Business Mum Week: Natalie from The Organic Toy Company

October 6, 2009 by Brenda
Filed under Featured Posts, Featured Retailers, News & Reviews

Who are you?
My name is Natalie Southgate. I’m happily married to Steve and am blessed with three gorgeous children aged 10, 3 and 2.

Name of company?
The Organic Toy Company, specialising in soft toys made partially or entirely with organic fabrics (mainly organic cotton, occasionally soft organic wool).

How did you get involved in an eco business?
The company was actually formed because my all children suffer with eczema and having used organic cotton nappies for my youngest two, it occurred to me that organic cotton was the ideal fabric for their soft toys. I found myself on a steep learning curve about the environmental, social and ethical aspects of organic cotton. I wanted to raise awareness of the benefits of opting for organic cotton products through my website, whilst also offering busy parents the convenience of a wide choice of organic toys, all in one single place.

What is the best part of being a working mum?
As I work from home, I can still be with my youngest children who are of pre-school age. I had no choice but to go back to full time work in London when my eldest was born and hated it every step of the way, as I desperately wanted to be at home with her. Although it’s a juggling act trying to work from home with young children around, it does mean I can work without leaving my children in someone else’s care. If they’re ever unwell, it’s completely uncomplicated for me to be with them.

What is the worst part of being a working mum?
I have to get a lot of my work done at night and at weekends. Coupling the late nights with the erratic sleeping patterns and/or early rising of my youngest two does lead to lots of sleep deprivation, but I guess you just get used to that! It’s well documented that it can be quite lonely working from home, but with so many social media networks on offer now, there are lots of ways to introduce interaction with other adult life forms into your working day!

Your top tip to other mums thinking about starting an eco business?
In my opinion, you have to be genuinely passionate about the eco ethos of your business, rather than just latching on to an eco-themed trend to make money out of its growing popularity. Saying that, I think most eco business founders do believe passionately in what they’re doing. Other than that, I’d say be positive and just take pride in being able to provide environmentally-responsible services or products which contribute to helping the planet!

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