Take the stress out of party planning with Gigglekids & Co | Vicky Meets

• What is Gigglekids & Co and how did it begin?

Gigglekids & Co was founded in 2020 when I was planning our son’s first birthday. I discovered that there was no one-stop-shop locally for all the party elements that I needed, and that I would need to liaise with individual companies. With a background in catering, and with friends who make balloon arrangements and celebration cakes, plus a husband to do all the lifting and inflating, we decided that we could offer to take the stress away from other families and give it a go. Although children are our main target market, we do also offer catering and decor packages for all types of parties and events. We offer everything from entertainment, including inflatable and soft play hire, to catering and decorations. We work with party hosts to create a package that meets their requirements, theme and budget.

• During the pandemic you created special ‘at home’ packages. What were these?

I really struggled during lockdown to keep my one-year-old entertained and to ensure that he didn’t miss out on activities for cognitive and gross and fine motor development. There were so many other local mums like me that I decided to offer equipment out in smaller bundles for home use. I wanted to help by offering these at a low cost for a night or two. It turned out to be very popular, especially for those children that were celebrating a birthday but who couldn’t go out to and celebrate. The soft play and number balloon displays together were a big hit. We also adapted our food offering so that people could still enjoy our products for special occasions at home.

• Is being a mum and building a business at the same time hard work?

No doubt about it, it is really hard! The main challenge is childcare and trying not to let the business stop us from enjoying things as a family at the weekends. I am quite lucky that my two-year-old likes to be helpful, so sometimes he asks to come with us to set-ups or collections to help. To other mums wanting to set up their own business I would say go for it, but make sure you have fully thought through your idea; be realistic and don’t let it overwhelm you. My best advice would be to create a support network. Oh, and make quality time for your children and yourself by being organised. Power hours are key, but make sure you put your phone down out of hours.

• What do you think are the most important ingredients for a successful party?

Good company, laughter, fun things for people of all ages to get involved in, good food, great decor and a show-stopping cake. A great party should be personal, unique, meaningful and memorable. And that’s always our aim when we put a party together.

• Where can we find more information?

We are on Facebook and Instagram.

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