Kidpreneur Kate Barry has just celebrated her three-year business milestone. Here she chats with Teen Breathe about scrunchies, starting a business, and all the ups and downs of her journey.
TB: Congratulations on celebrating your three-year business milestone! That’s an incredible achievement, especially at 14 years old. We’d love to hear the story about how your business Scrunchie Munchies began.
I started my business in year five, at just 11 years old. Apparently back in my mum’s day scrunchies in your hair were all the rage. They were fluro in colour at the time, but as you know the trend is well and truly back. I saw the cost of the hair scrunchies in the stores when I was in year five and was astounded by how few were locally made. Most of these were over $10 in price and not all that great quality, as they were mass produced offshore. A few of my friends have their own businesses, so I initially thought that setting up a scrunchie business would be a good way to make some money to pay for Harry Potter and the Cursed Child tickets in Melbourne. I soon realised that there were lots of great fabrics available and there was a real interest from the local girls. And so, my little business was born in mid-2018.
There’s a strong family connection. My great nanna was a dressmaker, and my mum loved to sew as a child. So my mum helped me to work out how to master the sewing machine and now I make the scrunchies myself after school and on weekends. Dad says that the range needs to be narrowed, but I love having something new to include. I built the website myself on WIX and started selling online. Scrunchie sales were thriving, with great local collaborations with hairdressers, customized twisties for sports teams and I even am now the official supplier of scrunchies for the PLC Uniform Store.
TB: Could you describe what your business sells?
These are custom made scrunchies, all handmade here in Sydney. Scrunchie Munchies includes an extensive range of hair scrunchies, masks, and now my newest range ‘Hug in a Box’ care packs to give random acts of kindness.
TB: What was it like to sell your first product?
Before you can sell your first product, so much effort needs to be put in. So when I finally got my first sale, I felt really accomplished. All my work had paid off.
TB: How has your business evolved since it began three years ago?
Before COVID, my range only included scrunchies. But like many other small businesses, I’ve had to pivot. I started making masks and they were a hit! During the recent lockdown, I’ve noticed that birthdays have been hard to celebrate which is why I now have my newest range, ‘Hug in a Box’.
TB: Hug in a Box is exactly what we all need in our life right now. What comes in each box and where can we buy one?
There is a box for everyone! For the younger kids, there are scrunchies, pop-its, and squishy toys. There are beauty packs for teens, including a small bar of chocolate and a moisturising face mask. There are even kits with a matching mask and scrunchie to create the matching look.
TB: What have been some lessons you’ve learned over the years since starting your business?
Some great life lessons I have taken out are: money management, the importance of customer service, the importance of a personal touch in communications. Having an income to be able to buy things that you want is really important. Customer feedback and keeping the customer at the heart of your product offering is also really important. This means you often need to keep evolving to stay relevant. It’s hard at times, but hopefully these are skills that can be really handy for the future, regardless of what I end up doing.
TB: Who is your biggest inspiration and why?
My parents are a big influence and inspiration to me. They have been so supportive and understanding and without them, Scrunchie Munchies wouldn’t be where it is today!
TB: What is your favourite memory so far since the beginning of your three-year journey?
I have been presented with so many amazing opportunities so far. From being on TV, to getting my first stockist, and even the simple things like seeing someone’s reaction to their order.
TB: How have you overcome any difficulties or obstacles you’ve faced?
From getting an ABN at a young age, to working out how to get payments set up on a website, there’s been lots of challenges. It certainly took a while to realise that despite having a good product you needed to let people know about it, so marketing is important.
COVID-19 had an impact on all businesses, large and small. When all the markets, sport events and fairs were cancelled the demand for my scrunchies halted overnight, leaving me with stock that was well and truly ready for large events and made over many hours in school holidays. But our PLC Sydney Principal told us COVID was a chance to either thrive or survive so like many, I changed my focus and started to add handmade cotton masks to my range. This year I’ve also made some changes and added a new product called ‘Hug in a Box’ to gift random acts of kindness – something that has been well received by girls of all ages!
It’s not been an easy journey at times, but there have been lots of business learnings. You have to trust in your product and build your brand – focusing on your customers and continuing to thank them for their loyalty and support. It’s been fabulous to be a kidpreneur and I can’t wait to learn some new skills in the future.
TB: What long-term goals do you have?
I’m not sure yet. There’s loads of options still to explore and it changes often. Some days I’d love to be a journalist. It’s really too early to tell given I like so many diverse interests. What I do know is that I’m enjoying building business skills that I know will come in handy in the future.
TB: What advice do you have for other young people who have dreams of starting up a business?
Give it a go and build from there. Small things can grow into bigger idea but you have to be patient, work hard and be persistent. Find an idea that you feel there’s some interest in and that has some longevity. Scrunchies may not always be the latest trend but you need to keep evolving. But once you have an idea think about how you can spread the word.
TB: What do you love doing in your free time?
I’ve always been actively involved in public speaking, debate, and drama. Lots of my extra curricular activities are around these areas and I’m often at home most on a stage being able to perform. Sport is also a big passion – I play netball, soccer, and have also played women’s AFL. I’m a big Sydney Swans fan and love to follow a range of Australian sport teams – the Matildas, women’s AFL, and cricket teams.
Keep up to date with all of Kate’s incredible designs on Instagram @scrunchiemunchieaus and on her website at scrunchiemunchies.com.au
