It's been nearly a decade since Fran Vaughan went from buying and selling CDs on eBay to launching Ickle Bubba with wife Veronica – and their business is well on the way to becoming a global brand.

The couple started the baby product company in 2013 after struggling to find a high-quality pram at an affordable price when they were expecting their first child two years earlier.

They approached three factories in China, built up a good relationship with one and over the next two years worked together before buying a 20ft container of prams and car seats.

Fran, like “Del Boy”, visited independent retailers around the country while with Sky and it all went from there.

After switching to selling online and then changing from a business-to-business strategy to business-to-consumer approach, things really took off.

In 2021, the firm, whose headquarters are in Swansea, reported triple-digit growth for the third year running, with the decision to change trading strategies before the pandemic paying dividends.

Making and marketing three-in-one prams, travel systems, nursery furniture, pushchairs, strollers and car seats throughout UK and overseas is a labour of love for former Sky engineer Fran.

“I was always interested in buying and selling things,” he said. “It all started with eBay, buying and selling CDs.

“Fast-forward to my first proper job and I worked for Sky for the best part of 10 years.

“I was really fortunate I had a lot of exposure to lots of different facets of business.

“I probably didn’t realise it until recently but all of those roles set me up really well for Ickle Bubba.”

The Leader:

Fran and Veronica Vaughan started Ickle Bubba in 2013

He continued: “We were focusing on independent retailers and then decided to transition to online retailers.

“I always knew it would be a good family-run business that would provide a decent level of income, but in 2018 I realised it had much bigger potential.”

That same year, Ickle Bubba grew into a team of eight, and it was then they decided to adopt the business-to-consumer method of operating.

“We came up with a vision statement which was, and still is, for Ickle Bubba to become a globally recognised market leading nursery brand offering great products for all people and all budgets.

“Before we tried to conquer the world, we decided to focus on the domestic market.

“Over the next three years we wanted to become a nationally recognised market leading nursery brand, and that’s what we’ve been working on ever since.

“In 2018 we were in more than 100 independent retailers and were a business-to-business wholesale.

“One of the challenges with this model is you’d go into a shopping environment and be placed among a sea of prams, so you’ve got to try and convince the retailers to push your product over someone else’s.

“There was a shift in sales volume from physical retail to online so we launched an e-commerce website where we could sell direct to consumers – it was a bit of a punt.

“Making the transition was a bit tricky because you’re trying to recruit and build your in-house team while telling agencies you no longer want to work with them.

“We were regularly posting double digit net profits on a monthly basis and when that happened for a few months I realised that things were working.”

He added: “We had a great year last year, our best ever, in fact.

“I put that down to us investing into direct to consumer 18 months before the pandemic started – it was luck.

“This year things have slowed down a bit. It feels like we’re coming down from a Covid bounce.

“But it’s okay, we know how to sell directly to consumers, it’s how we do it going forward is what’s going to give us the next level of growth.

“It’s all about increasing customer lifetime value and it’s a big part of our how we’re going to get to our next level of growth going forward.”

Now trading in seven international markets, Ickle Bubba is well on the way to achieving its goal.

He added: “Our vision is the end goal. We know we’re a long way from it but my role as CEO and founder is to make sure we’re continually making progress.

“It does start at the end and you do need a vision, something people can buy into because they feel inspired and want to come on that journey with you.

“It’s making that transition from becoming a nationally recognised brand to an internationally global brand and getting closer to that vision.

“In the short term, we just need to work really hard on getting some of that to pay off before we look to invest and grow again.”

Fran Vaughan was speaking during an episode of the Welsh Business Heroes series hosted online by NatWest, Newsquest and Landsker.