Beatrice Toh, Founder of HeyDoodle is a  a mum of three who left a long career in architecture to turn her side-hustle into her now full-time gig. Beatrice founded the multi-award-winning HeyDoodle range of eco-friendly silicone playmats and creative play products in 2019, after recognising a gap in the market for products that combine education, fun and sustainability.

“I was constantly on the hunt for ways to keep my kids entertained while encouraging their development and eco-consciousness. As any parent will attest, engaging young children in ways that aren’t screen-based especially when out and about can be very trying. So HeyDoodle is effectively my personal solution turned full-time business,” explains Beatrice.

Today, HeyDoodle sells online and is stocked via more than 800 Australian retailers and trading in more than 25 countries and growing rapidly.

Here’s a QandA with Beatrice which you’re welcome to quote. Otherwise, I can easily arrange for Beatrice to answer other Qs if you’d like to just shoot through to me…

1. How did you decide to start your business? What inspired you?

In a nutshell, a gap in the market.

My eureka moment came amid experiencing the onset of the construction industry slump at the same time as my early years of parenthood in 2018-19.

I am a Master of Architecture graduate and a registered architect. I’d been working as a full-time architect for many years and my husband runs an architecture firm. The slump hit us hard and it was quite an uneasy time for us – as for many in our field.

In addition to all the professional pressures at the time and like most mums, I was constantly on the hunt for ways to keep my kids entertained while encouraging their development and eco-consciousness.

As a parent looking for a convenient, affordable and mess-free solution for busting boredom that isn’t screen-based and can be used anywhere, especially when we were out and about, I recognised a gap in the market for a product that combines education, fun and sustainability.

So effectively my self-funded startup turned full-time small business now reaching a global market and still rapidly growing, HeyDoodle has flourished from my personal solution to a product range used by tens-of-thousands of families, allied health professionals, educational institutions, within hospitals and soon, within aged care facilities too.

I did carefully consider the pros and cons of leaving architecture for the world of e-commerce full-time, especially with little experience in the field, but I’m so glad that I embraced the challenge. In fact, my architectural training has been instrumental in driving innovation within HeyDoodle. By repurposing my architectural experience, I’ve been able to utilise my skills in problem solving, design, effective collaboration and strategies for mastering silicone manufacturing and working with partners to test and develop new ideas, to ultimately create an innovative product range that’s filling a market gap.

Along with my genuine passion for eco-friendly products and commitment to social responsibility in business, motherhood definitely also played a pivotal role in inspiring the birth of HeyDoodle. I’ve involved my three kids in various aspects of the business (especially product-testing) and I love that they’re learning such invaluable skills at an early age as a result.

Not too unlike the journey of parenthood actually, diving into HeyDoodle and now nurturing its growth is certainly proving a wonderfully wild experience.

2. What are some of the important choices and strategies that contributed to the growth of your business?

Making choices that centre on our customers’ wants and pursuing strategies that align with our brand identity –  (as opposed to too much toe-dipping which can be tempting) has helped to grow HeyDoodle in a way that’s sustainable.

While taking advantage of opportunities as they arise is important, we’ve been deliberately measured in our approach to growth, and I think it’s actually this careful approach and attention to detail that is helping the business grow beyond my wildest expectations.

HeyDoodle is a family-owned business. As CEO and Founder, I am involved in all important decisions and I love that my husband and three kids are on the ride with me. My kids especially enjoy product-testing (of course!) and contribute to the business in other ways too which makes the experience all the more gratifying.

More specifically though…

Branding: Our brand identity was defined from the very outset of the business and although we’re not closed off to evolving, we’ve remained true to our values.

We have a strong value proposition in the sustainability and reusability of our products and highlighting this – across our digital channels, in packaging, in our tone and even in the partners we’ve chosen to engage – has been constant and helpful for growth.

Product innovation: My background as an architect has actually been so helpful in this regard. Keeping our product offering fresh and exciting, with different themes, designs and even special and limited-edition brand collaborations, is keeping our customers engaged and increasing customer loyalty.

E-comm experience and wholesale strategies: Our online store experience is crucial to customer satisfaction and thus crucial to our bottom line but also, we’re heavily focussed on leveraging the reach of our wholesale customers too and this has been massive part of our business growth. From just our website in 2019 to more than 800 Australian retail partners and trading in more than 25 countries today, a focus on wholesale is proving hugely beneficial to our growth.

