally.

What inspires your designs?

Fabric. If I have an immediate reaction to a print, I usually buy it. I try to buy what I know will SELL, because this is a business, after all. But I also only buy what I personally love. I need to stand behind every print that I carry - if I don't love it, I don't sell it.

How many hours do you work a week?

Between 20-30, usually.

How does the job fit round your family life?

Usually it fits just fine - I work during school hours, kids naps, evenings. But when I'm filling multiple store orders at once, plus retail orders from my own site things get really hairy. I'll sometimes call in a babysitter for a few hours in the afternoon so that my kids are having fun and I can get some work done. We have good weeks and not so good weeks. My kids have grown up knowing that mom works and understand not to touch the fabrics or that when we go in to visit one of my stores, they need to be patient. But the beauty of owning my own business is I can decide that today, I'm not going to work - I'm going to take the kids to the museum instead. I try to keep a balance.

How do you find customers - do you advertise?

I am proud to say I have never advertised. Occasionally I will contact a store that I think would be a good fit with my line but most of my stores have found me.

What is the earning potential?

The sky is the limit - If I were to REALLY dedicate myself to my business (which I'm not prepared to do because my family comes first) I have no doubt it would explode. Instead, I'm happy being carried by 35+ stores around the world and being paid well for it.

Is the job/running the business rewarding?

Absolutely.

Do you think it is a job that fits in well with being a Mum?

Yes. I think that it's good for kids to see mom working a little, especially for girls. I've always made a point to tell my kids, even though they are small, that they can do anything they want. Their opportunities and capabilities are limitless. I like that they see both mom and dad working AND see us as their parents too.

Any advice for a Mum or Dad wanting to start training or running their own business?

Find out what you LOVE. You have to love it because there will be days that are very hard and if you don't have a passion for what you're doing it will be easy to give up. Find out if there is a way to make money doing what you love. If there is, start very small, test the waters. There is no need to open a bank account or file papers when you're just starting out - test the waters. See if this is a viable opportunity...and then go for it!

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