We like to be inspired by other working mothers. What drives them and what are they doing? This time Susan tells about 'the drool bib ' and what ambitions she has with Honni.
Personally, I hadn't heard of a drool lab before. So I completely overlooked Susan's company when my kids were little and what a shame that is! Fortunately, Susan wants to tell her story below, because when my kids were little I would have loved to put on such a beautiful drool bib instead of changing all those wet clothes every time!
Read on quickly…
Hi, I'm Susan Holst. A 43-year-old Danish woman and I have lived in the Netherlands for 13 years now with my Dutch husband and my 2 children:a 9-year-old boy and a 7-year-old daughter. I like to devise and implement solutions in a practical way that most people can agree with. I believe in sustainability and the power of an honest and pure product and with that basis I designed the drool lab.
What kind of company do you have and how did you get there? So I design all kinds of different bibs, which also serve as fashionable scarves. Of course you can buy the drool bib in my webshop. The scarves collect the excess saliva, which often occurs when teeth come through in children. The collection has since been expanded to also offer scarves for the disabled and the elderly. The idea came to me with my second child, because I couldn't get the bibs on the Dutch market, and because I didn't get any compliments from the scarves I bought in Denmark.
When did you start your business, and what motivated you to start your own business?
I started “Honni” 6 years ago. I wanted to use my accumulated knowledge on the Dutch and Danish markets, but I also wanted to be able to work flexibly. I wanted to create work for myself that gave me satisfaction and financial independence. At the same time, I also want to be there for my children.
What do you get the most satisfaction from looking at your own company?
My satisfaction comes from the positive reactions of my customers. The reactions for parents of disabled children, who have long looked for a fashionable solution and are now very happy with Honni's drool bib. I love to build something, and at my pace and with my standards and values.
It's a thrill when you come up with something, and you see that it works.
Do you still have a job next to your company, or do you have your hands full running it?
In the beginning I worked about 15 hours and did my company next to it. Now it is a full-time job, which I do during school hours and in the evenings and on weekends. I don't really know how many hours. But I still think I will make it to 40 hours.
How do you divide your time between your work and your private life, is there a balance?
Hmm, yeah that's always a tricky one. I work all hours during school hours now. When school is out until bedtime I am there for the children, I am a mother and take care of the household chores. Every now and then I have to do something for the company. If I happen to have time without the children being there, yes, I will crawl back behind the PC. This is the advantage of an internet shop.
In the evenings I sit at my PC and if there is a chance at the weekend, I sneak to my studio.
Since this year my production is no longer at home, which means that I am always in the living room sitting at the computer at night. The fact that the production is no longer in-house makes a big difference. The big pitfall in this way of working is that you are constantly switching between work and family.
What is your 'ultimate' goal when you look at your own business and your family?
My short-term dream is to have a small company with 1 to 2 trusted employees, who also have a heart for the business. I want to work 5 days a week during school hours, with an occasional evening added. I definitely want to outsource the household tasks 😉 .
Then when the kids go to high school, I want to give my business an extra boost and work full-time. By then I would like to expand the company to 4 or 5 employees, but that is the limit. It shouldn't get any bigger.
What advice would you give other moms if you heard that they are considering starting their own business?
Consider whether you are willing to put a large part of your social life on the back burner. You have to like hard work, and make your business your passion, otherwise it will be unsustainable.
And most importantly, listen to other people, but follow your intuition. You can only be at your very best if you do what suits you in juggling your business and your family life.
