Baby London Business Files - Summer 2014

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Suspect no.2

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London Special

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SC Portrait photography

The Tiny Tiddlers

Goo Goo Gourmet

Steve Clarke www.scportraitphotography.co.uk

Tammy Johnston www.thetinytiddlers.com

Reena Patel www.googoogourmet.co.uk

After spending many years specialising in wedding photography, Steve Clarke felt the need to do something with a little more freedom. Steve has always enjoyed spending time with children and is constantly surrounded by little ones, building a great rapport with them. He started photographing children professionally three years ago and hasn’t looked back since. He loves that children are so natural and fun to photograph in return making the best shots, as well as the biggest laughter.

Tammy spent much of her childhood on a farm. With an early fascination with mice, she would spend days trying to catch them, and loved writing stories and sketching them. Her infatuation was reinvigorated when she had her first child Oscar, as she began to explore the world of imagination again. Seeing her illustrations, friends started to commission Tammy to draw pictures for their children. This then led to decorating children’s furniture and so forth. Tammy saw there was a gap in the market for chic yet harmonised children’s interiors and this is what she set out to achieve.

What makes SC Portrait photography unique?

My clients are what make SC portrait photography unique. My work is much like documentary photography so each and every photograph I take is in some way individual and unique to the subject. That’s the beauty of documentary photography; it’s about capturing moments that can’t be relived, the moments that come to pass in a heartbeat never to be seen again.

How does running a business fit around a busy home life?

I love the fact that I can work pretty much any time and day of the week.

This gives me tremendous freedom to see clients whenever I need to and also allows me to free up time for the family when required.

What plans have you got for the future?

My biggest plan for the future is to start a family of my own. I currently have nine nephews and nieces who I absolutely adore but I am looking forward to having some children of my own. I think becoming a dad will be my biggest challenge yet!

What makes The Tiny Tiddlers unique?

My aim was to give a child a charming gift with longevity. My designs are not as loud and gregarious as most children’s paraphernalia. I spend a lot of time giving illustrations a faded vintage effect so that they don’t take over a room, they fit in whilst still having charm.

How does running a business fit around a busy family life?

Running a business at home and being a full time mum means your hours are far more flexible but restricted. It is about increasing efficiency hence moving onto self assemble furniture. A lot of the time I draw my illustrations around the children, and they’ve even contributed to some of them.

What plans have you got for the future?

I am just about to publish my first collection of children’s books, Duck, Mouse and Me. It’s a sequel involving a mouse travelling south west to Land’s End meeting all sorts of strange and wonderful characters along the way.

Reena Patel’s eldest son was the inspiration behind Goo Goo Gourmet.

After having a child she became very aware of the food we eat and the impact this has on the health of our children. Reena began reading every book, article and publication available on child nutrition and then started experimenting on her own child and offering the things that worked to friend’s children, before long Goo Goo Gourmet was a success.

What makes Goo Goo Gourmet unique?

All of our meals are made using organic ingredients and freshly made to order in our own home kitchen by a fellow mum. The meals are made on the day they are delivered; anything that is not eaten on that day can be frozen.

This means that all of our food is made without vitamin-reducing heat treatments and preservatives. All of our packaging is also reusable and recyclable as well as being BPA free.

How does running a business fit around a busy family life?

Life has been pretty busy since the birth of my second son in 2012. Working from home allows me a greater deal of flexibility but it does mean I have to be strict with working hours. As our meals are made on the day I’m generally up and in the kitchen by 4am, but it means I have the rest of the day with my family.

What plans have you got for the future?

My youngest son is dairy intolerant which has opened up a whole new world for me. I am now working on introducing meals and snacks for children with intolerances and allergies.

Lollipop Lane

Elle Fallon Photography

Melanie Cook www.tinydiscoverers.co.uk

Falu Shah www.lollipoplane.co.uk

Elle Fallon www.baby-photography-london.co.uk

Before having children, Melanie Cook was a successful scientist. Passionate about the importance of children learning through play, Melanie is a great believer in exploring the outdoors, whatever the weather. As well as providing exercise, it builds up the immune system, stimulates the imagination, promotes problemsolving skills and allows children to learn effectively about the world around them. Melanie designed Woodland Adventure Packs to promote all these skills whilst encouraging children to have fun outside.

