Pandemic pivot sees sparkling sales for Hampshire's Brush Baby

Dominique Tillen's move online during lockdown saw sales at child toothbrush retailer Brush Baby shine

The pandemic was make-or break for many South East firms with markets and distribution channels closing overnight once the country entered the first pandemic lockdown.

When the dust settled, however, many made successful and lasting changes in the way that they sold their products and Dominique Tillen of Hampshire-based Brush Baby was no different.

The company's growth had followed a steady growth trajectory, hitting the £1m turnover milestone in 2017, however it was a key pivot made during Covid that accelerated Brush Baby's progress.

The firm now has a turnover of £4m a year and employs 15 people in the market town of Alresford.

Dominique said: "Between 2020 and 2021, we grew by 43 per cent and that was during Covid when we switched the business to online.

"We heavily focused on Amazon as our retailers had all shut down which was pivotal for us.

"We had to pivot very quickly and we brought in an Amazon expert who has produced some amazing results for us.:

Dominique trained as a nurse before working as a midwife at Great Ormond Street Hospital before moving into clinical research

It was this experience, and struggling to find a toothbrush that would work for her daughter, that gave Dominique the idea of starting Brush Baby.

She said: "My daughter would always chew her toothbrush and I knew if you started a business which would be useful to lots of people then it could be a success. We started out with one little chewable toothbrush."

In the early months and years, Dominique found herself, as many founders do, wearing sales, marketing and operations hats.

She said: "I would sit by myself at the kitchen table and would divide the business into different functions.

"One day I'd be wearing my sales hat and another day I'd be wearing my marketing hat or my finance and operations hat.”

EXPORTING BREAKTHROUGH

Dominique says one of the reasons behind Brush Baby's growth is her early adoption of exporting.

The bulk of exports go to Eastern Europe and the Nordics with the company also having a foothold in the United Arab Emirates.

Dominique says that she learned quickly that frequently visiting the country you are exporting to is vital to success.

She said: "It's very important that you go over and meet people and go around the shops to see how your product's displayed.

"You can do so much online, but you really need to get out there and see what is going on, on the ground.”

Many UK businesses face language and cultural barriers when it comes to exporting, however, these obstacles haven’t hindered the growth of Brush Baby.

Dominique said: "Children tend to like the same sort of things and mothers tend to have the same issues when it comes to looking after their teeth.

"We can't sell yellow toothbrushes in Arabia, because they don't like the colour yellow. We also have a little hippo toothbrush which they won't accept because it looks like a pig.

"But otherwise, no we don't have any issues."

Dominique's other business is a vineyard on the outskirts of Offington in West Sussex.

English wine has enjoyed a revival over the past decade, particularly in the South East, where increased temperatures have led to rich harvest for growers both large and small.

Dominique has collected her first harvest and is now in the hands of a Hampshire winery where it will be ready for consumption in 2026.

For Dominique though, the vineyard, while a commercial concern, is about escaping the stress and strains of the day job.

She said: "It's very much my sideline and doesn't take up too much of my time because it just grows on its own.

"It's my relaxation project. I can combine what I know about agriculture and chemistry to make new wine. You also get to meet lots of people which I enjoy too."

NICHE MARKET

Brush Baby's success shows the value of finding a niche in a market which is dominated by large multinationals.

Dominique has developed toothbrushes which are specially adapted to children and this is a market that larger players in the industry such as Colgate and Aquafresh have not moved into.

She said: "We are quite an unusual segment of a market which has some really big players and we are still quite niche.”

One of the decisive factors of any business, large or small, is its people and getting the right staff on board is crucial to future success.

Dominique said: "I look for energy, dedication, people who really buy into the brand and are those that are willing to take that little step further.

"If you are in a growing company, you need energy to make it grow.”

Dominique's daughter also works at the firm however her daughter, she says, receives no special treatment.

She said: "My daughter's been exposed to the business since she was small.

"She's now working in the business, but she's starting right at the bottom.”

GAINING INVESTMENT

Gaining investment for a business idea is no easy task however Dominique urges people starting out, or those at the growth stage of a business, to make sure that they seek out the right investor.

She cautions against taking investment money from relatives.

"Don't involve your family at all as that's a really bad thing to do, she said.

"Go and find an investor who has experience in your sector so that they can actually help you to grow."

The next five years will see Brush Baby target the United States market with the company focused on breaking into a both sizeable and lucrative market.

Dominique said: "We want to continue growing and have started in the United States.

“That venture is growing quite nicely and over the next five years we will have a lot of focus on growing that part of the business.

"We want Brush Baby to be the ‘go-to’ brand for mums, parents or carers who are looking after little one's teeth right from when they start."