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The simplest idea can make the best business

Written by: Sue Stockdale

Article Overview: Babylicious was the first brand of frozen babyfood to launch in the UK and is now the latest producer in Europe. The idea behind Babylicious was simple, as a mother of 2 small children founder Sally Preston wanted to give me babies the best possible food, no salt, additive or fillers, just good quality food. She discovered the only way to do this was to make it herself as jars and cans were very heavily processed and tasted terrible. There was huge market opportunity to provide quality frozen food for babies, so she did it herself!

The simplest idea can make the best business

1 What is your business?
Babylicious is the first brand of frozen babyfood to launch in the UK and is now the latest producer in Europe. The idea behind Babylicious was simple, as a mother of 2 small children I wanted to give me babies the best possible food, no salt, additive or fillers, just good quality food. I discovered the only way to do this was to make it myself as jars and cans were very heavily processed and tasted terrible. I had no time to make my own baby food and then discovered I was not alone, there was huge market opportunity to provide quality frozen food for babies, so did it myself!

I then launched Kiddylicious in summer 2005 after receiving loads of requests from mums saying, what do I do now, I have fed my baby Babylicious, they are now over 1 year old what do I give them? Kiddylicious follows exactly the same principles as Babylicious, no salt, additives or fillers, just good food snap frozen to lock in all the flavour and nutrients.


2. What prompted you to start up in business?
I started the business because it was a product I wanted to buy for my young children.

3. What was the market situation when you started up?
There was 1 small company producing frozen cubs of fruit and vegetable, but only sold in health food shops and was very amateur, I have created a brand new food sector, few can claim this!

4. Do you have a vision for your business and if so, what is it?
My vision is very clear, I want to revolutionize the way we feed our babies and young children. Jars and cans are out of date and old fashioned; it is not necessary to sterilize food to make it safe. Frozen babyfood is the next generation, it tastes and looks like real food, and surly our kids deserve edible, nutritious food?!

I want mums to automatically go to the freezer section to buy food do their babies.

5. What was the biggest obstacle you had to overcome and how did you do it?
We have had numerous obstacles along the way.
A ‘stolen’ brand name resulting in changing name just prior to launch.
A hoax caller claiming to work for the ASA and trying to discredit me, my company and my products. This cost a lot in time and money to prove we were legitimate.
The frustration of getting retailers to take the concept seriously, and then arguing that it could never take as much money as ice-cream, but it was what mums want.

6. How did you find the finance to get started?
Initial I remortgaged my home for £50k, and then borrowed from my parent an additional £25k.
After 2 years I raised £1m investment money from private investors and then a year later raised another £1m for further growth.

7. What are your personal qualities that have that have helped you to succeed in business?
Being able to behave like a weeble, you need to keep bouncing back time and time again. Passion that there is a real need for your product and the market genuinely exists despite all the set backs.

8. How do you keep going when things get tough?
Drink plenty of wine with your mates! Seriously it is really important to loose touch with reality, you do need to make an effort to go out and stay in touch with family and friends. They are a great support mechanism. Also, my partner, Tony, is my rock. He has supported me unwaveringly

9. How do you measure success?
When I do not need to keep answering the telephone to mums saying,’ where can I buy Babylicious / Kiddylicious?’ When mums write or phone with unsolicited compliment about how it has changed their lives, they can now spend more time with their babies /kids without the hassle of trying to cook and they know the kids love the food and it is nutritious – this is fantastic.

10. If you had one piece of advice for a woman starting out in business, what would it be?
It is tough, so keep going, even in dark moments – there will be some! Make sure you have family and friends who will support you all the way. I also think you need to be 100% confident there is a market for your product /service, there is nothing more soul destroying than believing in something without checking, just do some very basis market research (e.g., ask some trusted friends), this will tell you the answer – listen to the answer and take note if it tells you something you do not want to hear!

