Interview with Wishpond

As Cinnamon Bhayani (owner and founder of the company) explains, Baby Bahoonie was born from the love of a mother for her child and the lack of time to go shopping for her baby. She decided to create an online store and provide goods that were green, fair-trade, respected human rights and sustained the environment. She created an online shop, started blogging, twittering,facebooking and last week Baby Bahoonie created its Facebook Store through our Wishpond website.

We are really impressed with her entrepreneurial attitude and all her social media experiences, so we’ve interviewed her and here you have the results!

o   Can you tell us a little bit about your company (how it was born, history, mission, goals for the future)?

Like many new Mamas, I found myself having less time for shopping in malls. The alternative was shopping online at Canadian boutiques. I enjoyed supporting women across Canada and watched their online businesses grow. This led to a personal challenge of opening my own online baby boutique in Vancouver. Baby Bahoonie is a playful twist on our last name, Bhayani. With the support of my husband and a business plan, I set out to find eco-friendly apparel and accessories for hip infants & kids, from newborn to size 4 toddler. Baby Bahoonie carries over 20 lines of organic cotton, modal and bamboo clothing.  We are the exclusive Canadian retailer of organic cotton and bamboo line Nohi Kids and we’ve developed relationships with businesses that focus on fair trade practices and the Global Organic Textile Standard, like Speesees and Dress Me Up Organic.  Baby Bahoonie continues to seek out Canadian companies and supports other small businesses like LittleStar Boutique in New Brunswick and GoGo Bags in North Vancouver.  Our future is bright, full of possibilities and continues to grow! 

o   Which social media platform is most important to your company? In what aspects does it surpass the other platforms?

Hands down Facebook wins. The stats are displayed in Google Analytics. Almost every person we know has a Facebook profile. One can choose their involvement. Peruse a newsfeed, leave comments, share photos, send messages, “Like” businesses and now shop! Facebook allows people to really get active or sit back and relax. Facebook gives people a choice based on their mood and their time.

o   How has social media made your company successful?

Not only does Baby Bahoonie have an online e-commerce store, we have an actual online interactive presence. We may not have a brick and mortar shop, but posting on Facebook, tweeting on Twitter, participating in interviews on YouTube and blogging allows us to interact with our customers on a daily basis. We have formed relationships across the globe!

o   What were the difficulties in using social media for the first time and how did you overcome them? 

I recall my carefully chosen web designer Danny Halarewich from Limewheel Creative (aka web designer agency owner & LemonStand e-commerce platform co-founder guru), asking me if I was Twittering and Facebooking about Baby Bahoonie and we hadn’t even launched. I was floored. Really? I had to do this? Why? How is this relevant to my market? I thought it would be too time consuming and irrelevant. No way! Danny explained otherwise. He got me motivated to try it. Facebook and Twitter are an essential part of every business. Today it is part of my daily routine and I enjoy the various aspects of social media. You get back what you put forward.

o   How did you find out about Wishpond?

I researched Shop Apps for Facebook extensively and read an article about Wishpond and RetailConnect. I was intrigued. Wishpond offered exactly what I was looking for in ease, simplicity and price. I also loved that Wishpond is located in Vancouver and they were one of 15 start ups to recently present at the Launch@GROW in August!

o   What made you decide on Wishpond?

I was specifically looking for a shopping application that would link directly to my e-commerce site without having to manually enter each product. I also wanted to keep within my same payment gateway.

o   How do you like using Wishpond?

Amazing.  In less than 24 hours of signing up, my entire store was imported and up & running in Facebook.  Wishpond is literally 2 easy steps.

o   What’s your favorite product in your store?

My personal favorite is "Aminals".  Based on children’s drawings, over-sized and exaggerated, Aminals are 100% organic, safe and sustainable stuffed toys that are eventually compostable!

o   What are your favorite local boutiques?

On the Drive, Dilly Dally Kids features artisan wooden toys and old school new books and it is in our neighborhood.  In Kitsilano, Crocodile Baby has all sorts of gorgeous items and some of the same brands that we carry, however our selection is totally different.

o   If you could wish for anything in the world, what would it be?

My only wish is for my daughter to have everything she needs to ensure a successful future, especially a great education.

Check out their collection and new arrivals and get impressed by their  Wishpond Facebook Store!

Visit Baby Bahoonie:
http://babybahoonie.com/
Blog: http://babybahoonie.com/blog/
Email: info@babybahoonie.com
Twitter: @bahoonie
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/BabyBahoonie
Facebook Store: http://www.facebook.com/BabyBahoonie?sk=app_115119328510154

Cristina Salomo
cristina@wishpond.com