Laura Crawford, mother-of-two from Hertfordshire, is the CEO and Founder of Mama Bamboo
Horrified with the impact 3 billion nappies and 11 billion wet wipes a year were having in the UK, Laura Crawford, decided not to return to her previous role as a Management Consultant in the Banking industry after her maternity leave, but to launch her own B-Corp sustainable business. Born from the idea that our babies’ should not have to wear cheap plastic and start their early lives negatively impacting their future world, Laura developed a healthier, more natural, sustainable nappy and wet wipe.
Laura has grown the company to its present £1m turnover with a strong loyal subscriber base. The company has benefitted from +£1 million of investment and recently expanded the product range and launched a marketing campaign to take the brand more mainstream and available.
Laura continues to manage the product range development and certifications, alongside the wider company strategy, sales and marketing activities. Her focus extends beyond the development of greener products, to the global issue of circularity for nappies and wipes; running the #thenappyrevolution campaign and partnering with UCL, Imperial College, Hompost, Envar and Green Bums, Lauraaims to implement a nationwide solution to ensure no compostable product goes into the landfill waste stream in future.
1. Can you share your journey of starting your own business while being a mother?
The concept for Mama Bamboo came about because of my own dissatisfaction with the products available whilst my children were babies; it seemed to be a choice between sustainability, performance and convenience. I wanted all 3. So I decided to start my own brand. I spent 9 months researching fabrics and manufacturing, and got a product in sample production that k was happy with. But I had two small children at home and I simply couldn’t throw myself into a new business straight away. I waited until my youngest was 3 before I really launched Mama Bamboo. Since then the business has grown but we’ve managed to grow in line with a core value regarding family flexibility. All employees work part time with flexible work arrangements. It gets tricky during school holidays and I’m constantly aware that our working patterns do hold the business growth back, but it’s the best we can do at this stage.
2. What challenges have you faced as a mother in the business world, and how did you overcome them?
We do get pressure from consumers to be more available and faster to respond. Our service to consumers is actually really good; every email is answered within 24 hours, including weekends, and deliveries are made within 3-5 days, but it’s never enough. The world has grown accustomed to the Amazon model; responses within 20 minutes, 247 including Christmas Day and same day delivery. As a small business, and a parent, it just isn’t feasible to meet these demands. The pressure can also come from other businesses; suppliers and agencies. If they work longer hours, they do expect you to as well and it can be difficult to manage to those expectations.
3. How do you balance the demands of running a successful venture with your role as a mother?
In all honesty, I put the kids first and the business second. This has slowed our growth and often means business projects take longer than they should/could. It definitely limited our expansion curve. I recognise that in someone else’s hands the business would be far beyond its £1m turnover by now. It took me a while to reconcile myself to that fact, as I’m a naturally ambitious person. We now have more modest growth goals which enables us to expand and strengthen the business each year, whilst maintaining our personal integrity regarding family commitment.
4. What strategies or tips have you used to effectively manage your time and prioritize both your family and your business?
I use an AI driven scheduling tool to ensure I’m the most productive I can be during my working hours. And I’ve surrounded myself with other highly capable people, who I rely on to really own their areas. I don’t have any time to micro manage others, so trust is paramount.
But I won’t lie, running a business and being a hands-on parent, is not for the faint hearted. I’m properly exhausted by my work load and schedule most of the time. The greatest tip I can share is having the humility to recognise that unless you’re a brain surgeon, your work stuff often isn’t life or death; deadlines can move, meetings can be rescheduled. I used to run myself ragged meeting everyone’s expectations and never letting anyone down, and felt like my work was of ultimate importance. As time has gone on, I’ve realised that sometimes asking people for an extra day to finish something off because your child was ill or god-forbid saying “no” to some requests for your time, is actually ok.
5. Have you encountered any biases or stereotypes as a mother in the business world, and how have you dealt with them?
I don’t really feel like I’ve experienced any bias directly due to being a parent. I definitely used to experience more bias and stereotyping as a young, female in the banking and IT sector in my twenties. I’m older and grumpier now I’m in my 40’s so I think I probably put a swift stop to any chirpy comments these days. Most people back down pretty quick if you call them out on their BS.
6. How has being a mother positively impacted your business and your overall perspective on success?
In my business, being a parent is essential to understanding and being able to communicate with our clients. The intensity of that first 24 months of parenthood can only be understood if you’ve gone through it yourself. The worries, the anxiety, the exhaustion, the love, the joy, the sheer all encompassing single minded purpose to protect these tiny humans. Any business will tell you, you need to understand your customer, and for us that’s absolutely essential.
7. What advice would you give to other mothers who aspire to start their own businesses or pursue entrepreneurial ventures?
All the usual business advice; plan, research, create a real business case, get familiar with finances, talk to business advisors, ask at your local university enterprise hub or local council business hub. And as a parent, be realistic. How much time are you willing or able to commit at the start and will this change within a few years’ time? Who do you know who might join you or support you with a specific aspect of your plan? It’s amazing how many acquaintances at playgroups or school gates, are fully qualified experts who also don’t fit into the full time corporate model. And finally, regular check in with yourself to evaluate your values-fit, well-being and mental health. It won’t be for everyone but I’d also advise considering a partner. I brought in my oldest friend to co-manage Mama Bamboo and it’s been my saving grace. Everyone should have a bestie at work.
