Young Dublin business BambooBaby has created baby clothing made from bamboo fabric.
BambooBaby’s clothing is anti-bacterial, breathable and super soft and hypoallergenic, which is ideal for babies with sensitive skin and conditions like eczema.
The company’s range includes a sleeping bag, sleepsuit, bodysuit, hooded panda towel and wash cloths. It is planning to expand its range in early 2023.
“Outside of providing high quality baby clothing, our key focus is providing a high-level of service to our customers”
“The problem I am aiming to solve is bring a dedicated retailer of sustainable bamboo baby products to the Irish market,” explained founder Enda Barton.
Quality and sustainable
“I started BambooBaby with the goal of bringing a dedicated store that focuses on high quality sustainable bamboo baby products.”
The business’s core products are bamboo baby clothes. “Our range includes a sleeping bag, sleepsuit, bodysuit, hooded panda towel and wash cloths. While our range is limited right now, we will be expanding it in 2023 to bring our customers more of the bamboo products they love.
As a fabric bamboo is quite remarkable, says Barton. “It’s anti-bacterial, breathable, and super soft and hypoallergenic (often being compared to silk) making it ideal for babies with sensitive skin and conditions like eczema. Outside of providing high quality baby clothing, our key focus is providing a high-level of service to our customers. Each order is hand packed, includes a handwritten note (when requested) and is sent via tracked delivery. Ultimately, we focus on making our customers happy and that is the reason we have have a 5-star rating on Google.
Entrepreneurial ambition
Barton is the founder of the business. “I have had great support from my wife Madeleine Canty. Madeleine is my sounding board for any ideas I have and she keeps me balanced in my approach. She is also the one that does the majority of the packing as she has the delicate touch that I seem to lack, plus the fact that my handwriting has not improved since 1st class so would not work well for the handwritten notes!
“I have always wanted to own my own business. I remember as far as back as 26 years ago (when I was 10) telling my father that I would run my own business. I have always been the risk taker in my family and as such I have never been one for the status quo. As they say, we only get one lap of the track and I want to do something special with my one lap.”
Badge of courage
Barton says the entrepreneurial landscape in Ireland is improving. “I think we have a very strong start-up scene in Dublin, and in Ireland.
“There are a lot of people with great ideas and the courage to give them a shot. It’s great to see, as entrepreneurship is what keeps the bigger companies on their toes. In regard to the ecosystem, there are lots of great supports. For example, I recently received funding from my Local Enterprise Office, in Dun Laoghaire Rathdown, to support the digital presence of BambooBaby and that funding has been invaluable. The folks there are so friendly and very supportive of people like me who are striving to build a business and I am really grateful to them.”
An important lesson for Barton was that you can’t do everything yourself. “When I started, I was doing everything myself. When I say everything, I am talking about website building, Google Ads, social media ads, social media content for Facebook and Instagram, and much more. One of the most useful things I’ve done as of late, is to outsource some of that work via platforms that allow me to hire freelancers. This enables me to focus my time on things that I am good at and that bring real value to the business.
For Barton, success is a marathon not a sprint. “The biggest lesson that I’ve learned so far is that you have to be easy on yourself. Nothing ever goes exactly as you expect it to go and when that’s the case, you can’t be too hard on yourself. Take a breath, and keep pushing forward.
“In my mind, I thought that the business would crack the market wide open from day one but that didn’t happen. It’s been a gradual build and we are now getting to a place where people are telling their friends about us, we’re getting more 5-star reviews, and our brand recognition is increasing. The lesson being, it won’t happen overnight so don’t give up and keep chasing your dream.”
His advice for fellow founders? “Remember why you started and don’t give up.”
