What did you do before opening your own children’s store?
Originally I taught English, first in Canada (I’m Canadian) then in China for many years. Just prior to starting my own business however I had been working as an Immigration Officer at the Australian Embassy in Beijing.
What motivated you to start your own business?
The Embassy job paid well but I felt I had reached a ceiling – there weren’t many development opportunities. Also I was approaching my 40th birthday, and looking back over my professional career to date I felt like I hadn’t accomplished that much. Something was missing – I wanted to make a bigger mark.
I’d recently returned from a trip home to Canada where my sister and I had organised a series of garage sales. I’d really enjoyed it – putting on an apron, getting my hands on actual physical stuff, the sales. It was my first taste of “I run the show.”
Back in Beijing – I remember it was November 8th 2005 – I was having lunch at a café with my friend Barbara and we were chatting about the different business opportunities here. We came up with two or three ideas that I felt could really work, but opening a second-hand shop for good quality, gently used baby toys and clothes appealed the most. It reminded me of the fun I’d had with the garage sales.
How did you make the transition from employee to business owner?
I moonlighted for a while. Whilst holding down the Embassy job, I ran NU2YU out of a room in my apartment, opening two days a week. I worked Saturdays and Barbara, who had become my business partner, worked on Wednesdays.
It was difficult fitting everything in around my day job, as emails and phone calls would come in outside of the shop opening hours. But I couldn’t afford to leave my job as I was the main breadwinner for my family.
Then in December 2006 Barbara, who was leaving China, wanted to dissolve the partnership. I also had a small business representing Chinese artists and the profits from that meant I was able to buy out her share in NU2YU.
At that point I looked at the baby shop’s figures and took a leap of faith. I quit my job to work at the baby shop and the art business full time. I only had 20,000 RMB (around £2,000) in the bank and a mortgage to pay, so I busted my ass for six months, getting my name out there.
What were the major milestones?
A big milestone – which was actually a greater leap of faith – was when I left the art gallery to work 100% on NU2YU and the launch of a second children’s retail outlet. It was June 2008.
The new shop came into existence in quite a funny way. A good friend, a Swedish air steward, had been supplying me with second-hand Stokke highchairs. He’d find the chairs on Blocket (like a Swedish eBay) drive round Stockholm collecting them from people’s houses then use his luggage allowance to fly them over – five or six at a time.
The chairs sold really well, and we couldn’t keep up with demand, so I arranged a meeting with Stokke to see if I could become an authorised retailer for their products in Beijing, China.
Stokke said yes, on condition that I opened a parallel second shop – they didn’t want their premium brand sold alongside second-hand goods. They gave me 6 months.
I just said “yes, I can do that” with no idea how I would manage it! And that’s how the Counting Sheep Boutique was born. The boutique stocks exclusively new products: high end international brands with a focus on safety, fun, and design – from maternity through childhood.
What does your business look like now?
From a room in my apartment open two days a week, we now have three premises open 7 days week. Two of the shops are in downtown Beijing and a Shunyi branch of the Counting Sheep Boutique is opening February 8th.
We are also launching our online store www.countingsheepboutique.com in the next few weeks. And I have a new business partner, Carolien van Tilburg, who brings a lot of design and style flair to the boutique.
How is your life different now?
The upside is the control. This is “my thing” – I can always say I opened China’s first second-hand baby shop. So I feel I’ve made the mark that I wanted to.
The learning curve in starting your own business is enormous. But it’s fun knowing that you’ll be able to put everything you learn to use.
What advice would you give someone thinking of starting their own business?
Make sure you really believe in your product or service as you’ll end up working longer hours than you imagined! But do take that leap of faith – the money will come.
