Elizabeth OConnor-Cowley - Director, eeni meeni miini moh

Elizabeth OConnor-Cowley - Director, eeni meeni miini moh Elizabeth OConnor-Cowley Director, eeni meeni miini mohPosted October 13, 2011, by Sue Stevens Its good fun but hard work You need clear vision, passion and sheer determination. If running a business were easy, everyone would be doing itSince the year 2000, eeni meeni miini moh has been making its mark in childrens fashion on the world stage The company was short-listed for the Premier of Queenslands Award for Emerging Exporter and also won two categories (Kids and Innovation) in the 2006 Australian Fashion plan Awards. Cate Blanchetts son, Ignatius, and Naomi Watts baby, Alexander, have also been seen in the eeni meeni miini moh signature beanie. Made from all-natural fibres, the eeni meeni miini moh range is unique and is in great demand from mums and dads the world over.What is eeni meeni miini moh?eeni meeni miini moh is a childrens lifestyle brand. Primarily we create seasonal collections for newborn babies to 12-year- olds. Within the next six to 12 months, however, we will also be expanding the brand to include soft toys, accessories and a bed linen range to complement ur childrens fashion collections.How did you come up with the idea?Initially, I studied visual arts at the Queensland University of Technology (QUT) majoring in painting and realised that I would need to do something else to feed myself. Shortly after graduating, I fell into the commercial furniture industry where I worked for a German brand and stayed for 10 years. I have a real passion for contemporary furniture and loved working with interior konzepters and architects. Ive always been ambitious and entrepreneurial and had a great desire to design a product, produce it and market it to the world. The only problem was that I had no idea what that product was going to be For years it tormented me and I searched high and low for that big idea. It wasnt until my husband and I were on a holiday in Europe and looking for gifts to bri ng back for a friends children. We found urselves in many gorgeous childrens boutiques and suddenly we thought thats it We could develop our own contemporary, innovative childrens fashion and lifestyle brandHow long did it take to get started?From the initial idea to our first container arriving was 18 months. Both my husband, Philip, and I had demanding careers and it was 18 months of much planning and long, long hours working late into the night most nights and every weekend. During the product development/planning stage, I fell pregnant and gave birth to our first son but somehow we got there in the endWere you ready to go into shops when that first container arrived?Yes and no While we had product to sell, we didnt have a single confirmed order to dispatch ur freight forwarder said to us right, when the container arrives, bring all your orders over and well get them picked and packed and out to store. Philip and I looked at each other, laughed nervously and said we dont have any orders. He was horrifiedWe had plans to present our product at a Lifestyle/Gift trade fair in Sydney that month so there was a plan It was imperative that we came across as being professional and having product in stock so we took the risk of ordering a container that was a massive risk. We were determined to work hard to make it happen. We both have vision, passion and drive, so failure was notlage in our vocabulary.Do you have children of your own?We didnt when we first planned eeni meeni miini moh but we do now. We have two beautiful boys Emrys who recently turned seven and Anselm who is almost four.How is your work-life balance? Do you work harder now youre running your own business?Absolutely I read your interview with Anita Gleeson in Be Your Own Boss who works her own hours and ramps her time up or down depending on whats happening in her life. I wish We dont have that luxury, Im afraid. Its all just full-on for us and has been from the start. The seasons just keep ticking around so theres no down time unfortunately.Whats your point of difference from other childrens fashions on the market?Id say our colour palettes and styling. Our design language is unique and we only use natural fibres. We often receive feedback from our customers expressing their satisfaction for our high quality and the fact that our product washes well.Do you manufacture in Australia?We design our collections here in Australia and manufacture offshore to enable us to compete in the global market. Another reason that we have our garments made overseas is that we cant source some things locally, like the trims and accessories that we want to use. We also design and specify the fabrics and have them milled to our specifications to ensure our products are unique.What about the growth of your business in terms of staff?Initially it was mainly me in the planning stages. Once that first container arrived, Philip came on board and it was just the two of us for the first six months. Th en we were approached by a production coordinator who used to work for another company. To be honest, we didnt even know what a production coordinators responsibilities were at that stage. We thought theres no way wed be able to afford to hire people but we decided to meet with her nevertheless. We immediately realised that wed be mad not to bring her on board in some capacity After two weeks part time, she became full time because there was no way we could manage without her Shortly after that, we hired someone part time to help us with picking and packing. That person is still with us but not in a picking and packing role. Today we have a kollektiv of 15 so weve definitely grown over the past six and a half years.How important are publicity and marketing and what do you focus on?Marketing is vital. We advertise each season in leading childrens fashion magazines and, in addition, we receive a lot of editorial in Australia and overseas. Each season we also produce catalogues which a re very expensive, but in our opinion theyre a very worthwhile form of marketing. Another avenue is our website which is going to be updated soon.Trade fairs are another great way of building brand awareness. Each season we present our collections at the very prestigious Pitti Immagine Bimbo in Florence, Italy alongside the worlds leading boutique brands including Armani Junior, Baby Dior, Kenzo, DKNY and Burberry. Participation is by invitation only and we were honoured to be the first Australian brand to be invited to showcase our collections in a stand-alone space.Whats the hardest part of running your own business?Ultimately, as a director and business owner, we take on 100 per cent of the risk. At the end of the day, if something goes wrong, its all on our shoulders.The hours are also hard particularly with a young family. Philip and I do a lot of hours in the office but we also do a great deal at home. So our children do suffer from the long hours we put in.The business never leaves us. We take it into the shower, we take it to the grocery store, we take it to bedWhats the best part?You get to choose the people you work with, for a start. You get to choose your team and we have a fantastic team. Also, youre definitely in control of your own destiny so if things arent going in the direction that youd like them to go, you can change course and steer things in a different direction to arrive at the goal that youre striving for.What advice would you give to others thinking of starting their own business?Definitely employ people who have a great attitude. We think its imperative to get the right type of people. We hire first on attitude and secondly on skills. You can teach someone skills but you cant teach someone with a bad attitude how to get a good one. Unfortunately, we didnt employ people to assist us in the planning/start-up stage, which meant our initial growth was slower than it might have been. Its all a juggling act and its difficult when you dont have a lot of funds.In summary its good fun but hard work You need clear vision, passion and sheer determination. If running a business were easy, everyone would be doing itHas Elizabeths story has motivated you to share your business idea with the world? Get the tanzfest rolling with a course in Small Business. 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