Since 1968, Falu’s family business has always been involved in the textile industry, and Lollipop Lane naturally grew out of this experience, establishing itself in 2004. The company launched out of Falu’s frustration with the lack of options for nursery bedding. Lollipop Lane has always had an amazing design team behind the brand, giving parents a truly great product that’s design led and of the highest quality.

Elle Fallon has always been passionate about black and white portrait photography. There is an elegance and nostalgia to classic black and white portraits which stand the test of time.

With this in mind, Elle wanted to create a luxury and enjoyable private portrait experience for families in their own home with beautiful fine art portraits to treasure for a lifetime.

What makes Tiny Discoverers unique?

We’re proud to say that we only design and retail gender neutral products. We don’t have girls’ or boys’ sections on our website as we fundamentally believe that all children love to explore and discover through play.

How does running a business fit around family life?

With two sons under the age of three, family life is pretty hectic. They attend preschool three mornings a week which gives time to concentrate on things I can’t do when they’re around; meetings, phone calls, updating the website, etc.

I’m also fortunate that they both still nap, allowing me to catch up. The rest of the day is sacred family time and I love that we can disappear for the day to the woods, the farm or the local air museum. Life is hectic, but never dull!

What plans have you got for the future?

I’d like to extend the range of science experiments we currently offer and have grand plans for a web forum sharing messy play, craft and science ideas.

What makes Lollipop Lane unique?

It has to be our designs; over the years we have developed a reputation for the design of our bedding collection, which have a definite Lollipop Lane handprint alongside a single aim of creating a dream nursery for everyone. Our in-house team lovingly and uniquely create each and every product. We also maintain a close and wonderful relationship with our customers.

How does running a business fit around a busy family life?

I’ve been very fortunate to have strong support from my family, and they’ve always encouraged me to follow my dreams. This has allowed me to focus on the needs of the business, but has also meant that I have always managed to balance this with the needs of my family, and be there for my children.

What plans have you got for the future?

We’re at such an exciting time as we’re continuing to innovate, which has predominantly been led by our customers and their needs. We love working with our UK mums and as our international opportunities grow, we can’t wait to get to know mums from other cultures and develop our ranges further.

What makes Elle Fallon Photography unique?

I think it is a combination of things. I offer a bespoke and personal service for my clients where I bring a complete studio into my clients’ home creating a relaxed and informal atmosphere for their portrait session. As a mother I can relate to those first early days and I want to ensure my client’s portrait experience is effortless. A newborn session can last a few hours and I’m always happy to know that once we have captured those first moments I can leave the family to relax.

How does running a business fit around a busy family life?

My husband and I are both professional photographers and over the years we’ve built up a fantastic and loyal team to help run our businesses efficiently. Spending time with our daughter Bessie and being together as a family is, of course, our priority and we run our businesses around this to maintain a healthy balance.

What plans have you got for the future?

I’m an enthusiastic supporter of Great Ormond Street Children’s Hospital and each year I always try to raise the bar of our fundraising efforts.

London Special

Tiny Discoverers

Maria Myers | Chic Shack Helen Holmes talks to Maria Myers, founder of London-based Children’s furniture store Chic Shack, and mother to four lively boys.

Between furnishing the homes of the stars and jetting off around the world, notebook in hand, in search of inspiration, it’s amazing that Maria Myers manages to spend any time at all with her four sons. We chat to Maria about the joys and challenges of combining a thriving business with being a mother to four.

Maria is a woman who knows where her priorities lie. “My motto is ‘she who loves, wins’, and another golden rule is ‘the more you give, the more you receive’.” Putney couple, Maria and her husband Gary, who run Chic Shack together, ensure that they play a big part in the lives of their children. “We do most of the school runs and clubs ourselves. We no longer have full-time childcare, but our older boys help out, picking up younger brothers and doing their bit around the house. Our house, shop and offices are all within a ten minute walk of each other – we’ve deliberately built our lives in close proximity, so that we can aim for a good work/life balance.”

Even when Maria is travelling, she ensures that she is back for all the important events. “I’m there for the boys’ special occasions – their assemblies, their first cricket matches, the teddy bears’ picnics – I wouldn’t miss them for the world.”

