Mums in Business: Mummy's Little Hamper

Any new parent arriving back from the hospital with their beautiful new baby will never forget the mixed emotions of  joy, elation, shock and overwhelming tiredness.

Most likely laden down with bagfuls of beautiful new baby gear, underneath the armful of presents is a tired, hungry mother who should not be heading down the local supermarket to fight through the baked bean isle.

Cue Mummy’s Little Hamper, a business launched in December 2008 by Yorkshire based MumsClub member and mother of two Jenny Rennocks.

This clever business provides food hampers for the newly post-natal mother. Mum has spent nine months being deprived of many ‘forbidden foods’ and on a reduced intake of all the fun things in life.

Not only is she adapting to her new role, she is going to have to play host to all the friends and family demanding to see the baby.

These food hampers allow the new family to relax in the knowledge that not only is there food in the house, but delicious, luxurious food that can make the early days even more special.

We asked Jenny to tell us more about how she manages to run a successful business around parenting two children.

“As with any working Mum it is very difficult to juggle the two” Jenny says. “My oldest  has just started school which adds a new juggling dimension to everything.”

“A lot of the paperwork and emails are done in the evening when the children are in bed and dinner is in the oven.”

Jenny manages to run her business from home having converted her garage to meet all the necessary industry regulations. The working space allows for easy storage and an area for packing and dispatching the hampers. This is ideal for cutting down start-up, running and commuting costs. It also means she is always with her family to get a good work-family balance.

“I can easily manage the stock arrival and gift dispatches with the children in tow if necessary.  They like to pop the bubble wrap!”

Jenny has some good advice for other mums looking to make the leap into business.

“Preparation is key, be passionate about your idea, use as many contacts as you can for assistance to minimise costs and plan as much as possible.

“I  research and planned the business for a good year before launching and spent  a lot of time analysing costs. The likes of Business Link are very useful and offer some great free training courses.”

For Jenny, one of the best things about working for herself is the feeling of pride at what she has managed to achieve. “I may only be in year one of trading but I had the idea and went for it.  It is great receiving positive and lovely feedback on something you have created and manage and hopefully it will grow and develop in the future.”

Chopsy Baby thinks the hampers are the perfect gift idea for the new mother. Yes the baby is adorable but it’s mum that needs the reward after going through nine months of pregnancy and  the exhausting labour.

For more information, visit: www.mummyslittlehamper.co.uk