£230 for Multi-Award Winning Business
Entrepreneurial Anna-Lee Kewley started her business with just £230. Recently awarded the National New Media Award, she is an inspiration to parents across the UK
Just five years ago, Anna-Lee Kewley was an expectant mother who faced the same worries and fears of young mums in Britain today. Having had to terminate her job at Nationwide Building Society, due to the ever-increasing cost of childcare, Anna was driven to selling some of her possessions on eBay to try and make up her income.
She scraped together £230 after her son was born, and yet an idea had ignited for the new mum: why not start an online business? So BabyMoo’s was born. Initially a stockist of imported baby wear from overseas, Anna built up to be the non-stop mumpreneur she is today, with her own unit, from which she runs the business. In 2012, Anna started adding her own designs, since she hadn’t been able to find the exact things to match her son’s character.
From there, the business has grown to include toddler’s clothes, and toys. Everything is sold through her self-built website, which contributes to her award winning status. Demonstrating her tremendous success, last year Anna scooped the New Media Venus Award for Dorset; an accolade of which she is incredibly proud.
This year, her award has been upgraded to the national winner of the New Media Venus Award. National winners were chosen from a massive 13,225 nominations and applications as well as 34,066 votes. Anna said, “For once, I am almost speechless”, said Anna, who then confirmed, “I’ve seen sales grow so massively that I am proud beyond words to be doing my bit to clothe the nation’s children. But to know that I am also an inspiration to their parents and entrepreneurial women all over the UK is actually quite surreal!”
With e-commerce being a much-coveted, tough nut to crack for some, Anna-lee has taught herself all of the necessary skills to enjoy a roaring trade. Demonstrating leading skills in website building, e-marketing, social media, analytics and accounting, Anna has now expanded her business to employ Tasha too, who screen prints; and is acquiring the skills of becoming a contemporary manager. Her thirst for innovation means it’s likely she won’t stop there.
Offering advice to other business wannabes, Anna said, “First you need to find something you’re really passionate about in order to weather the storm. And then you need to be 100% open to the key role technology plays in developing a modern business”. She added that a good sense of humour and a dash of audacity helps with twitter: how else do you get mentions from celebrities?
e laura@palavermaven.co.uk
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