Jobless mum's $1m masterstroke

Caroline Africh has made a motza selling baby and toddler shoes. Photo / Justin Lloyd

When Caroline Africh moved home to Sydney four years ago after a stint in London, she couldn't find a job.

Despite having a wealth of experience as an IT project manager, she had one big liability: an infant son.

Today, she is running a business on track to turn over $1 million (NZ$1.1m) this financial year, and is about to fly to Los Angeles to see her wares packed into the swanky gift bags at this year's Academy Awards - an honour coveted by many an entrepreneur.

Oscar-nominated actors and directors have their pick of a swag of freebies worth more than A$300,000 combined, with last year's bags featuring gifts ranging from luxury toilet paper to personalised M&Ms, free holidays and a lifetime supply of skin creams.

At this year's ceremony on February 26, Ms Africh will add Attipas shoes to the mix - a podiatrist-approved, sock-shoe hybrid for babies and toddlers that "never falls off".

Her mission? Getting them onto the little feet of celebrity offspring like Kourtney Kardashian's son, Reign.

"We think someone like her would appreciate the product as they're not just cute but also healthy," Ms Africh told news.com.au. "They're ergonomic, they help kids' feet - and we've got an organic range."

Attipas Ballet Shoes retail for A$39.95. Photo / News Corp Australia

So how did an out-of-work new mother end up running a business set to take on Hollywood?

'I WAS AT MY WIT'S END'

After five years in London, the new mum moved home to find that no one wanted to give her part-time work in her industry.

Without local contacts willing to back her, she applied for job after job, without success.
"I was really at my wit's end," she said. "So I thought 'I'm just going to start my own business'."

By chance, she discovered Attipas shoes while on holiday in Japan, and saw an opportunity.

"I bought a pair for my son and brought back to Australia," Ms Africh said. "They were just such a great product that everyone was asking about them, and I thought: 'There must be a business in this'."

he put together a project plan and approached the Korean manufacturer, asking to become Attipas' exclusive distributor in Australia - a market the company had not previously considered.

Kourtney Kardashian with her son Reign, who could soon be wearing Attipas. Photo / Instagram

The deal was sealed and Ms Africh began the frenzied task of establishing the brand, setting up a website and promoting it at trade shows and baby expos around the country.

She started with an initial A$20,000 worth of stock and packed orders in the attic, with the help of her husband. Slowly but surely, Attipas started to get traction.

BUILDING A CULT FOLLOWING

Ms Africh now fulfils orders for about 35,000 pairs a year, with 80 per cent sold by home-based consultants across Australia.

Many of them are fellow mums who recommend the product to their friends, hosting Tupperware-style parties and running market stalls. The shoes are also stocked in boutiques and pharmacies, and Ms Africh has an online retail store.

The focus on selling through consultants came after a struggle to get the product stocked by major retailers.

"We found that people who had never used them were like 'hmm, kind of interesting', but not convinced," Ms Africh said. "But the ones who had used them would rave on about them."

These devoted customers turned out to be the best qualified to market the brand through word of mouth - and a few well-known identities putting them on their kids' feet helped, too. Both Roxy Jacenko and Sally Obermeder's children have been spotted wearing Attipas shoes.

But, Ms Africh said while social media endorsements were great, "we're not really trying to push it onto celebrities; we want to grow it organically."

The company's next focus will be capturing the US market, after securing exclusive distribution rights in the States. It's a move Ms Africh hopes will triple the business' revenue.

While the company had never operated at a loss, she said, it was only in the last financial year that it became apparent that the business would be viable.

Steady growth has doubled revenue in Australia over the past year, and it is forecast to double again to A$1 million in the current financial year - with US sales to be added on top.

For a mum who couldn't get a gig, it's like a fairytale ending. Much of the business is now outsourced and automated, allowing Ms Africh to run it from home while raising her three children.

"I can work the hours I want to work. I love it, and I definitely don't want to go back to corporate," she said.