When she was pregnant with her

oldest son she worked in fashion and had studied interior and furniture design, and was disappointed by the ranges of nursery furniture on offer – so she decided to do something about it. She designed her own collection of furniture and, together with Gary, who handles the business side, opened her

“I like homes to feel homely – which is all about comfort. I also think that white interiors are peaceful and calming. We like to ensure that pieces remain useful, even after children have grown up.

A chest of drawers or an armchair in the nursery could later be in a sitting room or bedroom. Classic style never dates.”

fingers can be wiped off! All our painted furniture has a protective varnish, and so do our walls. Our sofas have washable slipcovers, and our seats are covered in a wipeable white faux leather fabric.”

Maria is keen on practicality, as well as style in her designs. “I like homes to feel homely – which is all about comfort. I also think that white interiors are peaceful and calming. We like to ensure that pieces remain useful, even after children have grown up. A chest of drawers or an armchair in the nursery could later be in a sitting room or bedroom. Classic style never dates.”

Maria’s passion for design and her enthusiasm for family life can really be combined to maximum fun effect when it’s time for the children’s parties. “We just love birthday parties! We blow up balloons, decorate fairy cakes and put out fabulous bunting in the back garden.

We take our themes very seriously!”

Ultimately, it’s Maria’s experiences as a parent which inspire her work.

“Parenthood has taught us about unconditional love, and all the joy and laughter that children bring us through the simplest things. I believe that a child’s space is a very important element of their growth. It makes me feel good to know that I help to create their special places, and that hopefully they will be happy ones.”

first shop in 1997. 16 years on, business is thriving. “We’ve been a recognised brand over a decade and we have clients all over the globe – including royalty, rock stars, footballers and supermodels!”

Maria’s ability to multitask extends to her furniture. The Chic Shack style is predominantly white, and while busy parents might be forgiven for wondering whether such a colour scheme, is, well, sensible, with young children around, Maria doesn’t see it as a problem.

“People often ask us how we keep our www.chicshack.net own home so clean. It’s simple – sticky

NLM Photography

Shnuggle

Betty Ioannides www.nappycakesbybetty.com

Natalie Martinez www.nataliemartinezphotography.com

Sinead Murphy www.shnuggle.com

When Betty’s sister fell pregnant she wanted to buy her an amazing present in celebration of the precious news. As any doting aunty-to-be, she wanted the gift to show how thrilled she was about this exciting time. Betty soon found herself researching nappy cakes online but felt they were impersonal and that the gift wouldn’t be unique.

From this, she decided to make her own and instantly fell in love with the whole process. Betty enjoyed making the nappy cake but also appreciated presenting her gift and seeing her sister’s expression. From that moment she knew she had found her perfect job; and one that incorporated her creativity with her love for babies.

Having completed an internship in the Art department at Vogue, Natalie Martinez was inspired by the work of great fashion photographers in the industry and soon realised what a great creative outlet photography can be. Natalie had always enjoyed taking pictures of babies and children; exploring their sense of presence and personality. Pining for a creative career, Natalie made her photography business a reality,

What makes Nappy Cakes By Betty unique?

My nappy cakes are built to look like two tier edible cakes so they also make amazing centrepieces at baby events. To maintain the clean, elegant look of each design, most items are hidden inside the cake; so an ‘ingredients’ list is provided.

Every cake is customisable and special gift items can be added to make each one truly unique and personal.

How does running a business fit around a busy home life?

A work-life balance is so important and getting it right means a lot to me; I’m working hard now so that I am ready to juggle work and babies one day.

What plans have you got for the future?

There are a few ideas in the pipeline but for now I’ll continue to advertise as much as possible and attend shows - I’m excited about exhibiting at The Baby Show ExCeL, February 2014.

What makes NLM Photography unique?

I like to think my desire and enthusiasm to get the best results from my work is what makes me unique. I truly enjoy what I do and I see each little person as a brand new challenge. It doesn’t always come easy for little ones to have their photo taken, I always take time to put them at ease, which always gets the very best results. I am very proud of my work and my business, and this will always show in my photography.

How does running a business fit around family life?

Photography work is very flexible, there are no set working days, so I can often fit my bookings around my availability which is a big plus.

What plans have you got for the future?

I have just started to branch out into the wonderful world of wedding photography. It has proved to be incredibly challenging but I love the results and the beautiful images that can be captured. I would love to continue with my baby and child photography alongside, photography is a very fulfilling career!

