Go Go enterprise's success in the bag

Businesswoman Amie Nilsson and children Lily (left) and George enjoy their special sleeping bags. Picture / Glenn Jeffrey

Freelance graphic designer Amie Nilsson has bagged herself a thriving business with a product that has filled a need close to home.

Her Go Go Bag children's sleeping bags are selling like hotcakes and helping the children who wear them to get a better night's sleep.

The pure wool bag has a bib top and children wear them to bed. That means they cannot kick off their bedding and wake up cold.

Nilsson started the internet-based business after struggling to find an all-natural version for her daughter, Lily, who is now 2. All the ones on the market were made from synthetic material, which did not regulate body temperature, causing Lily to get a heat rash.

With the help of a pattern-maker, Nilsson set about making her own version with a merino wool inner and a 100 per cent cotton outer.

She said the merino fibres were able to breathe, keeping the child warm and dry without over-heating.

Another feature of the Go Go Bag is its front and back pouch, which allows the harness of a stroller or a car seat to be strapped through it.

The full-length side zip provides easy access for nappy changing.

From her original sample, Nilsson had 200 made up to test the market. After spreading the word through friends and family, these sold within weeks.

Then she was in business.

Outlaying the initial $30,000 to get started was "very scary".

But her graphic design experience has been put to good use, and making her own website and brochures saved a lot of money.

Sales fluctuate, but average 150 to 200 bags a month, and Nilsson now employs a fulltime production manager.

The plan is to keep the business internet-based for now. A shop mark-up would push the price well beyond the present $140 for the winter-weight bag.

Orders have come in from Australia, the United States and Britain so Nilsson is confident there is a lot of potential overseas.

According to a parenting website, sleeping bags were the top-selling baby product in Britain last year.

Nilsson has also learned that 80 per cent of children in the Netherlands use sleeping bags, so she is keen to break into Europe.

With a background in painting and ceramics, Nilsson has had a colourful career, working as a chef in Europe and in sales and marketing for Montana Wines.

She is enjoying working from home with her children nearby and "producing a product that helps people".