As most mothers would agree, you can’t go wrong shopping for baby gear. The selection is endless.
For moms though, there just isn’t that much out there. Wanting to look like a mom-to-be, shopping for maternity clothes was a big disappointment. The selection -- or lack thereof -- was unshapely and terribly boring. When my high-needs daughter was born, I needed some tricks to help both of us cope.
I discovered babywearing, but the sling my husband lovingly bought for me was just too big for my smaller frame. I needed a good nursing bra, but I had little help in getting a proper bra fitting to find my post-baby size. I realized that nursing clothes made nursing in the carriers so much easier. I could multitask by nursing with my hands free! Problem was: I didn’t have a good carrier and the nursing clothes available left something to be desired.
Like most mothers who become entrepreneurs, I was inspired by my own experience. More specifically, I saw some to gaps in the ‘new mom’ market during my own pregnancy and early days of motherhood. Toronto has some wonderful baby stores but there is little catering to mothers’ needs at this exciting but overwhelming time in our lives.
I started to dream of a boutique that would serve moms from pregnancy through to their nursing days. I didn’t need to do extensive market research to realize that breastfeeding mothers in Toronto are common: According to Toronto Public Health, there is a 96% breastfeeding initiation rate. My vision was to create a store that would make women comfortable and would provide beautiful maternity and nursing clothes and a wide, versatile selection of baby carriers.
Between my first and second baby, I came up with Evymama. After finding a great spot in Bloor West Village in Toronto, I set about sourcing top quality clothes from beautiful labels around the world. I wore Remy in a sling during the construction of the store and the early days of our opening. Two years later, we continue to feature high-end clothes and carriers in our bricks and mortar boutique as well as online. We feature local designers as well as clothing from around the world.
Twice a week, mamas, papas and babies can test drive our baby carriers by taking a walk around the block before they buy. Our selection of nursing and maternity bras is unmatched: from A to M cup. Our staff is trained in how to find just the right bra size so customers leave the store with a well-fitting high quality product.
While I am proud of my success and grateful for the tremendous support I’ve received from my community, there have been challenges too. Building a business from the ground up hasn’t been easy. Some lessons I have learned along the way that I would share with others moms with a great business plan:
Entrepreneurialism is about more than just a good idea. Having a good idea makes a business case but you need constant promotion and attention to customer service to really succeed. Mothers talk! Promotion and word of mouth is key to establishing a network. Every customer interaction is critical.
Force yourself to take days off. With so much at stake, it is too easy to work around the clock. I have to recognize my limits. Every Saturday is family day.
Hire talent that complements your vision. Don’t be afraid to hire people who are better than you at certain things as they will round out your skill set. Also, I often have pregnant or nursing moms serving our customers. I’ve hired students, moms new to Canada and moms transitioning back to work.
I worked around the clock to get the store up and running and needed to: only one in five small businesses survive in Canada beyond their first year of business. While working in retail is extremely demanding, I do have some flexibility to be with my two children. I have also had the great satisfaction of meeting and helping to clothe many mothers the past two years.
Opening a store had been difficult but extremely rewarding. I am not looking back!
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