When A ‘Big Idea’ Goes Global Bambino Mio are the most widely used reusable cloth nappy brand in the UK with an award-winning range of products that are loved by parents all over the world. Paul Andrews spoke to Founder, Guy Schanschieff MBE to find out more. Bambino Mio is founded on the principles of quality, convenience, style, comfort and value for money. As a business they are committed to developing products that are better for babies and the environment. Their aim is to deliver a superior customer service and product experience enabling parents to focus on the joys of parenthood with the intention of making reusable nappies commercially acceptable worldwide. Run by husband and wife Guy and Jo Schanschieff, Bambino Mio is based in the heart of the English countryside in Northamptonshire. As Guy explains, “I knew from a young age that I really wanted to run my own business and Jo
had been working as a management trainee at Marks & Spencer when she was made redundant so we decided to take some time out to look for our ‘big idea.’” It all began in 1991. Guy and Jo were travelling through India where they met an American at the Taj Mahal. Over dinner they got talking about a reusable nappy laundry service offered in New York. That was it, the seed of an idea was sown. Later on during their travels the concept was brought up in conversation in Sydney and so on returning to the UK, Guy and Jo set up a reusable nappy laundry service from their home in Northampton, and although the laundry service showed slow growth, Guy and Jo were convinced reusable nappies were the way forward. As Guy continues, “It became apparent that reusable nappies were increasing in popularity, but the demand of a laundry service was limited as parents soon realised how easy they were to wash and how much money could be saved by doing so. We understood at this stage that the business was never going to be scalable but had built up a loyal customer base and learnt a lot along the way.”
ISSUE 5 FEATURE 33
