Soh-sleepy-baby-bouquets…an innovative gift for newborns

The masses of flowers flooding hospital rooms inspired this small business

Katrina Hedderwick has a baby girl nearly 12 months old and little boy, going on four. While she has been ‘a mum at home’ on maternity leave, Katrina, who has a hospitality and HR-recruitment background, has taken a very creative business idea – to provide a practical alternative to the waste of so many fresh flowers being ‘binned’ – and run with it!

Katrina started out like many other small businesses, drawing on her personal experiences as a new mum, making gifts for friends and family using her favourite good quality, good value brands of newborn clothing. Her bouquets are bright, fresh and fun and a very practical alternative to fresh flowers.

The ‘S.O.H.’ part of S.O.H Sleepy Baby Bouquets stands for ‘son of Hedderwick’ – young Xavier!

About the bouquets
There are NO flowers in Katrina’s bouquets, yet they are as pretty and colourful as real OR artificial flowers! Katrina folds and wraps tiny newborn clothes, sizes 000 – 0 in wonderful colours – bibs, beanies, singlets, jumpsuits, wraps etc – into beautifully presented bouquets and boxed ‘flowers’. Prices range from $35 through to $130.

The bouquets, boxes and bears with ‘flowers’ are available in different colour ranges online at www.sohsleepybabybouquets.com.au. Tara, a recent customer, chose the clothing she wanted for the bouquet, then sent the gift via international post to the US, appreciating how easy it was to package the gift without spoiling the presentation.

Katrina uses only quality infant garments: what’s best for a baby’s skin, low fire danger and made from natural fibres. She discusses colours and customers preferences over the phone and provides a tag that lists the items to be ‘discovered’ in the bouquet.

• Singlets – Cotton Bonds Ribbed or Chesty Bonds
• Socks – Cotton Holeproof (Bonds, Red Robin)
• Bibs – Jersey Cotton or infant cotton
• Baby Wraps – Jersey Cotton, Muslin or Flannel
• Jumpsuits – Cotton
• Disposable Nappies – Newborn sizes -up to 5kg
• Disposable Swim Nappies – up to 7kg 3-6 months or 9-12mths.

Katrina’s motto is “If I wouldn’t buy it for my baby, then I don’t expect you to buy it for yours”.

Here and now
Katrina now has a loyal band of customers – with repeat customers buying bouquets two and three times – and is finding that over the last 6 months the business is really starting to take off. The ‘process’ is slow as Katrina is careful to do things ‘right’! This style of baby bouquet is apparently available in the US but there is very little of it here in Oz.

About the business
Katrina started the business in March 2004 and began online trading in May 2005. Marketing is via the website, word of mouth and ‘cold calling’ on maternity boutiques etc…..before Christmas Katrina was given a window display after calling on one maternity boutique! She is often up till 4am three or four nights a week and says she is fortunate to have family members who are supportive and also good financial advisers.

Katrina seems to be at that ‘Do I move the business out of home? Do I employ someone?’ Where do I go from here with a fast-growing business? stage. Any advice from HBB operators who’ve ‘been there and done that’?