Business in Profile

Cake Lingerie

Cake Lingerie is an Australian brand that specialises exclusively in the design and manufacture of exquisite maternity lingerie. Essential Baby chats to the co-founder of Cake Lingerie Tracey Montford about her business.

1. Tell us about your business Cake Lingerie

Cake Lingerie is an Australian brand that specialises exclusively in the design and manufacture of exquisite maternity lingerie. We have been commercialised for 1-½ years and can be found in approx 160 selected high-end Lingerie and speciality stores in over 16 countries worldwide.

2. Why did you start your business?

I started Cake Lingerie out of a need. I was pregnant for the first time in my early 30’s and was horrified to find such matronly unflattering maternity/nursing lingerie. Breast-feeding through the summer months meant that my big maternity bras could be seen which did nothing for my self-esteem, or the look of my outfit. I yearned for beautiful and function lingerie during this time.

3. Has starting your own business lived up to expectations?

I had never owned my own business before. So I had no real concept of what was involved in starting up and running a business day to day. I am very blessed to have such a great team around me who specialise in all areas from marketing, sales to design.

4. What have you enjoyed most about running your own business?

I love getting customer testimonials from delighted women who have discovered Cake for the first time.

5. What is the biggest challenge?

Managing family life with the business.

6. Tracey, do you have any children – what are their names/ages?

I have one child. He is 4 ½ and his name is Ethan. I would like to have more eventually.

7. How do you manage to juggle the running of your business with family?

Ethan is in Child Care (pre school) 5 days a week. I work a full week and after hours where required when Ethan is tucked up safe in bed. My weekends are sacred. I try to spend quality time with my family, as they are the reason why I started Cake in the first place.

8. What is the hardest thing about being a working mother?

Being so tired all the time. My mind is constantly running a million miles an hour between family, work, cooking and taking care of the house.

9. What do you think about ‘me’ time? And do you manage to fit some in?

I get very little ‘m’e time. One of my favourite things to do is to have a hot deep bath and soak. I find this helps to relax me and some of my best ideas are conceived here.

10. Have you ever thought about giving it up?

I love working for myself and find Cake Lingerie very rewarding. I am constantly learning about the industry and how it ticks. The thought has crossed my mind on numerous occasions. However I have too much invested in the business and in my heart of hearts I love it. I would not change a thing.

11. Do you have any advice for someone starting their own business?

Market research is a must. Establish a brand, with a strong identity that reaches your target market. Find a niche within the market place. There is no point doing something that everyone else is doing. Be unique and different, and you will stand out from the crowd.

For more information about Cake Lingerie ...click here

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