Pregnancy & Parenting Magazine talks to Amisha Mody the founder NeeNoo – the UK’s first price comparison site for baby products.
Amisha Mody, NeeNoo founder
Amisha has over seven years’ experience working in the baby and child market.
After becoming a mum in 2016 to a baby boy, Amisha has successfully combined her personal and professional experience to create NeeNoo.
Tell us about NeeNoo.
I was the Babycare Buyer for Ocado for three years and during this time I had the pleasure of working with all the top brands.
When I had my son, I realised how cluttered and complicated the shopping landscape was for new parents and wanted to make the journey simpler for others. I decided to create the UK’s first comparison site for baby products.
NeeNoo.co.uk is the only single online platform that provides product information, real reviews by parents and live pricing from every major online and high street retailer; allowing parents to compare products and find the best price or offer.
Smart technology makes it blissfully easy to sort and filter items based on your lifestyle, budget or family needs.
What was the inspiration behind NeeNoo?
I am a frugal soul so whether we’re going out for dinner, booking a holiday or even doing our weekly grocery shop, I love to know I have got the best deal.
When I was pregnant, I was frustrated that I had to go to four different sites to read about the same product, find the opinions of other parents and then hunt to locate the best price. I just knew there had to be an easier way!
I searched (and searched) and there were no resources to help parents navigate this very important decision-making process. I decided to set up a comparison site to remove ambiguity and bring transparent pricing to parents.
What are your top three money saving tips for parents?
Before baby’s arrival, do your research and shortlist products that you think you will need. However, only buy the essentials for the hospital and the first few weeks at home.
Most retailers offer a next day delivery service and once your baby arrives, you will be best placed to judge whether you still want that item or require something different.
Babies need very little when they first arrive, so don’t go crazy on the buying.
This will help you spread out those big purchases, so you don’t have one very expensive month!
Try to always calculate the cost per nappy or wipe. There are lots of different pack sizes and promotions on these products so without looking at this measure, it can be hard to know which one works out the cheapest.
When buying a Pushchair or Stroller, look at all the colour options available. Manufacturers release different colours and shades each year and sometimes by selecting a different hue from a previous ‘season’ you can save up to £100!
What advice would you give to other mumpreneur’s to get their ideas up and running?
Being a Mum is a fulltime job in itself without adding the complexity of trying to start a business. If it’s a journey you decide you want to embark on, be prepared to hustle, hustle, hustle.
If you have an idea that’s buzzing around in your mind, try to test it out on a small group of potential consumers. Once you have validated it’s potential, write a business plan, ensure you have the finances in place (through savings, loans or investors) and get going.
No amount of planning can prepare you for every eventuality so at some point, you have to be brave.
I would also recommend you lean on anyone you can – friends, family, and neighbours – any responsible and willing adult!
I live by the principle that ‘It takes a village to raise a child’ and am lucky to have a fabulous support system in the form of my husband, parents and in-laws who all help with childcare.
In the beginning there were no ‘working hours’ and I would squeeze NeeNoo into all times of the day when my son was at nursery, napping or in bed for the night.
However, as every Mum quickly realises once their baby arrives, sleep is a luxury; not a necessity!
What’s the story behind the name ‘NeeNoo’?
I was convinced that I was having a girl and nearly fell off the operating table when my obstetrician announced I have delivered a beautiful baby boy.
My Mother’s Intuition had clearly failed me! Aside from making my husband run home and re-wallpaper the nursery ASAP from pink stripes to jolly blue monkeys, we had to start quickly re-thinking baby names.
It took us a few days to settle on something we both loved and in the meantime, I just nicknamed my gorgeous baby NeeNoo.
I still use it to affectionately refer to my son – although now the business has launched it can make conversations in my household quite confusing!
What’s been the feedback so far on your launch?
We launched just three weeks ago and have had a warm reception from parents across the country. The social channels have been growing rapidly over a very short period of time and NeeNoo is building a community where parents can exchange their experiences and money saving tips.
We have been overwhelmed by all the kind words of support from other Mums and Dads and have received messages from parents who are so happy to have saved money on their purchases through using the site.
Others are enjoying using it to research things in anticipation of their new arrivals.
What are your three parent products you could not live without?
My best buy was definitely my changing bag. Once you have a baby you can kiss goodbye to all your lovely handbags. You are barely able to manage the baby, buggy and baby bag, let alone adding a purse to the equation!
I decided that if I was going to be carrying a bag for two and a half years, I wanted one that was fashionable and practical. I chose a gorgeous leather Jem + Bea tote but there are so many lovely brands out there that parents are really spoilt for choice.
My family has a severe case of the travel bug and we are always on the move. I am so pleased we chose to purchase the Babyzen YoYo as our travel system as we have used it since my son was a baby.
The pushchair is so compact when folded and was the first pram that you could take on board with you on flights. This meant we had a stroller at the ready the moment we landed and saved me painfully lugging my baby on one hip through an airport.
Lastly, I loved the Mamaroo 4.0. This was a gift we received when Krish was born but we used it all the time. The Mamaroo mimics the way parents bounce and comfort their child and is smart phone compatible. In the early days it gave me a break from carrying him and allowed us to groove together to Beyonce every evening whilst I would prepare dinner.
What’s the best piece of parenting advice you’ve received?
Be kind to yourself.
A friend of mine once told me that being a Mother is like sitting on a turbulent flight. Just as you are instructed in the emergency briefing on an airline, it is so important to put on your oxygen mask first and then help others.
Whether you go for a run, get your nails done or just soak in the bath with Netflix for company, finding your version of the oxygen mask is essential and gives you the energy to be the best version of you.
It’s easy to feel guilty in these moments – after all, you could be doing laundry / cooking / cleaning – but just turn up the music or TV really loud and try and drown out the ‘Mum Guilt’.
Everyone deserves 30 minutes and the washing isn’t going anywhere!
Where do you see yourself and your business in the next five years?
I’d love to have another baby at some point but right now NeeNoo is my second child.
We are clear in our vision for the company; we want to build the biggest Baby website in the UK and help Mums and Dads as much time and money as possible.
We dream of making NeeNoo the go-to site for all Baby products and build a supportive community to help parents make the right buying decisions all the time, every time.
For further information on NeeNoo click here.
in Dublin