WHO: Alexandra Wardle, mum to Tyler, four, and Flynn, two.
WAS: A specialist drug representative for a pharmaceutical company.
NOW: Qubies CEO, sales person, marketer and packer. Qubies are clever ice-cube trays that make freezing, and later releasing, baby food a cinch.
Qubies are upside down ice-cube containers that you can use to freeze 30ml blocks of baby food, breastmilk and a whole host of other things, from surplus juice from lemons in the garden to leftover stock and tomato puree. They’re designed to make getting the frozen food out completely fuss-free.
When did the idea strike?It was in January 2007. As a member of the navy, my husband, PJ, was in Iraq. We’d only recently moved to Perth from Melbourne, so I didn’t have a lot of support and one day I was just so tired that pureed mashed potato pushed me over the edge. Up until this point I’d broken a lot of containers trying to remove food I’d frozen in them for my first son, Tyler, who’d recently started solids. That day I just couldn’t get the potato out of the ice-cube tray and I just cried and cried and cried. I thought, ‘Why doesn’t someone make an ice-cube tray for baby food?’ Such a simple idea, but I’d never seen one around.
Starting outI’d seen a TV show on inspirational mums in business that featured a woman called Sascha Griffin from pinklily. She was making clear plastic storage boxes, so I rang her for advice on where to start with my idea and she was very helpful. From there it was a long process involving a lot of research, developing the design and then making a mould. Qubies were launched in April 2007.
Spreading the wordOnce I had a product I started going around to baby shops and most of them pre-bought stock. I had done a pilot run of 800 units and managed to sell 4000! I also got a website up and running (www.qubies.com.au) and a lot of publicity came through word of mouth, too.
And now?Qubies recently won a Telstra Business Women’s award, which was lovely. I also did some research into BPA and introduced BPA-free Qubies in January this year, and am continuing to research other new products.We now have a New Zealand distributor and are sold in a few stores around the globe. We’re also diversifying to become distributors of new innovative products from Aussie mums.
How do the kids fit in?Tyler’s started kindy and I work two days a week when Flynn is in daycare. The rest of the week, I dowork here and there around them.
The best bitsI love the interaction and the challenges that I get on a day-to-day basis and that I can be home with the kids, because the work I do I can do any time of day.
The hardest partThings were pretty tough at the beginning when I was trying to find out how to make my product. A lot of people didn’t take me seriously. But I’m so glad I stuck with it!
Lessons learned1. Research your market well!
2. Don’t let anyone tell you that you can’t do something – believe in yourself and stick with your idea.
3. Don’t rely on other people to make any really important decisions for you. Be involved as wholly as you can.
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