Birth Baby & Beyond

They are the future for Glasgow and the west of Scotland's economy and are working hard to achieve success as the UK starts to recover from economic hardship.

Many new businesses are beginning to take off and this column aims to offer advice for potential start-ups.

Each company will answer the same questions about their business and their answers will appear in the Evening Times each Wednesday.

This week we talk to Natasha Earle of Birth Baby & Beyond

Who are you?

Natasha Earle, owner of Birth Baby & Beyond, which I run with co- founder Seona Misumi.

What does your

business do?

We provide families in Glasgow facing financial hardship with free 'starter packs' of clean, safe essential baby and child items. All of the items in our free Starter Packs have been donated to us and are a mixture of new and used items.

Where are you based?

We have a shop/drop-off point at 561 Dumbarton Road, Patrick.

From 10.30am - 4pm, Tuesday to Saturday, members of the public can come into our shop and buy high quality, low cost baby and child items. Donations can be dropped off during these hours too.

How did you get started?

In June 2013 we began collecting donations of baby and child items and stored them at home.

Each week we dispatched a small number of free starter packs to families in need. In November 2013 we received funding that enabled us to secure shop premises.

In February 2014 we opened our shop to the public, increased our number of free starter packs and since then have gone from strength to strength.

What is your background?

I have an HNC in Scots Law, an HND in Fine Art and a Honours degree in History of Art from The University of Glasgow.

During my studies I worked in retail, as a visual merchandiser, and in a Glasgow photography studio, as a receptionist.

Seona has 10 years' experience in running her own business and in marketing.

We have a strong team of five members who apply their various skills to our organisation as a whole, including Franklin Emina who is a co-founder and trustee, and Wasonga Misumi, a trustee and our business consultant.

What is your top tip?

Try to research your target market two to three times a year to keep up with any changes.

Network with other business owners in various professions and be open to creating new partnerships.

How long has your business been running?

Birth, Baby & Beyond has been running since June 2013.

Has anyone helped you get started and how?

We have received funding from First Port/Scot Ltd and ScotMid.

We receive donations of baby and child items from families within the Glasgow community.

We receive donations of items from other charities, small business owners and larger organisations, such as Nationwide Bank.

Who was your

inspiration?

After having my second child, Natasha, I met with families at baby classes and noticed a problem.

Due to financial hardship, many families did not have clean, safe baby or child items.

After a few months of research, we discovered that there was no help for families in need when it came to essential baby and child items.

We decided to do something positive to help families in need.

Where do you plan your business to be in five years time?

In the next five years we plan to be in a position to increase the number of families we can help with free starter packs.

We also hope plan to increase the number of parent and child organisations we work with.

We plan to have a larger premises in the next two years, with a potential second property by 2024.

Contact Details

Email: birthbabybeyond@yahoo.co.uk

www.facebook.com/birthbabiesbeyond

www.twitter.com/BBBGlasgow