See some of our recent press releases and editorial below. If you are a member of the press and would like further information about Does My Tum Look Big In This or madeline isaac-james maternity bridal, contact Louise on +44 (0)7891 242 476 or by email at press@doesmytumlookbiginthis.com.
We are very proud to announce that Natalie Gladman (Director of Does My Tum Look Big In This) and her family, have been shortlisted in the Mother@Work Awards 2008 in the 'Best Family Support' category. The mother@work Awards were established to show individuals and employers how straightforward it can be to accomodate the needs of working mums while not detracting from but enhancing business. They also showcase the best in 'mumpreneurship' by recognising the pioneering working mums who are also successful business owners. But it's not all about business. Without the input and support of their families, many working mothers would not be able to do what they do.
Sarah Brown, wife to Prime Minister Gordon and President of PiggyBankKids, a charity which she founded in 2002, says: "I am delighted to lend my support once again to the mother@work Awards for 2008. Past winners have been inspirational and innovative in their approach to making the lives of working mothers and their families better and I am sure that this year will be no exception. These awards offer a tremendous example of how businesses and working mothers can come together to develop family-friendly policies and working practices, and all the winners deserve our congratulations and praise."
Natalie says "A working mum faces different challenges every day, and the support of her family is immensely important in helping her achieve her goals. My family have always been extremely supportive with Does My Tum Look Big In This, and the Mother@Work Awards recognises my family's commitment, belief, encouragement and on-going support. We are proud to have been short-listed in the Mother@Work Awards."
This year's event will take place on 18th June at No.11 Downing Street - Natalie and her family, along with all shortlisted entrants, have been invited to the prestigious State Room for the announcements and presentations, a very special event indeed!
Mother@Work, as the first and only monthly webzine dedicated to working mothers, offers you many useful, helpful, interesting, informative (or just plain funny) articles. They don't claim to have all the answers, but do want to help you make the most of your time at home, at work and on your own. Find out more at www.mother@work.co.uk.
IN 2001, Natalie Gladman, heavily pregnant with her youngest daughter, had been invited to a number of Christmas parties and didn’t have a clue about what she was going to wear. Not wanting to spend money on a dress she was going to wear two or three times at most, Gladman looked for a company that hired out formal maternity wear. After a fruitless search, she realised that there was a gap in the market and in 2002 started her company, Does My Tum Look Big In This, offering the service to pregnant women.
Gladman, originally from Glasgow but now based at Farnborough in Hampshire, studied at Thames Valley University and worked as a contracts director for an IT firm before starting her company. “I had no retail experience at all,” she says. “But as my husband will tell you, when I decide to do something I don’t stop. Once I had the idea for Does My Tum Look Big In This, I knew I was going to do it.”
Six years later the business is thriving. The formal maternity wear hire has expanded and now has six agents across the country, with a seventh soon to be added in Aberdeen. “It’s a great business because it’s something a mum can do from home,” she says. “They all have their own collections and cover specific geographical areas.” Gladman has also opened a shop in Farnborough (and online) and even designs maternity wedding dresses through her own label, madeline isaac-james (named after her three children). She says: “Thankfully social attitudes have changed and it isn’t seen as a problem if a woman is pregnant when she gets married any more.”
Gladman is ambitious about the future. She plans to build the madeline isaac-james brand and to expand the number of agencies as well as roll out the shops across the UK over the next two years. “I want Does My Tum Look Big In This to become a high-street name that everyone recognises,” she says. “It’s funny. Who knows how things might have turned out if my daughter hadn’t been due on New Year’s Eve?
Perou captures BT Business campaign winners.A collection of photographs which showcase the winners of the 2007 Essence of the Entrepreneur campaign run by BT Business have gone on display in a Central London gallery.
The photographs were taken by celebrity photographer Perou, who has worked with famous names such as David Beckham and the rock group Coldplay, and each one attempts to capture the essence of the respective businesses and the people behind them in an original way.
Now in it's second year the initiative celebrates the achievements of small businesses that have demonstrated exceptional dedication to succeed in business with the help of technology.
More than 200 businesses entered the competition and the final 20 were selected by a panel of experts, including John Dunsmure from the British Chambers of Commerce, Matt Thomas, Editor of Startups.co.uk, and James Lohan from boutique hotel guides Mr and Mrs Smith.
Speaking at the launch of the exhibition at the gallery at Oxo Tower, Mick Hegarty, the marketing director of BT Business said: “SMEs are the lifeblood of the UK economy and with BT Business Essence of Entrepreneur we want to applaud their determination to succeed, celebrate the power of the idea, and capture the essence of their entrepreneurial spirit. BT Business is delighted to honour and applaud these small businesses.
