Meet Tara Bulum Of EcoBub Nappies

Welcome back!

My guest today is Tara Bulum. Tara runs three businesses - A Touch Of Harmony, Ecobub Nappies and Business Block Busters. Read and be Inspired by her business success story!!!!




Tell us a bit about your business – what you do, when you started and how you got the idea?


	Tara Bulum worked in the corporate world for 20 years in various industries and roles. For about five years of that she worked part-time or in her own business while working full-time for someone else. Tara is an entrepreneur with three businesses. These are (and the following answers for each will be in the corresponding colours): A Touch of Harmony (10 years old) - Life Coaching and Self Improvement programs (including book clubs) - started after Tara had volunteered as a counsellor, found she liked it and could incorporate it into some healing work in her own business. From here a natural evolution occurred from client requests that led to Life Coaching and training in topics of personal development. Today this business continues to provide Life Coaching, Health Coaching, Self Improvement programs and book clubs which are largely provided by a great team of Life Coaches.

Ecobub Nappies (3 years old) - environmentally friendly nappies and associated products that are safe for your child and the environment - prior to starting this business Tara had a pretty good awareness of some of the dangerous ingredients in products freely available on the market and an understanding of how they impact everyone’s health, particularly on those who have little or no natural defence systems. She had also made a commitment to herself when in her early twenties to never use disposable nappies on her children that contained dangerous ingredients or negatively impacted the environment. When Tara became pregnant she endeavoured to find fitted cloth nappies made from natural fibres with no dangerous dyes or other chemicals. During this research she found there was little made in Australia or produced by Australian companies apart from biodegradable disposable nappies made in Germany. Not being able to source much in Australia led Tara to leverage her many years of business experience and launch her own business providing well researched high quality products to the Australian marketplace. Now there is a place for parents who want quality nappy and associated products that are safe for their child(ren) and the environment. Products include a range of organic cotton cloth fitted nappies; organic cotton cloth wipes, cot sheets, towels, wraps, breast pads; biodegradable disposable nappies and biodegradable wet wipes; baby care products (wash, lotions and sunscreens). Business Block Busters - (1.5 years old) - Business Mentoring and Coaching, Business Development, Business Management, Professional Development Training and Professional Development Coaching - Tara conducted one of her annual business reviews for A Touch of Harmony and realised that the majority of clients were women (usually Mums) working in their own or family businesses. The issues or aspects that were being worked on were about business and life. It seemed natural to Tara to separate this aspect of her business into a new venture because she realised that it was where she added the most value and gained the greatest satisfaction. The thing that differentiates Business Block Busters from most business coaching services is that it doesn’t just focus on the nuts and bolts of the business but the skills and motivations of the owner/manager. It uses psychology and other perspectives to focus the business owner on setting and achieving short and long-term goals and dreams.
How do you source your products?

A Touch of Harmony – the only products it has are books, CD’s and DVD’s that enable clients to achieve their goals or advance their knowledge about themselves These are sourced from various places, referrals and experiences of what really works and aligns with the philosophies of the business.
Ecobub Nappies prefers Australian-made and Australian businesses and/or Australian made. Products must meet certain criteria such as:


Business Block Busters is currently building a website which will promote our services and have books, CD’s and DVD’s that enable clients to achieve their goals or advance their businesses. We will also offer some free information on this site for small and home based businesses. These are sourced from various places, referrals and experiences of what really works and aligns with the philosophies of the business.


If you had to start all over again, is there anything you would do differently in your business?

I would trust my instinct more and engage more with those who support my business goals and ideas. I would also remember that I am only one person and need assistance to achieve my goals, so engage help early on to build websites, undertake marketing and promotions as well as sales. You can’t do all the functions and need to realise that early on to save a lot of angst.

If you had to name one single most valuable tool for you in your business, what would that be?

The internet is definitely a valuable tool but I also realised that networking is also equally valuable.

What is the smartest bit of marketing you have ever done?

	Building alliances with other like, but not the same businesses. Example – Business Block Busters aligns with a PR company, a printer, a graphic designer.

How many hours do you work each day? Any time management tips you would like to share with us?

	I work more than I have to because I love what I do and am on a mission. The most important management tip I can share is to not try and do everything yourself, if you are not good at something or it is not your priority, get someone to do that task that has that as their priority and does it well.


Finally, your five keys to success?

1. Outsourcing to the right people 2. Engage a Business Coach 3. Plan ahead to achieve your dreams, so being really clear and detailed about what that is, how it will look and feel 4. Pay yourself as soon as you start getting money in, even if it starts at 5% of your business income 5. Show yourself and the Universe you are serious in all that you do by your actions and thinking.

To read more stories about women in the baby products industry click Baby Products

Sites Of Interest
http://www.ecobubnappies.com.au/
http://www.naturaltherapypages.com.au/



This interview was published on 15th October 2009

Visit Tara’s website to get more information about her business….