Since friends, Helen Christou and Steph Pruden started FOLDiMATs in March 2022 their business has come such a long way and is flourishing!  Having become new mums at a similar time, they were both looking for baby playmats which were supportive, good quality, safe and stylish – and easy to store when not in use. However, when all their searches failed to find anything close  - that’s when the idea for FOLDiMATS was conceived – and they haven’t looked back since.  As a textile designer, Helen decided to bring her passion for design and style into this product - and during the lockdown, used the time to create all the beautiful designs in the collection. 

​

In January 2023 Helen and Steph joined Enterprise Enfield's E-business Programme to tap into business advice and the expertise of a Digital Adviser to develop and grow their business.

​

What does your business do?

FOLDiMATs is the UK’s first foldable playmat that’s high quality, super supportive and stylish too. The mats have a luxurious cloud-like feel for every age and stage, helping to support little ones with their gross motor skills such as tummy time, crawling and when they take their first steps.

​​

The mats are very versatile so can be used by adults as an exercise mat and for older children and activities such as gymnastics and karate. They are 100% waterproof and wipeable making them super easy to clean, perfect for messy play and the weaning stage.

​

All of our designs have been beautifully created in house and carefully selected to make sure they are on trend and fun, yet complimentary to our customers interior. They can be folded away or left out to admire. There's no rolling, no breaking apart! They even come with a convenient carry case so they are easy to transport - whether it’s under the sofa or in the car, our playmats can be stored and transported anywhere. They are also perfect for picnics, holidays and the grandparents. 

​

What issues was your business facing before you joined the E-business Programme?  

When we first started with Enfield Enterprise the business had only been up and running for 6 months. We had never run a business before so we needed guidance on most parts of the business. Especially the management and accounts side. All of the digital webinars were extremely helpful with a great overview of how to run a business.

 

What help did you receive from your Digital Adviser and Business Adviser?

​Our Digital Advisers were a great help. They helped us to understand SEO and how useful it is to create audience profiles and understand search terms.  This allowed us to focus more on advertising as we could understand our target customers more and how to market to them better.  Our Business Adviser was also incredible - giving us a lot of business advice like creating cash flow forecasts and helping us understand the accounts side of things.  She has guided us by identifying parts of the business that we need help on and given us clarity on areas where we have been stuck on.

​

What impact has this had on your business? 

It has had a massive impact. It has given us a great understanding of the fundamental aspects of running our business and given us more confidence in ourselves.  ​​Since joining the programme our sales have been boosted significantly- we have increased our turnover by 850% in just over 18 months!

​​

What are your plans and goals for the future?

In the next few years we plan to get more exposure in the UK market and expand internationally. At the moment we receive emails and messages from people all over the world including the US, Australia and all over Europe - all wanting to purchase our play mats saying that they are unable to find an alternative in their countries. We have already had meetings with international distribution companies and will be looking into international fulfilment centres who would be able to store and look after the logistical aspects of our business and hopefully within a year or two, be able to grow our brand across the world.

 

So, in addition to expanding our design range, keeping out with current trends, we shall also be concentrating our time on exhibiting at more baby shows, this would definitely help built our brand awareness and allow our customers to see and feel our play mats.

 

We are also looking to grow by selling on other ecommerce platforms. We have had a lot of emails from online retailers wanting us to start wholesaling and have our products featured on their websites.

​​

Any other comments?

It has been incredible having Enterprise Enfield by our side. It’s very daunting starting a new business with no real experience so it’s great to have a great team of professionals helping.

​

For more details about FOLDiMATS visit: https://foldimats.co.uk/

​​

​​

Free Advice and Support to Grow Your Business!

For more details about how you can access free 121 digital advice and support to grow your business visit the E-business Programme webpage.  (The programme is open to businesses which have been registered over 6 months and located in Enfield, Waltham Forest or Redbridge).

​​

The E-business Programme is fully funded - and supported by Local London, Waltham Forest Council, Enfield Council and Redbridge Council.