In our ‘Inspiring small businesses’ series, we share and celebrate great stories from small business owners who started and run their own business. By bringing you closer to these inspiring businesses we hope that you find motivation, tips, and ideas for building yours. For this weeks interview we spoke to Dr Fern Kelly-Zander, creator and Founder of LOMIE, a baby accessories brand.

LOMIE's products are 100% cotton Muslin Scarf Bibs, with a unique leather Woggle fastening system. The Scarf Bibs are soft on the skin and ultra-absorbent. Perfect for catching excess when breast or bottle feeding, and dribble from teething. During the colder months they also add warmth to your baby’s neck, while keeping them looking cool. The Woggle is removable and adjustable allowing the Scarf Bibs to adapt with your growing baby (2 - 24+ months), whilst also keeping the Scarf Bibs 100% plastic free and 100% biodegradable.

What's the story behind your business?

I am an international award winning scientist, a specialist in textile innovation, and an advocate for natural fibres and sustainable processes and practises. My goal has always been to contribute to change, however small that might be, in the way items are created and used. When coming up with the LOMIE's Scarf Bib and Woggle designs, the production, use, and end of life, were all given considerable thought.

We support the local textile community, with all manufacturing being undertaken within 25 miles of Nottingham. Our scarf bibs are made in central Nottingham and, incredibly, just a 5 minute walk from home! We use fabrics made of 100% natural fibres and minimise waste during production. We remove all non-biodegradable elements from the scarf bib (press studs, velcro), so they remain 100% plastic free and 100% biodegradable. We use reversible colours and prints so the scarf bibs work twice as easily with your child’s wardrobe.

Our scarf bibs are fastened using a removable and reusable woggle - one woggle can be used for all scarf bibs and adapts with your growing child. We repurpose waste from a local luxury leather goods manufacturer in the production of the woggle. Sadly, nothing lasts forever - especially baby stuff! But because 100% natural fibres are used, and plastic is avoided at all costs, when the time does come to part ways, your LOMIE scarves can be returned to the earth (or to LOMIE) guilt free.

What inspired you to start your own business?

For a number of years I'd been working towards launching an athleisure brand made from 100% merino wool. The intention was to assist in changing the way wool was perceived and the way in which items were produced and consumed. However, I never quite got there. The multi-piece collection design and production, in itself, was too complex – particularly because I was trying to bring it all together on top of a demanding full-time role – so it never got past the first prototype. Things really needed to be stripped right back to the essentials to become manageable, and in the end the project got parked.

I then became pregnant, had our son and was enjoying maternity leave introducing the world to him. From around 3 months old he became a real dribble monster and the need for bibs was real. At that point we were using standard bibs, which may have looked ok, but became sodden and cold so quickly we were going through multiple per day - and often leading to the poor boy getting a terrible dribble rash. On talking to other parents, I realised we weren’t the only ones with this issue. A problem existed......

When you have a baby, muslin cloths are an essential item for cleaning up spills due to their highly absorbent and quick drying nature. Given these magical qualities, I wondered why not also make bibs from the same fabric? The idea behind the LOMIE muslin scarf bibs was born. A single product, highly functional, quality-made with sustainability at its core. I completed all design, pattern making and prototyping at home, whilst my son was napping, and then went about finding local producers to assist in bulk production. On returning back to full time work, it appeared that my maternity leave had seen the birth of not only one, but two babies!

What is the most difficult aspect of running your own business?

Time, or well, lack of it. LOMIE, was created as a side-hustle and so my time spent working on it must be very focused in ou- of-work hours, when my son is asleep. I wear many hats and juggle many balls - from product development and supply chain to IP and business management, to PR and social media marketing... The 'To do' list never seems to get shorter but I am able to progress the business slowly and surely. I count myself very lucky to have such an incredibly supportive husband and business partner who is a professional photographer and, currently, the full time caregiver of our son whilst I work full time. He covers all our product photography, has built and maintains our website and also runs our digital marketing campaigns. 

What is the best thing about running your own business?

Absolutely nothing compares to doing something for yourself, something that you love and feel extremely passionate about. No longer is it work. But within the running of LOMIE, for me, the most rewarding part is receiving feedback from customers telling you they love, and are just as passionate about, the product as you are.

How has your business been affected by coronavirus and how have you adapted?

Fortunately, we've not seen a decrease in sales over this period. In fact, we've experienced the opposite, and our sales are growing significantly month on month as our name becomes more well known. However, our local production house for the scarf bibs were required to close with lockdown, due them not being an essential service, and this halted our ability to restock. I was furloughed from my full time position for a period, and so during this time got busy with my own sewing equipment sewing up this additional stock. Following this, I now have a heightened appreciation for the wonderful ladies who make our scarf bibs, and was exceptionally happy, and thankful, when they were able to reopen.  

What advice would you give to someone looking to start their own business?

If you've got an idea that you're passionate about, jump in and give it a go. In the first instance, as we have done, I highly recommend the side-hustle approach. Create a minimal viable product (MVP) as quickly as you can (product or service, digital or physical), at as low a cost as you can (focus on your strength areas so you can do as much of the work as possible) and then seek feedback from your peers and beyond. By doing this you can validate the worth of your idea before too great a financial investment is required. 

To find out more about LOMIE visit their website or follow them on Facebook and Instagram.