The latest in our mumpreneur series features Natalie from the Organic Toy Company.

Natalie from the Organic Toy Company
Why I started my business?
All of my children have suffered since birth with eczema but Jade, my eldest at 10 years old, has always been by far the worst affected. I’d frequently have to prise her (synthetic) cuddly toys away from her at night because they’d make her, and her skin, overheat provoking her eczema flare-ups. It occurred to me that if her toys were made with organic cotton as the outer fabric, poor Jade wouldn’t have to regularly wake up to find she’d been surreptitiously robbed overnight of her favourite furry friend! So I started spending hours searching on-line for organic toys.
I found that whilst organic cotton toys were available, the choices were very limited and I wasted precious time following fruitless trails and frustratingly chasing false or long-winded search engine results. With childhood eczema, asthma and allergies being at all time high, I was certain that other parents would welcome a simple and convenient solution, when looking for soft toys which wouldn’t aggravate their children’s sensitivities.
I also wanted to share with other parents what I’d learnt about the obscene levels of pesticides and toxic chemicals that are used in conventional cotton agriculture. By using my website as a platform to raise awareness about conventional cotton farming practices, I’m able to highlight both the environmental and human cost of producing non-organic cotton.
Toughest Challenge?
During my research when setting up the company, I found I’d opened a massive can of worms, after discovering how easily the integrity of organic fibres can be compromised, during various manufacturing processes (post-organic certification). This really did pose quite a daunting obstacle as it seemed like a whole new, vast and complex science to learn. The really positive outcome is that it prompted me to submit a Spanish Inquisition-worthy barrage of questions to each manufacturer of the toys I stock, to establish that “no organic fabrics had been harmed during the making of this toy”! So now, I can display detailed composition information in plain language about every toy I stock, so other parents can see exactly what’s in the toys.
What I enjoy most?
Without a shadow of a doubt, it’s hearing the most heart-warming (and sometimes heart-wrenching) stories of the children who are given my organic toys. I know this is such a cliché (and I’ve not stolen this from a Miss World contestant’s speech), but I hear such touching stories, which stay with me long after an order has been despatched. In my experience, the concept of good customer service being “something that provides a personal touch for the customer” is only half the story. When customers generously share their amazing stories, it’s impossible for that to not become personal to me too. It’s a two-way street. Given the nature of these toys, I do hear of many circumstances of considerable hardship and of children overcoming real difficulty. It genuinely is immeasurably rewarding to think you may have helped in some tiny way.
My advice for someone thinking about starting their own business?
Naturally, a cocktail of sound research and passion/belief in what you’re doing is critical. I think when setting up a business, many people encounter a lot of negativity from well-intentioned family and friends and I think it’s really important to try to find a way of mentally insulating yourself from that. As long as you’ve really done your homework, just stay focused on a positive and successful outcome. If you couple that with a determination and resolve to overcome the inevitability of some obstacles along the way, I think the combination of these attitudes goes a long way to achieving your goals. Finally, with the start-up of a business so often involving haemorrhaging cash left, right and centre in the early days, try to take advantage of freebie business courses and advice, like the government resources offered by Business Link and lots of free marketing advice, available on the Internet.
You can find out more about Natalie’s business over at The Organic Toy Company.