Company: Does My Tum Look Big In This LimitedThis Hampshire based company provides special occasion maternity wear to hire to UK women. (PEROU/BT Business Essence of Entrepreneur). For more information on the BT Business Essence of the Entrepreneur campaign, visit www.bt.com/entrepreneur.
Natalie's business all began with a desperate search for a fabulous formal maternity dress to wear to a black tie Christmas function - all her work colleagues were excitedly talking about the gowns they were wearing and all Natalie had managed to find was a rather plain knee length black shift dress. The only alternative to High Street maternity shops were boutiques which sold a limited selection of special occasion wear but with a hefty price tag and Natalie definitely did not want to spend a couple of hundred pounds on a dress that she truly would only wear once.
Heavily pregnant and very disappointed with the poor choice of formal maternity wear available in the High Street, she figured that if she had problems in this area, surely there were other pregnant women facing the same problem. After some research, Natalie set up www.doesmytumlookbiginthis.com to address this gap in the market and provide special occasion maternity wear to hire at realistic prices.
The mum of three began running her fledgling business from home, but quickly expanded to open her first Does My Tum Look Big In This shop in Farnborough. She then opened up the opportunity to other Mums and now has six branches (five of them run by mums working running their business online from home) and a seventh opening in Glasgow this month. Natalie has also launched her own label of maternity wedding dresses (which she designed) called madeline issac-james Maternity Bridal in September at the British Bridal Exhibition now stocked throughout UK, Europe & US and online at www.bridesnbumps.com and wholesale at www.maternityweddingdress.co.uk
As if all that wasn't enough this super-woman has also found time to be selected as a winner in BT's Essence of the Entrepreneur 2007 competition. The award celebrates the achievements of small businesses that have demonstrated exceptional dedication and have found new directions to succeed in business with the help of technology.
Natalie is looking for other mums to become part of her fantastic business and to share in the success story. If you love the idea of running your own business with great head office support, can understands the joys and demands of pregnancy and can relate to their customers from that perspective then this could be the perfect job for you!
BT Essence of the Entrepreneur WinnersThe winners are chosen, the portraits are mounted and the exhibition will soon open. Here we reveal what made the UK’s top entrepreneurs stand out. We have our 20, and they have been busy smiling, balancing precariously on a pile of speakers and being suspended in mid air for the camera. For the second year, Growing Business has worked alongside BT Business to seek out 20 entrepreneurs who deserve recognition for both their dedication and pioneering uses of technology. Following hundreds of entries, judges including John Dunsmure, managing director of the Chamber of Commerce Enterprises, and three of last year’s winners, Karen Hanton, William Berry and James Lohan, spent many long hours whittling down a shortlist of 40 close contenders to select the top 20. This year they also chose four winners to be awarded additional gongs – for the best young entrepreneur, the best female and best male entrepreneurs and having the most original business concept. Ground-breaking celebrity photographer Perou has been round the country taking their pictures and capturing the essence of their businesses. The photos will be showcased at a high-profile exhibition at the gallery@oxo on London’s South Bank from November 14 – December 2, 2007. In the meantime here’s some insight into what separated the best from the rest.
Does My Tum Look Big In This.
Who: Natalie Gladman
Based: Hampshire
Natalie Gladman set up her maternity wear business after failing to find a formal dress for a function while eight months pregnant. It provides special occasion maternity wear for hire to UK women through branches in Hampshire, Lincolnshire, Derbyshire, Cheshire, Wiltshire, and Northamptonshire as well as a thriving online business.
BT Business today named the UK’s 20 most outstanding entrepreneurs:BT Business today named the UK’s 20 most outstanding entrepreneurs, as it announced the winners of the 2007 Essence of the Entrepreneur competition. BT says that the winning companies are proof that the UK is brimming with entrepreneurial talent.
Now in its second year, the competition celebrates the achievements of small businesses that have demonstrated exceptional dedication and have found new directions to succeed in business with the help of technology.
To celebrate their success, the winners have had the “essence” of their business captured by renowned photographer Perou, who is acclaimed for his individualism and unique perspective on the world. Perou has worked with a wealth of renowned artists and celebrities including Marilyn Manson, KT Tunstall and Girls Aloud.
The photos will be showcased at a high-profile exhibition at the Gallery@Oxo Tower from November 14 – December 2, 2007.