Sustainable manufacturing: Our choice to centre on FDA-approved, food-grade silicone allows for safe use and longevity of our products, which keeps our customers coming back and enforces our branding as an eco-conscious business. Of course, plenty of consideration is given to the financials of decisions relating to manufacturing processes, delivery and the like – but never at the expense of sustainability.

Export marketing: is certainly also a key factor in our growth, especially at this stage of the business. We’re heavily focussed on expanding into key markets globally.

They’re just some examples of how we’re achieving business growth but at the very heart of it, it’s an absolute and true commitment to our vision and values and remaining true to our brand identity, especially as more and more competitors sprout up around us.

3. What makes your business different from other businesses in the industry? How do you stay ahead and bring innovation to this market?

As a mum of three, I personally fit the psychographics of my target customer so I always had confidence in HeyDoodle’s potential to fill a gap in the market for products that combine education, fun and sustainability. However, confidence – even an ample amount of confidence – in not enough in such a competitive market.

Again, it’s a commitment to our brand identity: blending playfulness with professionalism in our branding – that helps us to stand out from the pack and appeal to both parents / caregivers as well as to children.

Working with suppliers: has very much aided our ability to innovate and stay ahead. I visit our suppliers and really get to know how they work to educate myself on the ins-and-outs of our product manufacturing. Doing so helps me to adequately grasp which boundaries can be further pushed for product innovation.

Strategic collaborations: via partnerships with brands that naturally share our values is also working wonders for HeyDoodle. Partnerships with institutions like museums, zoos and cultural organisations are crucial to keeping our brand exciting in such a saturated market as kids’ toys.

Corporate responsibility and community support: is another key focus for HeyDoodle. We give in a number of ways to worthwhile causes and communities. I wish I could say this is true for more toy-based businesses but the reality is that it isn’t and our customers seemingly recognise that.

4. What challenges did you face along the way, and how did you overcome them? What important lessons have you learned from your experiences?

There have been too many challenges to list in entirety but among the key challenges are:

Poor manufacturing outcomes: where mass produced goods did not match samples. We had to check our products one by one which was extremely tedious and time consuming. We overcame this challenge by switching manufacturers and introducing more stringent quality controls during manufacturing.

Competing in a crowded market: It’s hard to compete against so many ‘big kids’ of the toys-based market.   We differentiated ourselves through focussing on the sustainability of our products, educational designs, expert-backing and using high-quality materials. Winning awards and collaborating with renowned institutions further validated our unique value proposition to help us stand-out as a relatively small player in such a massive market.

Scaling internationally: Expanding into global markets required navigating logistical complexities, cultural differences, and varying customer expectations. We showcased HeyDoodle at prestigious trade fairs, designed localised products, and partnered with distributors to establish a foothold more than 25 countries now and counting. countries. Strategic collaborations, like the Australia Zoo range, also helped open doors internationally.

I’ve learnt that we need to be resilient – every problem has a solution.  I’ve learnt that planning ahead is key, but being adaptive is also just as important as many things change along the way.

5. As a successful entrepreneur, what advice would you give to someone who wants to start their own business? What key lessons have you learned on your journey as an entrepreneur?

My top five tips are:

Focus on your niche: Identify your target audience and tailor your products and messaging to resonate with them.

Start small but dream big! Begin with a manageable idea that aligns with your passion and skills, but don’t be afraid to envision where you want to take it, and back yourself to take it there!

Be true to your identity but also remain adaptable: Entrepreneurship is full of challenges, from unexpected setbacks to steep learning curves. Know your identity as a brand and remain true to that identity but also, be open to opportunities and flexible enough to move with what’s needed for your business to grow.

Build a support network: Running a business can be lonely, you need to have people around you who get your struggles and can provide sound advice.

Factor in your wages into your expenses as early on as you can to build a sustainable business model.

ABOUT HEYDOODLE:

Draw. Erase. Repeat.

HeyDoodle is a multi-award-winning range of reusable, mess-free, versatile and sustainable playmats and eco-conscious creative play products.

Made to inspire imaginative young minds, enhance fine motor skills, and offer a sustainable solution for parents and caregivers looking to reduce waste while keeping kids entertained, the HeyDoodle range is made from FDA-approved food-grade silicone and provide oodles of hours of educational play through drawing, colouring, tracing and problem-solving activities.