Yin and Yang: How do you balance work and family?
This is something we do struggle with occasionally. It is hard to have a family business and not have it seep into family life. We try to set boundaries, like no talking about business after a certain time in the evenings. We try to share the roles around the house and in the family, so that we are both getting a chance to work and play. We recently started having more dedicated family time, in particular getting out for a bit of nature like a bush walk on the weekends.
The Drive: What challenges have you overcome?
The biggest challenge of taking over a business was that the systems and processes were set up for the way the previous owners like to operate, which was not how we wanted to do things. As mentioned, we had huge tech challenges that took a lot of work to get sorted out, including redoing the entire website. We also have the challenge that when Real Nappies started it was one of the few cloth nappy companies in this part of the world. Now there is a lot more competition and we have to increase the general awareness of the Real Nappies brand.
For better or worse: What are the pros and cons of running your own business?
One of the best things is that we get to choose when we work, so we can make it to swim lessons or we can go away in the middle of the week. On the down side, this can mean we work seven days a week because there is no stop when your office is at home, or even harder when your business is online and you can take your computer anywhere. Owning your own business allows you a lot of control over how you run your business and how you might want to live your life, but it doesn’t always give the tight security of a steady job or any sick leave. One of the great advantages of having this business is that it allows us to be creative.
Hopes and dreams: What next?
We really want to push Real Nappies to the next level and we are hoping to expand our market even more. We want to bring some new products on board and have started thinking about bringing in patterns for our Snug Wraps.
Ready to start your cloth nappy journey? Visit the Real Nappies website to learn more, and keep up to date with them on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Pinterest.
