A DIRECTOR of an eco-toy company that exports across the world told budding entrepreneurs in Gwynedd that all they need to get started is a phone.

Peter Barton and his wife, Jolene, launched Babipur (Pure baby) in Porthmadog in 2007 when online shopping was in its infancy, and it’s now grown into a £5million-a-year business that employs 25 people.

The company specialises in environmentally friendly, ethically sourced products for children and families, including mainly wooden toys, organic clothes, reusable nappies and health and skincare goods.

As well as having an expanding customer base across the UK, Babipur exports as far afield as South Korea, Australia and America.

Peter was among the speakers at a social media masterclass organised by Lafan business consultancy, on behalf of Gwynedd Council, as part of the pioneering Dyfodol Digidol (Digital Future) scheme.

The project has received funding from the Gwynedd Shared Prosperity Fund and is available free of charge to any businesses based in the county.

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Companies that sign up get three one-to-one mentoring sessions from a digital expert and will be able to choose from 30 different training workshops which will be mainly online.

According to Peter, Babipur began in a small way as a “kitchen table” enterprise, working from home with boxes of products stored under their bed.

He recalled: “We didn’t have anything to start with so we went to the bank and got a £2,000 loan and just gave it a shot.

“We didn’t sell anything for a number of weeks and then one day we sold one wooden toy and we were really excited.”

From then on, the company just grew and grew to the point where it’s now based in the 35,000 sq ft former premises of the Gelert outdoor clothing and equipment company in Porthmadog, with a brand-new showroom about to be opened.

Peter added: “We got into e-commerce in the early days and we provide parents with products that they maybe can’t find in the typical high street shops.

“We thoroughly research everything to ensure our products meet certain ethical credentials and that the materials used are natural.

“For example, with anything made from organic cotton we need to make sure the garment makers are paid fairly through supply chain vetting.

“We could not exist as a company in this area without ecommerce – our products are quite niche and our audience is global.

“The secret I think is to offer something you can’t typically buy from the big operators like Amazon and the big shops. You must have a point of difference because it’s really competitive out there.

“As well as offering our customers something different, there has to be an element of trust through telling our story and our beliefs through social media.

“Anyone can do it. There’s a huge opportunity. If you’ve got a product or a service, you can access the whole world with your phone. The possibilities are endless.”