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Article Tags: additives, baby food, babylicious, flavour, food sector, freezer section, frozen babyfood, frozen food, fruit and vegetable, good food, health food shops, huge market, market opportunity, market situation, mums, new food, nutritious food, obstacle, quality food, real food



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Starting a New Business - I think [b]magonaga [/b]identified one of the most important ingredients for starting a new business in its simplest terms...."[b]Sheer bloody tenacious determination[/b]". The only thing that I would add to this is the need for a plan. There are many methodologies for planning, but I believe that the most effective is also the simplest. [list=] Step back from the excitement and anxiety, close your eyes and visualize your goal Identify all of the ingredients (e.g. office/store, legal paperwork, contracts, products) that you need to make your vision a reality Identify all of the ingredients that you need to get the previous ingredients (equipment, training, partnerships, mentors, marketing materials) Prioritize all of the ingredients Sketch out a timeline for how all of these ingredients come together to achieve your goal Execute the timeline...with a liberal dose of magonaga's advice [/list] When all is said and done in the realm of planning, take heed of Dwight D. Eisenhower's advice "Plans are nothing. Planning is everything". Even though your timeline may not go as planned, the fact that you devoted the time towards planning will help you understand the impacts of changes to your plan and react more effectively to unforeseen events. May God bless you in your endeavors!
Re: What's needed to start a business - [i:33aoqwdi]With my little experience, i think all you need is an idea - business idea that solves a problem.[/i:33aoqwdi] An idea is a good start. So is going into business with your eyes wide open, and not believing the oft-heard refrains, "Be your own boss"; Make your own hours"; "Make lots of money!" The truth is that you'll give up one boss and gain hundreds (your customers); you'll make your own hours (working all 24 of 'em sometimes); and you will make money, eventually, but it takes years. I'd recommend starting a business in a field you already know, and that already has a demonstrated large market. You can make a name for yourself by offering a service in a new, better, more creative way than others may be doing. Then, if you listen carefully to EVERYTHING your customers say, they'll tell you everything you need to know to succeed. Yes, we've all heard about that guy Bill, and a few others who changed the world, but for the rest of us, it's a HUGE risk to go into business with an entirely new idea, hoping to teach the world something it doesn't know. Opening any business is risky enough. Save that one for the day when you're bored with your current, successful business, have money to burn, and will be able to laugh when the world doesn't jump on board.
You have what it takes to succeed! - I just wanted to remind you that if you have a business idea or some kind of dream you would like to pursue, you already have what it takes to succeed at it. If a business idea has come to you, the way to accomplish it must also exist. How do you think other women have achieved such great levels of success? They had an idea AND THEN ACTED ON IT. The most important person who needs to believe in what you can do is YOU! When you accept that truth and make the decision to act on it, all sorts of practical ideas will begin coming to you on how to do it. The reason you are reading this is because deep down you know it is possible to be really successful. Yes, you are smart enough for YOUR IDEA. Yes, you have special abilities. Yes, you can actually do what you love to do and create a business around it. It's pretty hard to take the entrepreneurial leap of faith unless you choose to believe in yourself and your idea. Once you do, you just might discover an invisible bridge beneath you and wonder why you waited so long to jump. You know you are already a business woman at heart. I invite you to show her to yourself and then the world.
Right Idea - Wrong Person - There have been times when a person has a feasible idea, but because of time, money, experience, expertise, ability and much more - they aren't qualified to make the idea succeed. That's a great reason to bring someone else into the deal with you or to find a consultant etc with the ability to bring the idea to fruition. I've done this for some people. They had the idea, the place and the money but didn't know how to pull it all together and to make money. Shri
Re: Take Some ACTION already! - I think once you have an idea that is really solid, you need to run with it. All of your working hours should be concentrated on making it happen. Many people have great ideas but get distracted when the next great idea comes along. It's like they are opportunity hoppers. I guess they think that they'll make money quicker with this newer idea and they lose focus on what they were trying to originally build up. I hear stories like this a lot. Maybe it's entrepreneurial adult ADHD. Who knows. Don't lose confidence in an idea that you have researched and found as solid. Stick with it until you make it happen and don't get side-tracked by anything else, no matter how great it looks.


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