Suzanne Browne, Handy Baby Shares Her Story

The business started 6 weeks after her first baby was born. Her background was IT but the baby changed her direction and focus! Her daughter Laura had colic and she came across a baby bottle online and she bought a couple from the US.

She had no plan - just to get her baby better and have breakfast by mid afternoon! Herself and her sister approached the manufacturers in the US and had to present a business plan to them (changing the number of their house from 34 Glendine Drive to Unit 34!!). She strongly praised the support they received from City and County Enterprise Boards - they have worked with two of them and now with Enterprise Ireland. They started with a home video of her daughter using the bottle and sent it out to journalists - within a day they got a call from TV3. With no product stock they launched. They could get stock delivered within a week and so they quoted a 2 week delivery time. And it worked! They now distribute over 100 baby products in Ireland and they have now launched their own brand - designed by Mums for Mums. They exhibit a European trade show with 13,000 trade visitors and they are the only Irish reps. They are starting to be successful - but it is really hard work. She has a second child and gave one piece of advice for a startup - never mind the business plan, get your childcare sorted. They have started to achieve some work life balance and with some exceptions she does not work at the weekends. Pride Pioneering (they have 9 pieces of IP registered in EU and USA) Practical - a new idea has to work WOW factor She finished with - It takes the same amount of energy to bounce a ball low as high - so you may as well bounce your balls high. www.handybaby.com Photo: L-R Susanne Browne and her sister Martina Delaney with the Denis Collerane, Dublin City Enterprise Award 2006

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