Caroline, who launched Attipas Australia back in September 2012, discovered the unique and scientifically developed toddler shoes while on holidays in Japan. Having spent the last 10 years building a career in Banking as a Project Manager in Sydney and London, Caroline decided to pursue passion over corporate following the birth of her first son Henry in 2011. Today, thanks to Attipas, Caroline can be a businesswoman and a stay at home mum at the same time.
You have a background in banking…so how did Attipas come to be?
I discovered Attipas while on holiday in Japan. I was looking for a pre walker for my then 14 month old son that wouldn’t fall off. I brought these unique shoes back to Australia and within days realized their potential. I quickly secured the exclusive distributorship and have since grown a cult following.
How do you manage the juggle of being a stay at home mum and a businesswoman?
Outsource where possible! Being a mum is hard enough without having to run a business. In order to fit a business in and around my kids, I need to be very organized, as well as outsource key tasks. I have a warehouse that completes order fulfillment, an IT team that maintains my website, a designer that manages my artwork and a PR team that deals with the media. Running my business whilst still being at home with the kids wouldn’t be possible without outsourcing! I am still the face of the business, but have found that by outsourcing processing tasks, I am able to operate the business using a top-down approach. I have learned to micro-manage less and rely more on the strengths and skills of others.
What advice would you have for someone wanting to launch their own business?
Find something that sells itself! When I first brought Attipas to Australia, I knew I was onto something big. I was constantly being approached in the street by mothers asking where I’d bought the ‘interesting shoes that my son was wearing’ from. In that moment, I pondered that if I alone was being asked at least once daily about Attipas toddler shoes, what would happen if a thousand wearers were being asked daily about Attipas shoes? Fast forward nearly 2 years, and we have sold over 15,000 units nationally, largely through word of mouth and Facebook (mothers tag their friends when they see a Facebook ad, which creates virality). We also stock to over 30 retail outlets nationally, which is on the increase. Having a good head for numbers and setting / sticking to budgets also helps.
And any advice for working mums?
Always put your family first! I always make sure my kids and family come first, regardless of the task at hand. Having this at the forefront of my mind actually allows me to achieve great amounts workwise, as when I have downtime from the kids (naps, post bedtime, occasionally during the day) I work in a very productive manner. It’s amazing how much more productive you become when time is of the essence! In order to achieve a harmonious work-life, I find that designating time to the kids, work and partner are extremely important. Sticking to these designations is the key to balance! A sneaky holiday, movie or dinner out doesn’t hurt either!
What challenges did you face when launching Attipas?
Managing to keep my business afloat whilst having a baby! Attipas Australia was still in early days when I was first pregnant with my second child, but by the time Oscar was due to arrive in October 2013, things were running full stream ahead! Although I had planned to work right up until 40 weeks, Oscar decided to arrive a week early, which was possibly the busiest week in my business’s history! That very week, I had a 20FT container arriving from Korea, was moving warehouses AND I had a stall at a baby expo (The Baby & Toddler Show, Sydney). Quick thinking and being organized kept my business afloat, and I was able to work whilst in labour, delegate other tasks to family (setting up and manning the expo), and managed the shipment/warehouse move via telephone. After Oscar was born it was a juggling act to maintain the business during the early days, but fast forward 9 months and we are doing better than ever, with volumes and revenues increasing exponentially month-to-month. We’re nearly at 15k Facebook fans and have over 10,000 wearers of our shoes in under 2 years.
What’s the most important thing to keep in mind when sourcing a pre-walker for your child?
When sourcing a pre walker, parents should always ensure that shoes at hand have the following features: lightweight and flexible, breathable, allows free toe movement, non toxic and non slip. Attipas toddler shoes have all of these features and more! You can read leading podiatrist Daniel Fitzpatrick’s recommendation here: www.attipas.com.au/recommendations.
