Meet the founder of doddl
My name is Cat, I live in the Cotswolds, I’m a mum of 3 (including twins) and when my brain isn’t full with work and being a mum, I’m thinking about how everyday products we use can be improved to make life easier. I am also the founder of doddl.
What inspired you to launch your business and what is the end goal?
I was on holiday with my family and really at breaking point, I was struggling with postnatal depression and trying to cope with twins aged 18 months and my daughter who was two and a half at the time – and I was completely overwhelmed. I was experiencing yet another disastrous, stressful mealtime when my daughter broke the handle of the plastic fork she was using and started to eat much better with the short, stumpy end. After that, I kicked off my research almost immediately about the design of kids cutlery.
How do you set yourself apart from other businesses in your industry?
Our unique products and our purpose. Everything we design has a functional purpose that will make mealtimes easier and more enjoyable for children. We also focus heavily on research and testing so that when we bring a doddl product to market, we are 100% confident it will actually work for children and that means we get amazing reviews.
Keeping an eye on the numbers in any business is important. How do you ensure that you’re always up to date?
Fortunately, I take after my dad, and I have a natural aptitude for numbers, which has definitely been an advantage but I’ve also had to work hard to grow my understanding of business finances and accounting to really make sure the business is on a sound footing and be able to identify where potential problems are emerging. The reality is, as a small business, especially in the early days, we were always battling cashflow issues. Fortunately, we have a wider team to draw on now, including bookkeepers and chartered accountants and that ensures we are kept abreast of developments.
With all the success stories around entrepreneurship and how innovative people have to be to take the leap. How do you think you’ve innovated your sector and why?
Children’s cutlery had been around for decades and never really evolved…it was just how people expected cutlery to be and was generally accepted. We took a massive leap of faith in terms of ripping up the rule book and saying something that is as simple and basic as cutlery can be challenged and be made better. It also meant making people face the uncomfortable truth that mealtimes can be very difficult and stressful and we don’t need to pretend everything is rosy….it’s ok to struggle and reach out for help. We see a lot more people talking openly about mealtime struggles and the community is much more willing to listen and offer advice/support to parents and that’s a good thing.
Do you have a morning routine or ritual to get your day started on the right foot?
I’m definitely a morning person…I’m that annoying sort that literally jumps out of bed the minute I wake up…or wants to hold an in-depth discussion with my half-asleep husband. So in an ideal world I would jump in a cold pool every morning and do 20 laps…failing that (given I don’t have easy access to a pool!) I try and get on the turbo trainer and do quick 10K before the kids get up for school then I feel I’m all set for the day.
What are your top tips for entrepreneurs wanting to get their business out there?
Research is key – into your potential market, your product or service, competitors. Whether it is a product or service you are starting, it needs to be stand-out brilliant because this is potentially what will save you when all else fails. It was the unique concept and design of our cutlery that pulled us through. It sounds simple, but it is easy to get lost in an idea than you think is great, but is not actually commercially viable.
What plans do you have for doddl over the next two years?
There are 3 key growth areas for us over the next 2 years. One is to increase our UK market share and build awareness of doddl in our home market, the second is to take our learnings from the UK and increase sales in other key markets and thirdly to add to our product line.
Is word of mouth working to your advantage?
Yes absolutely – parent to parent recommendations are invaluable – in the baby sector, you really have to build trust through word of mouth particularly because no one takes a chance on a new product for their baby or toddler unless they know it works and the most trusted recommendations come other parents. Because doddl works so well parents have thankfully been huge advocates and really help spread the word.
What social media channel would you say has worked the best for your business and why?
Initially Facebook, that’s where we focused our efforts and grew our following but in the past couple of years we’ve more heavily focused on Instagram – partially because of the change in algorithms on Facebook which made everything a bit harder for businesses, but also because Instagram is so visual. We really benefit from parents sharing videos and images of their kids eating with doddl. It brings a real sense of pride to see your child achieve something like eating with cutlery and parents love to share their experiences of doddl with us and other parents.
What do you think gives a brand longevity?
The value of the products and staying true to the brand purpose and values. Authenticity and trust is also key for me, we do what we say we’re going to do, we deliver this through our cleverly designed products, and how we run our business – for our customers and our team. As long as we keep focused on these elements we’ll hopefully be around for a very long time.
