Sleepless in Polyester

Originally published in Her Business June 2007



Getting your baby to sleep through the night is a subject close to every parent's heart. In 2003, New Zealander Amie Nilsson tried putting her daughter, Lily, in a sleeping bag after months of getting up in the night when Lily kicked her blankets off and woke up cold. However, all the sleeping bags on the market contained polyesters, which gave Lily heat rash. Amie, mother and entrepreneur, saw her dilemma as a business opportunity. Her Business asked her about her success over the last 3 years.

Q: Tell us about your business

I decided to use my background in art and textiles to design my own sleeping bag using only natural fibres. I made the first sleeping bag myself and trialed it with Lily. I knew exactly what I wanted: a natural sleeping bag that was practical, durable, compact and machine washable. At the same time, it also had to be really soft, and able to keep Lily's temperature regulated throughout the night.

At last, Lily was able to settle herself back to sleep when she woke in the night because she wasn't cold or tangled in her blankets. It was amazing.

Other mothers really responded to the idea of sleeping their babies in natural fibres. The feedback I had from mothers was that polyesters over heated babies because the fabric didn't breathe, which was the same expereince I had had with Lily. I started to do some research into what polyesters are made out of and it certainly wasn't anything I was prepared to sleep my baby in.

Thus was born Merino Kids Go Go Bags. They are a unique sleeping bag made from 100 per cent natural fibres, designed for mothers on the go and to help their babies sleep through the night. The bags are lined with 100 per cent merino wool, meaning that the baby's temperature is regulated throughout the night. In hot conditions the merino removes heat away from the body and in cooler conditions (between four and six in the morning), it insulates. It is incredibly soft and perfect for children with sensitive skin or eczema. The outer is made from 100 per cent cotton.

Q What drove you to become self-employed?

Because I have young children, I wanted the flexibility of being my own boss. I also love the excitement of a small business and creating something new using both my creative and business abilities.

I had my own ceramic and art company at the age of 19, so I knew exactly what was involved in being self-employed and the amount of time and effort it would take to get the business up and running.

Q Detail some of the highs, lows and challenges you have experienced.

The highs - The reaction we've had from parents to the product has been fantastic. The business has increased 150 per cent year on year for the past three years, which has been a phenomenal response.

Another highlight has been seeing the internet side (www.merinokids.com) take off. The main part of the business is internet-based, but we've also branched into brochures and retail, and we've had an exciting reaction from that too.

The lows - The financial pressures it takes to get a small business up and running are definitely a low. As everyone who is involved in a small business knows, it's hard work, but the end result is definitely worth it.

Challenges - The Merino Kids Go Go Bag is a really simple and unique product, and a tremendous amount of hard work and research has gone into getting it where it is today. The biggest challenges the business has faced are in manufacturing and product development - they are never-ending. Safety testing is a big part of the business for us, as is going through the legal requirements to ensure the Merino Kids Go Go Bag can't be copied.

Also, keeping up with supply and demand was a key issue for us - it's a big challenge to manage the production run without affecting cash flow. It's important not to carry too much stock, but you need enough to cover demand.

Q Outline your strategic plan and goals for the future

We've currently just entered the Australian market, and that will be our main focus for the next financial year, as well as continuing to service the New Zealand market. I do plan to take Merino Kids Go Go Bags further afield, but that's a longer term plan.

Internationally, sleeping bags have become a popular alternative to sheets and blankets. Most parents don't realise that babies move around their cot or bed in the night until they're about four years old, which means it's easy for them to wriggle out of their blankets and get their legs caught in the cot bars. Naturally, this won't happen in a sleeping bag. An additional advantage for children who have had the familiartity of their sleeping bag is that it also mkes the transition from cot to bed easier.