In search of good quality feeding products when her daughter started solids, Tay Jackson struggled to find silicone feeding ware to suit her needs. This led her to design her own and launch her beautiful business, Mimi & Beau. With her mum as her business partner, they work hard to ensure they are producing products of the highest quality and they are passionate about providing families with practical and affordable baby goods. Here, Tay talks to The Natural Parent Magazine about the inspiration behind Mimi & Beau and their business journey so far.
The passion: What inspired you to set up your business?
The inspo behind my business came in 2018 when I was pregnant and I started looking for good quality feeding products. Over the next year or so, it was something I would think about a lot but being in full-time employment, it wasn’t something I thought of actually doing. The idea was reignited during lockdown when my daughter started solids and I struggled to find silicone feedware that could hold her standard meal size as she loves her food. Also, having all food groups covered in each meal was important to me, so I was often using multiple plates so the yogurt was separate.
The launch: How did you start out in the beginning?
I originally started trying to find products for my daughter, which evolved into designing my own, ordering samples and then ordering a lot of stock. I luckily did a preorder which was successful but it was still nerve-wracking ordering all of the products and not knowing exactly when they would arrive due to the shipping delays, as well as trying to coordinate the website launch.
The innovation: What was the biggest breakthrough for you with your business?
To be honest I haven’t really had any breakthrough moments. I started out with an idea and put in a lot of hard work to ensure every product we sell is of the highest quality.
Yin and Yang: How do you balance work and family?
Family is my number one priority as my daughter is 18 months old, so I always work around her (and university). I’m very lucky to have my mum as my business partner so I can share the work, but I do often find myself working late at night. I found that hiring someone to help with customer service and bits and pieces part time has made a huge difference and means that I can focus more on product development and the business as a whole.