Entries from businesses across the UK were assessed and the final 20 were selected by a panel of experts, including John Dunsmure from the British Chambers of Commerce, Matt Thomas, Editor of Startups.co.uk, William Berry, founder of accommodationforstudents.co.uk and James Lohan from boutique hotel guides Mr and Mrs Smith
Does My Tum Look Big In This Limited Does My Tum Look Big In This is a maternity wear business set up following the frustrating experience of Natalie Gladman (unsuccessfully) trying to find a formal dress for a Christmas function when eight months pregnant. Focused on providing special occasion maternity wear to hire to UK women - the concept is why spend a fortune on a maternity evening dress that you are only likely to wear once. The business started as a work from home business complemented with online hires via its web site www.doesmytumlookbiginthis.com. Natalie now has branches in Hampshire, Lincolnshire, Derbyshire, Cheshire, Wiltshire, and Northamptonshire as well as a thriving online business.
Bill Murphy, managing director, BT Business, said: “Technology has developed so rapidly in the business world and it is great to see small business enterprises embracing it to help grow their companies. By utilising technology such as broadband, VoIP and advanced web sites these small businesses have managed to reach a wider customer audience and expand their product. BT Business is delighted to honour and applaud these small businesses.
Does My Tum Look Big In This maternity, dresses TV Sports Presenter Victoria Bennett for Royal AscotDoes My Tum Look Big In This, a leading UK provider of stylish maternity wear, maternity formal wear hire and maternity bridal wear, has dressed ITV Sports Presenter, Victoria Bennett, for Royal Ascot this year. Victoria visited the Does My Tum Look Big In This boutique in Farnborough, Hampshire and chose three outfits to wear at Royal Ascot, suitable for wear in the Royal Enclosure.
ITV Local featured Does My Tum Look Big In This and interviewed its owner, Natalie Gladman.
Does My Tum Look Big In This is the UK's leading provider of maternity formal wear to hire, with a shop in Hampshire, and five branches throughout the UK (run by mums for mums). It prides itself on providing high quality maternity dresses suitable for all formal occasions (including weddings, christenings, and black tie functions) at reasonable prices. As one of the first companies to provide this service, it has years of experience in helping pregnant women with their maternity formal wear requirements.
As well as maternity formal wear hire, the boutique in Farnborough also offers a great selection of maternity day wear for sale, as well as related pregnancy accessories including skincare products from Mama Mio, designer changing bags, and Bump Bands. The boutique also offers the UK's largest collection of maternity wedding dresses and maternity bridesmaids dresses. As the UK's first dedicated provider of maternity bridal wear, the company has been helping pregnant brides look great and feel amazing on their wedding day since 2002.
They offer a full range of maternity wedding dresses - many exclusive to them, and including an own-label range of maternity wedding dresses (under the label of madeline isaac-james maternity bridal). Their own label maternity wedding dresses will be launched to the wholesale market in September 2007.
Contact:
Does My Tum Look Big In This, 20 Alexandra Road, Farnborough, Hampshire. GU14 6DA.
T:
www.doesmytumlookbiginthis.com
madeline isaac-james maternity bridal:
customer enquiries: www.bridesnbumps.com T:
wholesale enquiries: www.maternityweddingdress.co.uk T:
Julie flies high with business venture By Leigh RobinsonThe first woman to qualify in the RAF as a pilot and then be promoted to aircraft captain has swapped military uniform for maternity wear.
Julie Gibson, who flew Hercules aircraft at RAF Lyneham for seven years, now lives at Wroughton. She has set up a branch of Does My Tum Look Big In This offering formal maternity wear hire across the south of England.
Julie left the armed forces six years ago and has since pursued alternative careers working for a commercial airline and studying as an occupational therapist. She doesn't fly any longer but keen to combine motherhood and a working life - she now has a one-year-old son James. "I felt that running my own business from home offered me the best of both worlds," she said.
"Having struggled myself when pregnant to dress the right way at the right time in comfortable and flattering garments, I believed there was a gap in the market."
Julie is one of an increasing number of women starting up in business. Latest figures from Barclays, where Julie banks, show the number of women starting their own businesses is up by 12 per cent to 139,700 in 2006, indicating more are deciding to take the plunge.
Julie said: "Setting up a new business is completely new to me. But I'm excited about giving mums-to-be the opportunity to hire some fantastic maternity wear for formal occasions such as weddings, black tie functions or to a day out at the races. By having clients come to my home by appointment only, this is ideal for managing the demands of being a mum as well as putting my own entrepreneurial skills to the test."
Graeme Harrison, local business manager for Barclays in Swindon said: "Setting up a new business is hard work but also rewarding particularly if your business is linked with a passion for the product and service you are offering. My role is to ensure that as the business grows, Barclays continues to support with the right banking solutions at the right time."
Prices to hire maternity dresses from Does My Tum Look Big In This range from £15 up to £95 depending on the outfit and include a choice of designers such as Mimi, Motherhood, RIPE, Formes and Olian.
For an appointment contact Julie on
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