March 27, 2015

Melissa Robinson, The Bump Box

Kids & Baby | Brisbane, Queensland, Australia

At a Glance

Melissa owns The Bump Box, beautiful boxed bundles for pregnant woman, new mothers and their baby. Est 2015.

Click to visit: Website | Online Shop | Blog | Facebook | Instagram

Bio The path that led her to this point

A rash decision made in my early years, has paved the way for my business The Bump Box.

The starting point centres on a impulsive but courageous decision I made at the tender age of 20.

I wanted a change of scenery, a challenge perhaps, so I packed my little red Festiva with my life’s belongings, waved goodbye to my family and made the move – or should I say drive - to Sydney.

My mum thought I was crazy.

I didn’t know anyone, or anything about this new city, and I started from scratch.

As fate would have it, I met my future husband within days of the move, and I guess you could say the rest is history.

This year marks 9 years of marriage and I have been blessed with 4 beautiful children who never cease to amaze me, and make me so grateful for choosing to be a mum.

Turning 30 was another turning point for me and after 10 years living in Sydney, I felt it was time to head home to Brisbane. So we piled into the bigger-than-a-Festiva and made the big move.

New city, new kids schools, hubby's new job- the first few months were a whirlwind, and then to add to the chaos, I had an idea.

What if I created a business that addressed a gap in the market, that also incorporated what I knew best.. Pregnancy, Babies and Motherhood.

And so in January 2015, The Bump Box was born.

The Bump Box creates custom and ready to go gift boxes that provide products for mums to be, new mums, bubs and everyone in between.

The Bump Box caters to each stage of pregnancy from the Morning Sickness Bump Box to the Welcome to the World bump box using the best products sourced from other Australian small businesses.

We stock a large product range from tea to assist morning sickness, through to lactation biscuits, right through to teethers, wraps and nutritional bars.

Q&A Insider advice & tips

What's been your greatest achievement to date?

Turning The Bump Box dream into reality.

It started with a simple idea. There wasn’t an easy, stress free option that combined essential and beneficial pregnancy products in one place. So, I created the option.

It’s amazing how quickly the business has grown and continues to grow and expand everyday.

What's been your biggest challenge so far?

The biggest challenge building a business from scratch is the self confidence. You need to have confidence in yourself and your products.

If you are entering the market with a new idea, it takes time for people to catch on.

It’s all about having patience, and to remember that just because it doesn’t happen overnight, doesn’t mean it wont happen!

Best lesson you've learned along the way?

The biggest lesson I’ve learned is to trust myself, my ideas and my opinions.

I think I have surprised a lot of people with the success I have had in such a short amount of time (including myself). If I had to do it again, I would have launched my website earlier!

A website, book or resource that has helped you in your business or inspired you and why?

My most loved resource would have to be social media, it truly is a powerful tool.

Social Media has allowed me to not only grow and increase my brand recognition and customers base but has also assisted in networking with and interacting with our stockists and potential stockists.

Which person or brand do you most admire and why?

A person that I admire is Lisa Messenger. I love her passion and her "lets just jump in" approach.

I find Lisa unique innovative and inspiring, I love the way in which she challenges individuals yet encourages them to create their dream.

What advice would you give someone starting an independent business in your industry?

Just go for it. If you have an idea, no matter how small you think it is, run with it.

The support of small businesses in this space has been overwhelming. I have been blown away with the number of people who are interested in partnering with us.