Dribbledry

DribbleDry – Launching a Problem Solving Parenting Product

Tell us your name and a bit about your family? When did you become a Mum and to whom?
My name is Hannah Rayner, I’m 37 years old and I have two sons; Jack ages 15 and Harry aged 8. I have been married to Scott Rayner (42 years old) since September 2014 and have a step son Dylan 15 too. We live in Holmes Chapel, Cheshire but I am originally from Wiltshire. My husband owns Cheshire Building Contractors which is going from strength to strength so we both have our own company’s to run now!

What’s your business called?
DribbleDry

Can you describe it in one sentence?
An all-in-one innovative solution to keeping your baby dribble free all day!

When did you become a Mumpreneur and what inspired you?
It was in 2009 when my youngest son Harry was two years old and dribbling lots. Bibs didn’t work and I was fed up with changing them several times a day (and the washing!), his chest area was always wet and therefore caused dribble rash. I remember just looking at him and thinking of how I could improve this and it was then I came up with the solution DribbleDry!

How did you fund your start up?
At first it was through small savings and a credit card, and I paid for a worldwide patent search, design boards and a patent to be drafted but then I became a single mum of two with a demanding job and no disposible income to take my idea further. Luckily three years ago I met my husband Scott and this all changed. Scott has funded dribbledry for the last two years and we are now successfully selling our products to parents!

How do you manage working around your children?
I work mainly from home during the week and do what I can when my boys are at school, then depending on what they are doing in the evening I will either play with them or pop back on the laptop! I tend to do lots of social media which I can do when they are in bed on my phone in front of the TV! My husband will also help with them if I have something urgent to put together but generally we just all muddle through ok at the moment!

Can you describe a typical day, what tasks do you have to get done, how do you manage your time?
I have a big ‘To Do’ list and put everything in my diary to keep organised and work through everything in the week. I am always emailing someone! My manufacturer, retailers, customers, baby awards, accountant, website team, my media company are just a few and I’m always creating new posts for all of the social media. Instagram seems to be working well for our website sales! I also sell on Amazon so this takes some work too. Its about building the brand and sales at the moment in all ways I can.

What challenges have you faced in your business and how have you overcome them?
The biggest challenge for me at first was funding everything! It costs so much to get an idea off the ground with prototypes, Intellectual Property, Manufacturing, Website, Business plan, Photos and then all the advertising that’s needed! Everyday I learn something new and I love that! Everyday there are always more opportunities that come along which is exciting! Its all one big learning curve especially when sourcing a manufacturer and IP.

What’s the best thing about being Mumpreneur?
I can be there for my children after school, if they are ill and during the holidays as I can be flexible with my work and where I am. I also have a lot passion for what I do which keeps me fully motivated and happy which then has a positive impact on my family! I have the best of both worlds.

What are your plans for the future?
Luckily we are off to a good start and in two months we have had hundreds of positive testimonials from parents, celebrity endorsements and nationwide press releases! The future is looking quite bright at the moment and we plan to expand our DribbleDry baby clothing range and start manufacturing for new range of products to help those with disabilities like Cerebral Palsy. We have been approached by two special needs schools and a care home who strongly believe there is huge potential for our products in that sector. The next step is probably investment.

What advice would you give for someone just starting out in business?
Research a lot, what can you offer that’s better than your competition, find people you know who can offer advise about marketing, accounts, Intellectual property and manufacturing (if your making a product). I have had to learn to be very patience to! It took a year from having my samples made by my manufacturer to receiving my bulk stock to sell so you need to make allowances for this.

Is there anything else you’d like to tell us?
Hearing such fantastic feedback from parents about our products is the best feeling ever! My family and I are now very excited about the future!
www.dribbledry.com
www.facebook.com/dribbledry
@dribbledry (twitter & instagram

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