Sinead and husband Adam hadn’t intended on launching their own company, but when they began using the traditional Moses basket with their first baby they knew there was an opportunity to improve the product. With Adam’s background in product design it was easy to create a Moses basket that incorporates the traditional aspects but with modern improvements. Sinead and Adam created one product and their idea was so well received, they decided to develop a range of products.

What makes Shnuggle unique?

Our Shnuggle Basket is the first nonwicker or non-maize Moses basket that’s hypoallergenic and easy to clean.

It’s also 10% longer than traditional baskets, so you get longer use. We’ve designed a clever locking mechanism that ensures the hood stays up. The basket doesn’t creak and rustle because of the man-made material that we have used. We call it the silent Moses basket!

How does running a business fit around family life?

We’ve found that running our own business gives us the flexibility that we didn’t previously have. If we have to go to a doctor’s appointment or to see a nativity play, we can schedule the working day around these things. We work hard, but because we love what we do and genuinely believe in our product, we really enjoy it.

What plans have you got for the future?

We intend to grow our business to release more innovative baby products that help make life easier for modern parents.

London Special

Nappy Cakes By Betty

noynoy

The Prenatal Classroom

Oui Maman

Dominnique Karetsos www.noynoy.co.uk

Anastasia Alcock www.theprenatalclassroom.com

Estelle Le Guillou www.ouimaman.co.uk

When Dominnique began to prepare and style her little girl’s nursery she wanted pieces that reflected her own personal style that were full of imagination, colour and fun. She wanted products that were non gender specific in colour palette and print, yet functional and excellent quality… out of this desire noynoy was born.

When Anastasia had her first baby she realised how lucky she was knowing and understanding the process from a medical viewpoint. She knew what to expect so was able to remain calm and concentrate on delivering a healthy baby. From this, Anastasia decided to set up classes with a team of specialists who could provide expert and honest advice, preparation and training.

French-born Estelle Le Guillou has been working and living in London for over 10 years. As part of a FrancoBritish couple, Estelle and her partner had always wanted their children to be looked after by a francophone nanny.

Estelle had her first daughter while working as a solicitor for a city law firm. When returning to work they found it very difficult to find a reliable French-speaking nanny. Based on her experience Estelle decided to start her own business establishing Oui Maman as the specialist French-speaking nanny agency.

What makes noynoy unique?

We have thoughtfully developed each product, designed each fabric print and sourced only the highest quality of materials from around the globe. Best of all we are not afraid to use vibrant colours that spark imagination and allow parents to be creative and style their nursery. Each range includes everything you need for baby bedding and sleep accessories for years 0-2.

How does running a business fit around family life?

I would be lying if I didn’t say trying to create a family/work balance is often a challenge. When I do get it right I owe it to the noynoy team, and my business partner, Hande Sadic - all who are very dedicated and passionate. We do everything ourselves and always put in 100%. It also helps to have a very supportive other half who cooks!

What plans have you got for the future?

Since we’re a start-up brand, we have to get our launch right. Knowing our customers’ needs and listening to their feedback is paramount. However, having such a great team of creatives means we’re constantly in product development meetings and planning for innovative designs. We like to keep the noynoy buzz alive, always.

What makes The Prenatal Classroom unique?

We are totally inclusive; covering every type of labour and delivery. We have a wonderful team of experts - GP, midwife, nutritionist, paediatrician, anaesthetist, lactation consultant, women and child’s health physiotherapist and integrated acupuncturist, who all have a wealth of knowledge both as specialists and parents.

How does running a business fit around family life?

Only just... I am extremely busy but the most important time for me is with my family. When the children are back from school they get my undivided attention, when they are in bed I am often found to be on the computer!

What plans have you got for the future?

I want to continue to provide prenatal classes that are helpful and inspiring for couples. Our postnatal care package is growing too, now offering support from our feeding specialist, our physiotherapist - a baby and mum MOT at 6 weeks, and advice from our GP and nutritionist. I am also writing the third book in the series with One Born Every Minute about the first year with a new baby, which I’m loving being a part of.

What makes Oui Maman unique?

