You have big fans of your work, including Business Chicks Founder Emma Isaacs! Can you tell us how you and Emma crossed paths and how you helped her?
I was running my own home-visiting service which included a service that offered night stays which means I work with babies who have sleeping issues. A mutual friend of Emma and mine recommended me to Emma. I went in to help her with her eldest daughter who was about six months at the time.
Unfortunately, not everybody is able to afford the costs of a night-nurse or a home-visiting service, but through the app and using the instructional videos and information, I am available for everybody – at all times! I can help guide anybody through a rough moment at 3am. I am thrilled that apart from doing home visits one by one I can now be in hundreds or thousands of homes at the same time, through the app.
How did your app idea come about?
I have a strong passion for helping parents with their (new) babies and have been doing this now for 27 years. I am always looking for ways to help and present parents with information that will help them. I had an idea of creating an app about a year ago to support parents and spent the last year expanding and developing this idea. I am very excited that WOTBaby is now live and can be downloaded here. The app is something that is easily affordable and that all parents and caregivers like nannies can use. WOTBaby is all about recognising that every parent and baby is different, so it gives parents the confidence to try methods and find what works best for their family.
Have you always had an entrepreneurial mindset?
No – but I have always had expensive taste … Does this count? In all honestly, I have always thought of ways to get my message out there. I was in search of a platform to do what I do best and at the same time reach the biggest possible audience. By creating this app I have created my own platform and can reach a lot of parents and caregivers. It is awesome to be able to share my knowledge and information and be in hands reach of parents and caregivers all around the world. I am literally in the palm of their hands, guiding them through every step along the way.
Tell us: how hard IS it to actually create an app? So many of us dream of making our millions through one, but is it trickier than it looks?
To create an app, you first need to have the idea. A lot of people have ideas, some people act on the idea and some people don’t. I believed in my initial idea and acted on it. I started off by finding an app developer who could help me get the idea out of my mind and into something virtual.
I went on a journey and talked to many app developers. During this “technology” journey I did a lot of research. I wanted to give my idea as much of a chance as possible and I ended up going with a leading Aussie app developer. With this company I did a concept workshop during which I did a brainstorm and came up with more details and ideas. I think this was the hardest bit. The next part of the development process was time consuming, believing in myself, juggling the family, my company and being a mum while making my app all at the same time.
Is there a golden piece of advice you’d give to someone wanting to create their own app?
Research the team that you are going to use. Find a good app developer and a team of people that understand, respect and nurture your idea. Another important tip for future app builders is to know before you start whether your app developer will build the app in a way that you can change and update the app over time. Some developers create an app that can’t be modified or updated once it is finished. Also, create and build your app before you have a family!
Jen is the founder the WotBaby app, the early parenting manual in your pocket – check it out here.
Connect with Jen here.
