Today I'd like to introduce Cath and Natalie who are behind Archie & Moo, a small creative business that creates some of the most unusual and original products for our little ones. They posted a pram-liner made from my Elk Landscape fabric a while ago on my facebook page and I was in love. A couple of months ago I had the chance to meet both of them at the Rosehill Tradeshow and they are two incredibly inspiring people.
Archie & Moo is a really fun and easy name to remember how did it come about?
That’s easy! It’s our children! Mia (Moo) is Natalie's second child (her first, Emilee, is named in another business) and Archer is Cath's baby boy. Our logo also represents our kids – Mia in the cow & Archer in the bean, as that is what he was called after Cath’s first ultrasound!
How long have you been in business?
We have only been operating since April. Our concept & creation went something like this... "Hey Nat, everyone loved the blanket you made me. We could definitely sell these! Want to go into business together?"
Can you explain your business idea?
Our philosophy is to design and create gorgeous and funky practical products for babies and kids. We don’t like the boring mass produced products. We wanted something unique but useful... and GORGEOUS. The first product was the PramRug. It started as a practical lap blanket for the pram but we felt this was not spectacular so we designed it with the strap for practicality.
What do you enjoy the most about your business?
The satisfaction of having a complete stranger approach you and make wonderful positive comments about our products... and the trust in us to design products we haven’t even tackled... the belief in us is humbling. We are so grateful for everybody’s support.
What product is your best seller? And why do you think so?
That is actually a really tricky question! It’s different at every market & selling through the internet is different again! Our best sellers include the PramRugs, Pram Liners, Bibs, Dummy Clips and the Nappy Wallets. We think it could simply come down to opportunistic purchases and demographic... and we believe our products are eye catching!
What is you favourite customer interaction story?
Talk about 6 degrees of separation! Nat's neighbour bought some products for a baby shower and the day after the shower, Cath's mothers group friend said she went to a baby shower and saw some Archie&Moo products as a gift... small world!
We have a lovely customer in WA who commissioned us to design the Moo’nut – we were so excited to be trusted with an unseen project & thrilled to see the final product in use by her gorgeous baby girl! We just love to see our labours of love being enjoyed by others!
Do you sew it all yourself?
We design and create everything ourselves. Sew, knit, crotchet, the lot. We call it therapy! When we become bazillionaires we might employ another person....
Where do you find most of your customers come from?
We are very much supported by family & friends & they were our initial customer base & continue to support us. Now we have started doing markets we are picking up loyal followers from there also. Online avenues have also been successful & we have found that MadeIt.com.au & Facebook have opened many doors for us by creating a fantastic network. We are hoping that once our own shopping site is up & running that our customers will follow us there!
What keeps you motivated/ inspired?
We are motivated by being able to please someone... to take an idea, make a plan and create something beautiful. We love to create. Our inspiration comes from our beautiful families – without them Archie&Moo would not exist!
What is in the future for Archie&Moo?
Clothing has definitely formed the next stage of our business plan whilst continuing to produce our original products. We are constantly engaging ourselves with challenges, requests and some very unique surprises... so you'll have to keep watching..... there’s much more to come!
Thanks Cath & Natalie. You can visit their website www.archieandmoo.com.au for more information.
And do leave a comment and let me know if you'd like me to feature other creative businesses in the future.
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Kristy commented on 03-Sep-2010 09:27 PM
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