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Organic gear for babies
22 November 2009 By Cheryl O’Sullivan
A year after she launched her company, HipBaby, Leona Kinahan is literally watching her customers grow with the business. Kinahan, a mother-of two, set up the firm after spotting an opportunity to sell organic children’s clothes and accessories.
‘‘I always wanted to work for myself and, after having my two children, I wanted flexibility to work from home," said Kinahan, a graduate of design, technology and industrial business. ‘‘My daughter, Eabha, had mild eczema and, on researching the condition, I learned that organic cotton clothing was best for children with eczema.
‘‘The benefit of using organic cotton is that it has never been treated - from growing through to manufacture, everything is organic and no chemicals are used at any stage."
However, Kinahan was unimpressed by the clothes she could find, which were mostly off-white. She researched French, British and Danish companies and discovered other options for fashionable organic clothing. She brought a number of product lines together on www.hipbaby.ie, in October last year.
Since then, she has added others, among them the Amby Baby Hammock(a cot alternative), cloth nappies and the Ergo and KariMe baby slings.
HipBaby’s products include everyday clothes and sleepwear for children up to the age of six, as well as baby gifts and accessories. According to Kinahan, the best-selling products so far are wraparound vests, sleep gowns, sleep bags and the Amby Baby Hammock, a baby bed whose design also helps to relieve colic and reflux in babies.
Working single-handed from home, Kinahan is happy that her job allows her to spend time with her children, Eabha and Emmy. She is expecting her third child in February, but plans to continue expanding HipBaby with the launch of organic clothes for premature babies. She would also like to introduce a range of clothes for mothers.
Having previously started a consultancy for construction companies, Kinahan said there were entirely new challenges to overcome as she got used to the latest business. ‘‘I was unaware that I had to order stock two seasons ahead, so when I went to order my winter stock for opening, I was only able to order the next season’s summer stock," she said.
Kinahan overcame the problem by convincing one of her suppliers to sell her its own shop stock. Creating an internet presence was another challenge, and Kinahan dedicates time each week to maximising traffic to the site through search engine optimisation.
Kinahan said she was very pleased with the performance of the business. ‘‘I have seen customers order size 0-3 months, and then, three months later, they are back for the next size up, which gives me enormous satisfaction’’ she said.
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