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What does an internationally-published, female, robotics researcher do when she goes on maternity leave?  She starts an internet shop for motherhood clothes and accessories of course!

Joanne Garrett, 32, started “CecilyPlum.com” at the beginning of October 2008.  But why?  “It seemed like a good idea!  Both times I’ve been pregnant, I was frustrated that I couldn’t find the clothes and accessories that I wanted.  And there was little advise for people who wanted to buy me gifts either.  I couldn’t let that continue!”

Joanne grins  and absent-mindedly brushes her chestnut hair from out of her eyes,  “My first child was and is adorable, but rather like living with a car alarm 24/7.  However, my second was much, much quieter.  I realised that I might just about have the time to start a business, which is something I’ve been wanting to do for quite a while.   So I did!”

Joanne’s business focuses on providing clothes not just for maternity mums, but also for new mums.  “New mums can get forgotten.  It’s like, ‘Oh, you’ve had the baby, now you can go straight back to wearing your old clothes.’  Well, maybe it’s not quite that simple for most of us!”

“Gifts are important.  A pregnant woman is growing what will become another person inside her.  It can be extremely exhausting, and takes up a surprising amount of her own body by the end.  She needs to feel loved and special.  Gifts are required!  So, CecilyPlum.com has a range of gifts and accessories that any pregnant or new mum would love.  And we’re always open to new ideas too; just get in touch and let us know what you’d like to see us sell!”

Of course, the words ‘credit crunch’ are now firmly a part of almost everyone’s vocabulary.  So why did Joanne start an internet shop now? “Obviously I didn’t think it through!“, she laughs, “Seriously, though, I think it was just something I had to do.  If people get on board then that’s great.  We’ve already had a lot of support, but obviously things are not as good as they would have been.  I have friends – other mums – who also run businesses, and they’re seeing drops is sales to half or even a seventh of the values they were back in June.  It’s pretty bad out there!  Still, we’re very happy with the support we’ve had.”

Even so, Joanne is excited about the future for CecilyPlum.com, “We’ve got a lot of exciting things lined up over the next few months: new product ideas, new ways of selling things, trade shows, all sorts of things.  We’re also hoping to write some support material for motherhood, based on the experience of mums I know.  I see a lot of mums struggling both before and after their little one is born, and we’d like to do what we can to help them realise they’re certainly not alone, and there are things they can do to get help and support.  I mean, we’re good at selling clothes that will help a mum feel comfortable (very important) and chic (actually surprisingly important too), but we also think we have a role to play in signposting mums to other forms of help.”

So will, Joanne return to academia?  “I don’t think so.  Academia is something I love, but my shop is much more immediate.  I get to help people feel good about themselves!  We get customers emailing us to thank us.  They say the most inspiring things.  It would be hard to let that go!”

For further information please contact:

joanne@cecilyplum.com or s.garrett@aispire.co.uk, or phone +447792 630665.

CecilyPlum.com