What is your product / service and why did you create it?
Cushie Tushies are modern cloth nappies – shaped like disposables for ease of use, but made from absorbent, durable fabrics to be re-used from birth to toilet training. We created this product because we wanted to use nappies on our firstborn sons that were environmentally friendly, saved us money and were gentle on our babies’ sensitive skin.
What challenges have you faced?
Ironically, for a product that is a new take on an old-fashioned concept, our biggest challenge has been keeping up with the incredible demand for our products. Being able to respond to that has meant finding access to funding and starting to mass-produce our nappies – both of which incur their own unique challenges in a world economy dominated by financial crisis!
What advice could you give others starting out?
Do your research about your product and industry – objectively – and make sure you plan thoroughly!
Where, if anywhere, did you find support?
From family mostly. Neither the business advisor or business banker I sought knew anything about nappies (of any kind). Fortunately I have a successful businessman in the family who has acted as a mentor.
Do you feel the government is doing enough to support the industry?
Not at all. There has been no support at all for our business – just brick walls at every avenue we turned for help! We have had to figure things out for ourselves at every step of the way!
