Jo Harvey designs organic bamboo wear for little ones.

Jo shares why and how she started her gorgeous range of bamboo clothing at babyjo.com.au

Jo, what was the idea that first got the ball rolling?
When my five-month-old daughter started to experience eczema, I did what any mum would do, and started to look for something that would help. I knew that I would much prefer to look at natural remedies and something that would be kind on her skin at this age, and discovered bamboo fabric. After trialling some bamboo clothing, which is organic and super soft, I found that it made a huge difference and her eczema as well as a heat rash that I had been struggling to control. After researching bamboo fibre in more detail, I fell in love with its qualities and also loved the fact that it is great for sustainability and our environment. I also noticed that there was a huge gap in the market here in Australia and decided to design my own range of organic bamboo clothing for little ones. Since then, I haven’t looked back.

What got you excited enough about the idea to put it into motion?
It really was the fact that there was virtually no one in Australia who was supplying bamboo clothing for babies. There were some who made adult ranges, and bamboo was still a relatively new fabric so the prospect of designing for babies was a fantastic option. What parent wouldn’t want to dress their newborn in the softest, kindest fabric around that has been grown organically?

Where did the name for your business spring from?
Having a newborn, my Husband and I were often up around 5am most mornings, one morning we just decided to register a business name so that if I did start to design my own clothing, I had somewhere to start. I wanted something short and catchy and later found our logo – the Babyjo Panda, which has complimented both the name and our concept.

How is Babyjo Bamboo Wear original?
There are not too many companies who design or sell bamboo for little ones, so we are quite unique in this sense. We also have outstanding customer service, both for our online customers and for our retail stockists. Our designs are simple yet gorgeous, keeping in mind comfort, practicality and durability – a must for baby wear!

What was the most difficult part in getting your business off the ground?
Not having studied business, there are many areas where I had to put in a lot of groundwork and study to find out what was required. The whole process of building a website was so new to me, and not having a lot of capital meant that I had to do this myself.

I also found that photography of your products is vital for on line trading, and I wish that I had invested in this from the start– it was only when we designed our second range that I employed the service of a professional and I cannot believe how much difference this has made to our brand and how professional it looks.

Has any part of your business gone down a different path than you first anticipated?
Other than expanding a lot faster than I thought it would, Babyjo is actually following the same path that I had ‘mapped’ out for it at the start. Our new range is selling so quickly that I have had to step up production for new lines, as well as keeping up with the demand on our current stock. At the start when I was contacting retailers to stock our brand, I never thought that I would be in a position where I would have to ‘knock’ retailers back due to having enough representation in the marketplace!

What do you enjoy most about running your business?
I love designing, and it is such a nice feeling to receive samples from our manufacturer that bring my thoughts to life. I can always picture things in my head, and to get them in real life is so exciting! I also love to hear from customers who have had a great buying experience with us, as well as receiving their feedback on how much it has helped their child with eczema or allergy. It is really very rewarding– and I have also made some amazing friendships with other designers and retailers.

Do you belong to any networks that have helped you grow your business?
There are quite a few out there, the best that I am part of are Skout Trade Fair, Kids Fashion Review and Connect2Mums – these have all helped me to build solid relationships with other designers and retailers, whilst also being able to showcase our designs to the public. Networking is so important these days, so its lovely to find communities that fit your needs perfectly.

What are your future goals for Babyjo?
Hmmmmm– where do I start! I have many, and am finding that these are presenting themselves a lot faster than I thought they would. I would love to have a shopfront one day in the not so distant future, as well as full expansion of our range into seasonal fashion for children, and possibly adults. Most parents receive our clothing and their first question is “Does that come in adult sizes?”.

What advice would you give another woman wanting to start a business of her own?
To quote Nike – “Just do it!” You can sit there procrastinating and umming and ahhhing– however if you have a great idea and the passion to put into it, you need a good, solid business plan, and the motivation to just start. Somewhere, anywhere, it doesn’t matter– as long as you put the wheels in motion and keep going. It may take a while to get set up, however it will never get there if you don’t do a thing!.