Laura Tenison MBE

Laura Tenison

Pride of Place: JoJo Maman Bébé is a true Success Story

All work and no play make mum a distant parent. Laura is keen to impress the importance of spending time with her children

NEMA: Happiness Following Hardship

The Managing Director of JoJo Maman Bébé became a business success after a near fatal car crash put her in a South London hospital bed where she met the woman who inspired her to create one of Britain’s best baby clothing companies.

“I got talking to the woman in the bed next to mine on my ward. She was long term ill, had two babies and was trying to order their clothes from her hospital bed. But this was 18 years ago and she complained about the shortage of good quality clothes available via mail order. ”

Laura had recently sold her small French property business generating proceeds of £50,000. Having possessed entrepreneurial skills from a young age, she spotted a gap in the market and pounced.

“I was in a wheelchair with my mouth wired shut but nonetheless I set straight into launching the company from my hospital bed.

“I went off in my chair, jaw still wired, to baby shows to gather market research. Possibly because of a sympathy vote and possibly because I was tenacious I got a huge amount of feedback.”

Laura’s efforts revealed that not only were mothers crying out for high quality mail order baby clothes but women also wanted maternity wear that they could still feel good in.

“It was maternity wear that really launched us into the market. Just because you have a bump, you don’t want to wear a tent dress.”

Despite no bank backing and parents who did not support her running her own business, Laura threw herself into the venture.

“I organised everything, used friends as models and even picked and packed the parcels when I needed to. I lived extremely hand to mouth in the first few years.”

She weathered the storm of Black Monday, mortgaging her house to stay afloat, but two recessions, two sons and a fleet of stores later, JoJo is stronger than ever.

“When my first son was a baby I’d bring him to work with me, where he would sleep under the desk most of the day.  Naturally this meant he wanted to play all night and I’d let him. It was fine except I didn’t get much sleep.”

Though Laura has achieved great business heights, her heart is still at home.

“I’ve never had a proper nanny or a night nurse. I don’t think any level of business success is worth losing the most precious moments with your children. If you can’t have both, choose your children. Not everyone is as lucky as I am and can juggle on very little sleep.”

But Laura has still found the energy to help other children too.

“I was holidaying in Mozambique. My sons enjoyed playing football with the local children outside a bullet-riddled, roofless building that I realised was a school. I thought; this school needs to be rebuilt.”

Laura found out about a small local charity which was just launching and asked if she could help. Since then she has become a trustee of The Nema Foundation (meaning happiness following hardship) and JoJo has taken on running the charity accounts, building and maintaining the website and fundraising for several projects from school building to scholarships for secondary pupils, health and feeding projects.

“We sell items and a percentage of the sale goes straight to NEMA. We pay the charity overheads so the funds go straight to the work on the ground.

“With NEMA it’s easy to see where your pound went. A water pump, mosquito nets, a feeding programme. We’ve always wanted to do more than just donate and last year we sent two staff members out there to bring back firsthand experience to our colleagues here.”

An ethical approach is integral to the running of JoJo. Laura has held back from selling to shareholders in order to keep the company’s principles from being sacrificed for profit.

“I’ve been told it’s a feminine trait but I’m not the least bit ashamed. Were I a man I might make more money but would I be as happy? I don’t know.”

And Laura has many reasons to be cheerful not least the fact that JoJo Maman Bébé are opening stores in Kingston and Cardiff in the New Year. To donate to NEMA go to www.jojomamanbebe.co.uk and click on ‘Our Charity’ at the base of the home page.