There are some super-cool mums out there, achieving some pretty amazing things. Whilst Mother’s Day is a great opportunity for families to recognise the wonderful things that mums do at home and for their families, we thought we’d dedicate some time to recognising some of the personal and professional goals women are achieving. We hope you enjoy our following interview with Natrice Grosvenor – the first in our Inspiring Mums series.
I have first-hand experience of the challenges that new online businesses face when they first launch. Being a ‘small drop’ in the big World Wide Web ‘ocean’ is quite daunting (I think there are around 630 million websites in existence at the moment). Natrice Grosvenor, founder of MiniMoh’s also recognized this challenge, and addressed it by creating her online marketplace for brands retailing products for babies, children and women. This is her story…
1. Tell us your story:
MiniMoh’s is Australia’s Awarded Online Marketplace for babies, children and women. Discover. Connect. Shop. We have some funky, fun, gorgeous and unique products showcased, come and see for yourself, we know you’ll fall in love with something.
2. How did you identify the goals you wanted to achieve?
When I became a mum I needed to find a balance between work and family. The business was born out of a gap in the market and developed from there. The business has allowed me to achieve my most important goal of quality family time. The business has only been live for 6 months and in that time we are constantly surprised with the support from the community we have developed. The business model also supports other self-employed men and women by offering them a risk-free platform to grow their brand and business.
3. How did you work towards achieving your goal – did you have a plan and a deadline to achieve your goals?
I have a marketing background and was very detailed in the research and development process for our business model. We wanted to ensure that we planned appropriately rather than learn expensive mistakes along the way. We had a deadline we wanted to achieve and stuck to it. I think if you don’t put time frames on things, there will always be something that comes up to push your deadline back.
4. What was the biggest challenge you encountered along the way?
Getting our name out there. As a start-up we had very limited funds in our marketing and advertising budget. We spent a lot of time in forums, social media and networking events trying to gain momentum. Constant change in the SEO world is another challenge. The game is constantly moving and changing, we need to keep on top of it and move with the times.
Wooden Cupcake and Icecream Set from redberrykids on MiniMoh’s Online Marketplace
5. What inspires you and keeps you going when you encounter obstacles?
The businesses that we showcase – there are some amazing, talented entrepreneurs around Australia with some very innovative products. We are constantly inspired by the small wins and their appreciation when we help them achieve their goals.
6. What advice do you have for anyone wanting to achieve a goal?
Success is not based on luck. Wins take time and a lot of hard work. There is no such thing as instant success. It takes time to build trust, awareness and belief in your business and products. If you make mistakes along the way, learn from them, don’t give up.
7. What are the next goals you hope to achieve?
We have just launched a magazine as an extension to the marketplace and look forward to inspiring other businesses to join our community. I have been nominated as a finalist in the ‘Practical Parenting’ Mumpreneur and hope to win this – drawn September 2013. We also hope to start a sponsorship program to help kick-start a small business entrepreneur and give them the leadership and mentoring to become a success.
Check out MiniMoh’s Online Marketplace: www.minimohs.com.au or catch up with them on Facebook: www.facebook.com/minimohs
