• Who are you?

Amanda Brown, Founder of Phone My Mum

• What does your business do?

Phone My Mum handcrafts children’s bracelets and keyrings, combining safety and fashion.

Each accessory is personalised with the child’s parent or guardian’s phone number so it’s easy for the child to simply give it to the helping adult and say: “Phone My Mum, Dad, Guardian” or whoever their loved one may be.

• Where are you based?

Jobs & Business Glasgow helped me to find an office and the business is based at its Orkney Street Enterprise Centre in Govan.

• How did you get started?

Making up bracelets and working from my laptop at my dining room table.

• What is your background

After living abroad for the last 12 years, I moved home last year and fell in love with Scotland again. I worked in Oil & Gas recruitment until recently, when the oil price failed to recover. I studied art briefly when I left school and am loving that I get to do something creative again on a daily basis.

• What is your top tip?

Look for the opportunity in every difficulty. When I was made redundant, I was devastated, but I gave myself a shake pretty quickly and saw this as an opportunity to do something I enjoy, which could help also help parents and children alike.

• Has anyone helped you get started and how?

I have had help from Jobs & Business Glasgow, Business Gateway, Princes Trust and Peoples Plus. Jobs & Business Glasgow, in particular, have been a massive help in progressing my business so far. They have helped me with some funding, establishing an office and always there with great, no-nonsense advice whenever it's needed.

• Who was/is your mentor/or inspiration?

My mum is my inspiration, as the idea was conceived 25 years ago when she would pin her phone number to the inside of my duffle coat every day before waving me off at the school gates. It was humiliating for me but inspired me to come up with a fun and fashionable accessory kids love that would serve the same purpose.

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

I am so excited about the future for the business and big plans for new products to develop. My goal is for Phone My Mum to be recognisable product across the UK and Europe, with people’s first reaction to look for a Phone My Mum accessory on any child who has lost their family or guardian.

• Useful contacts

Jobs & Business Glasgow, www.jbg.org.uk / 0141 274 3333

• Contact Details

Amanda Brown

www.phonemymum.com

info@phonemum.com