Behind The Bentos

When I first started Little Lunch Box Co back in 2016 I couldn’t decide whether to put myself in front of my customers.  I was nervous about whether I would say or do the wrong thing so I stayed in the background and let my products speak for themselves. 

A wise person recently told me I was being silly.  She reminded me we are all human and just doing our best.  Some people will love what I do, others won’t.  I just need to focus on the good, so I thought it was time I came out from behind my Bentos!

Here are a few things about me and how I started Little Lunch Box Co.

What I did before Bentos

I actually had no retail or manufacturing experience.  I was a Personal Assistant!

Family?

I have a husband who is very camera shy so you will probably never see him.  My two girls that are 6 and 8 love the camera, and I am also lucky to have two grown up step children.

What made me start Little Lunch Box Co?

I already had one of my girls and my second was on the way when I made the decision that I really didn’t want to go back to working in an office in a role that wasn’t going to allow me to be the sort of mum I wanted to be.  I wanted to be there when the bell rang to pick up my kids from school and be able to attend every concert and sports day.

I had been a mum for a little while when a friend introduced me to Bento lunch boxes.  I thought they looked amazing and starting using one. I loved it but I found there were a few challenges when using it.  That gave me the idea to make one that was a little different.  I thought working for myself would give the two things I wanted, the flexibility to be with my kids and I loved the idea of creating something.

How long did it take to create the Bento boxes?

It was a long journey of 2 years with many up’s and down’s from the decision to the arrival of my first Bento lunch boxes.  If someone had told me at the start it would take that long, and be a significant financial investment, I probably wouldn’t have gone down this road.  I’m so glad there wasn’t someone there to give me the hard truths!

How many people work at Little Lunch Box Co?

In 2020 I was lucky enough to be able to expand my team and hire 2 new workers. We now have Chelsea on board who helps with marketing and creating beautiful content, and Kate who runs my social media and customer service.

What is the most challenging part of owning a small business?

Funnily enough the one thing I wanted, which is to be able to work from home, is one of the most challenging things about owning my own business.  If you have young children you would know that there is always washing to be done, food to be made and mess to be cleaned up.  Keeping focused on work and not getting distracted by these things when you have nobody except yourself to answer to is a challenge.

The one other thing I have found challenging is the high’s and low’s of social media.  There are so many lovely and supportive people but there can also be some people who are quick to judge and be very vocally negative.  When it’s your business it is hard not to take it personally. 

To get past it I just remember nobody can make the perfect product that suits everyone.  Because we all different there will be people who love or hate what I do.  As long as there are some people out there that love what I do, I will keep doing it!

The best thing about owning Little Lunch Box Co

Sorry dads!  One of the best things about starting my own business is meeting so many other amazing mums who have been super supportive and helped me get to where I am today.  The lunch box community is so much bigger than I could have ever imagined and there are some really talented and inspirational people who are part of it.  Thank you to everyone who has helped me in my little business so far!

Well that is a little bit about me and my journey so far.  If you follow us on social media you may see my face a little more in the future. I hope you say hello so I can get to know you a little better too.