A mum from Derby is turning over six figures from a business she launched with £2,000 of her savings.
Jana Laughlin, 31, is the founder of the family-run-from-home business RYLOOBABY specialising in affordable and stylish baby slings.
Launching in 2018, RYLOOBABY is entirely self-funded and now has an impressive £200,000 turnover, even attracting celebrity fans such as Stacey Solomon.
Ms Laughlin was inspired by her two children to create her business and wanted to tackle a common issue faced by new parents.
The entrepreneur said: “We found it impossible to find affordable, good quality and stylish baby products. They’re either super expensive or beautifully stylish, with little thought for your baby’s safety. So, we had to create our own.
“It’s one of the greatest gifts in life to create and share products that help other mums and dads enjoy closeness with their little ones.”
But it wasn’t all plain sailing. Ms Laughlin said she initially lost the first £2,000 she invested in year one.
She told Express.co.uk: “I initially invested around £2,000 into my first stock, but unfortunately, I lost all of my savings in the first year due to a lack of knowledge and the huge competition with big brands.
“It was a difficult moment but I kept going as I knew I wanted to work for myself and spend precious time with my kids. Childcare is expensive and I wanted to have the flexibility to work around my two young children, so a typical nine-to-five wasn’t right for me.
“My husband and I were worried I’d have to return to work but I persevered as I knew I had a great product.”
Ms Laughlin said joining Amazon in 2018 “supercharged” her business. She spotted the opportunity to launch through the online retail giant after failing to come across any baby slings she liked on the site.
Ms Laughlin said: “At the time, I couldn’t find baby slings with different patterns or trendy colours available on Amazon and spotted an opportunity.
“Five years in, everything changed, and Amazon helped me a lot with my business growth. It opened me up to a huge customer base and new markets like Italy and Germany.
“Last year, I sold over 12,000 units and won awards for my products – the Silver award for the Mother and Baby Best Baby Carrier/Sling product of the year, and three awards for Loved by Parents competing among the big brands.
“It wasn’t easy to start with but I wouldn’t have grown to where I am today without my Amazon store. It accounts for 80 percent of our sales. And thanks to Fulfilment by Amazon, I don’t have to worry about storage.”
She added: “Now the business is turning over more than £200,000. The cost of living has proven difficult at times but I continue to re-invest in the business so that we can keep growing and expanding.”
Above all, Ms Laughlin conveyed her appreciation for the nature of the business in that it allows her flexibility to balance parenthood and work, with more freedom to travel and spend time with the little ones.
Ms Laughlin said: “I’d advise people not to give up. I could’ve thrown in the towel and gone back to my career in insurance when I lost my savings but I had to be resilient. There are a lot of resources available online, through networking with fellow business owners and places like Amazon that can help you.
“Believe in your product and don’t be scared to fail. The more you fail the more you learn and the more you will succeed.”
