Jane O'Neill worked in events management before the birth of her first child prompted her to set up her own business producing personalised baby announcement and thank you cards, writes Olivia Kelleher
EVEN THE most organised women find themselves under pressure following the birth of their first child. Jane O'Neill's first child, Molly, was born in 2003 and immediately presents started arriving from family and friends in her home country of England. She was also overwhelmed by the generosity of her husband Shane's family.
"Presents came in for months and months. Not only did I receive gifts from friends and family, but also people whom I didn't even know. One of my mum's tennis friends knitted a beautiful cardigan, it was just amazing the kindness and generosity of people."
O'Neill worked in events management for the International Rugby Board (IRB) prior to Molly's birth. By nature an organised person, her mind immediately switched to thanking friends and family for their gifts.
In between feeds and nappy changes and trying to find time to have a shower, Jane O'Neill set about looking for personalised baby cards on which she could express her gratitude for the presents she had received.
O'Neill, who lives in Firhouse, went online trying to find a personalised baby company that would incorporate her daughter's picture into the greeting, but she found very little of note on offer.
So she and her husband Shane bought a digital camera and made the cards themselves.
"We wanted to make this card very personal to show our gratitude, and thought it would be great if we had a picture of our new little girl on the card.
"Several hours and clicks later with our newly bought digital print camera we finally had our picture. Molly was five weeks old, and we had propped her up on the sofa surrounded by teddies and a blanket. It was a lovely picture and we felt very proud of our darling daughter, as most new parents do."
O'Neill sent the card to friends and family, and the response she received from them was extremely positive.
Recipients said the picture of Molly brought the card to life and it meant that more distant relatives who might not meet her for some time in person were able to see her little face peering out of the card.
Relatives made the effort to phone O'Neill to talk about the card, and she was so amazed at the feedback that she decided to set up her own service.
A new business idea was conceived and www.babycards.ie was launched in 2004.
As a new mother, O'Neill was finding time very precious so she made sure the website was quick and easy to use.
Customers create their own cards online by selecting a design from the templates provided, upload their photo and select the image print area using a cropping tool. They can then view an instant online proof of the card. Cards are then produced in Dublin and posted out.
O'Neill went to work in the business part-time after her maternity leave, and spent much of this period researching new products and developing the website.
In June 2005 O'Neill's second child, Jack, was born and the website took a back seat for a while.
O'Neill enjoyed her work and was keen to return on a part-time basis after her maternity leave on her second child. However, she set up a separate office from her husband and became a work-at-home mother to avoid the six-mile commute from Firhouse to Harold's Cross.
The mother of two says she thoroughly enjoyed working in events management at the IRB. She had come to Ireland with a sports degree and had a great time working in a relatively new field here.
However, when she had her daughter she experienced a "dramatic change in life" and felt the need for a new career. Since then she has never had a moment's regret at giving up her office life.
"While it has been busy bringing up two young children [Molly now aged 4½ and Jack nearly 3] and starting a new business, it has been very rewarding. Getting rid of the commute made life much easier.
"If Jack is sick one day I can make it up another day. You don't have to feel guilty. I enjoyed my work in events management, but time is so precious when you have children. I am so glad to be able to do this."
O'Neill says she is especially proud of having a product of her own. She also enjoys making life a little easier for new parents who are struggling to keep up with their little one's routines.
"When a parent sends out the cards, they feel organised and on top of things. It has been brilliant to produce a product that other mums and dads can benefit from. Once you take the leap, you can't go back. I never imagined I would get involved in anything like this," she says.