I know how difficult it is to balance a job with childcare. And this is the idea behind Oui Maman; an agency run by parents for parents. It provides bespoke, discreet and reliable services and is dedicated to taking the stress out of childcare. We offer a wide range of options (permanent, temporary, full-time, part-time, live-in, live-out or babysitting) and work hard to ensure families and their nannies are happy together.

How does running a business fit around your family life?

There are ups and downs. I recently had my second child, and have not managed to take as much time off as I had for my first because I run my own business.

However, I still manage to attend 1-2 activities a week with my baby and take my elder to school. Overall, my family life is much better than before.

What plans have you got for the future?

Expansion! We are now three in the office and I have a lot of ideas and projects for the business… so watch this space.

Nikki Khan Classes

burp! boutique

Nikki Khan www.nikkikhan.co.uk

Kate Hayden-Ellis www.burpboutique.com

The story of Treasure Chairs came to life when Kirsten was looking for a special first birthday present for her daughter, Fleur. Kirsten always wanted it to be memorable and unique; she had the idea to give her a personalised chair, so went in search for one. Alas, Kirsten admits she didn’t get very far so asked a local upholster to make one according to her specifications; little did she know that this chair ended up being a first of many more!

Nikki wanted a more personal approach to midwifery care; specifically stressing the importance of Early Pregnancy Classes in the first trimester when many mums feel most vulnerable. Having been a midwife for 25 years, and worked in both the NHS, private sector and overseas, Nikki has a broad knowledge of maternity care.

Offering small tailor-made classes enables her to share this knowledge and empower couples for the journey ahead.

After the birth of Kate and James Hayden-Ellis’ daughter Evie in 2010, they were aghast at what was available on the high street for baby girls and boys finding a market saturated with shades of pink and blue. The couple, both with design backgrounds, knew that they could collate a great collection for children that promoted new designers and artists whilst also helping to neutralise gender stereotypes.

What makes your classes unique?

I am the only practising midwife and lawyer in the UK. I qualified as a clinical negligence lawyer in 2008 whilst still practising as a midwife. Unique but a challenge to say the least! I’m also co-author of DK’s ‘My Pregnancy’ Book and the Expert Midwife for Infacol and Sudocrem. These joint careers have increased my awareness of maternity care. The classes enable me to offer reassurance and make couples aware of when to seek medical help to ensure all goes to plan. At the antenatal classes there is an Obstetric Physiotherapist available to offer advice and a great goodie bag from top brands for new mums.

What makes burp! boutique unique?

We celebrate individualism by supporting British Made, up-andcoming designers and artists, and don’t promote gender stereotyping. We believe children should have a wide choice rather than being pigeonholed at birth. Along with the unique and wellmade clothes, we choose amazingly illustrated books, funky posters and soft toys. Our mission is to bring you lots of wonderful alternatives.

What makes Treasure Chairs unique?

They are custom made. You can choose the colours of the legs to match your fabric, design your own seating arrangements - consisting of a chair and a sofa, for example. The options are endless. We receive colour swatches of curtains, for example, so we can make sure that the chairs are a perfect fit!

They are the perfect gifts for special occasions such as baby showers, christenings and birthdays.

How does running a business fit around a busy home life?

It is challenging at times when everything happens at once! We want to make sure that we provide the best for our customers and at times that means we have to work long hours, but we do anything to get the best results!

What plans have you got for the future?

Now that the main products are launched, Caroline was brought in to take over the management and to take it to the next level of establishing Treasure Chairs into the world of children’s furniture! It is still a small start-up business so it is important that we market ourselves to get known.

How does running a business fit around family life?

It currently works well as Evie is now at pre school three days a week so I get full days of work time, but we have another How does running a business fit around baby on the way so things could get a family life? little interesting... we’re excited to see Hectic, but I have a very supportive how it pans out. husband and daughter who motivate me to keep me focussed on what I love... What plans have you got for the future? being a midwife and a mum!

We want to spread the word of burp! even more and get to a point where we What plans have you got for the future? can give a percentage of our sales to Having previously run antenatal weekends children’s charities. Developing an art/ in the Isle of Wight, I am now in the café/shop at some point would also process of launching Antenatal and be amazing. We’ll continue to push Postnatal courses both at the Notting Hill the boundaries and always try to bring Harbour Club and at BMI Syon Clinic. something different and fun.

London Special

Treasure Chairs Caroline O’Neill & Kirsten Robinson www.treasurechairs.co.uk