Mumpreneur Feature – Aycin Wateridge & *Giveaway CLOSED*

The lovely Aycin of B Organic Skincare is on the blog today and is giving away 3 lovely prizes!! See end of post for comp 🙂

Who are you?
My name is Aycin, mother of one beautiful little girl, originally from Turkey where amongst other things everything is grown organically.

What do you do?
I own B Organic Skincare; Organic skincare and bath products with no nasty chemicals from babies to adults who has sensitive skin and suffers from Eczema, Dermatitis and Psoriasis and for people who enjoy gentle organic products. We use plant derived ingredients and eliminate skin irritants as much as we can. We have a great range of Shampoo, Conditioner, Body lotion, Body Balm, Bubble Bath and skincare for face for mums and babies.

When did you establish your business?
B Organic Skincare was established in 2009, but we didn’t start trading until June 2010.

What made you start your own business?
I created B Organic Skincare due to necessity. Our daughter was born with severe eczema and for several years she suffered with it. Often we would hear her crying in the night and we would find her bleeding where she had scratched in her sleep. The products prescribed to us by our doctor if they helped at all it was short lived and the eczema would be back. We found organic products SLS and Paraben free, but eliminating these chemicals was not enough. There are worse chemicals that are being used in these organic products that damage the skin. We tried everything on the market but none of them ever seemed to work. I read everything there was to read including how other cultures deal with skin conditions, I spoke with experts to find out the best way to deal with the condition. The result of which was the creation of what we believe is the gentlest organic skincare and bath products with the best certified organic ingredients we could possibly find. Our products are not only organic, but free from so many nasty chemicals. All our products are suitable for sufferers of eczema and sensitive skin.

What do you love about working for yourself?
I love having the time to spend with my daughter. I can arrange my own hours, most of the time I work longer hours after she goes to bed, but we get to have fun times together.  I have the luxury of taking her to her swimming lessons and dance classes in the mornings and we get to cook together after school. I love being a mum and she is the most important thing in my life. Having my own business allows me to spend more time with my daughter and family.

Is there anything you do not like about working for yourself?
The stress! I have to organise everything, and do everything for myself. It is the mental tiredness, but yet again I love what I do and enjoy every second of it. 

Is there anything you would go back and do differently if you could?
I don’t think there is, you can never be 100% prepared for everything, but you learn as you go and you make things better, turning failures into successes.

What advice would you give to a Mum considering starting her own business?
Research the market before you decide to try and turn your idea into a business.
Have a business plan and research your potential customer base thoroughly, test the market to ensure there is a market before investing too heavily.
Listen to the advice from other business owners, they have probably been through what you are going through and made it out the other side.
Always listen to your customers, if enough of them are saying the same thing, the chances are they are right!