Spot gap in the market ✔ Build a successful business ✔ Sell successful business ✔ Retire ✔ Spot gap in the market ✔ Start new business ✔

 

Entrepreneur Award Finalist – Jennie Johnson MBE

In 2020, Jennie sold her cherished business, Kids Allowed and retired for a life of leisure. The only plans she had for the future was that she didn’t have or need any plans and it was time to put her feet up!

Fast forward a year and a friend sent her a video of their baby, sharing how proud they were of their little one’s achievements. Jennie was immediately struck by how many other accomplishments her baby had in this short clip and excitedly explained to her friend the long list of milestones that had just been reached.

This conversation kept replaying in Jennie’s mind – parents seeing one small achievement but the true meaning of what they were seeing was only really known by childcare professionals. Jennie believes that if parents knew all this information, their journey as a parent would be so much different.

Interest piqued; Jennie started researching the topic. What she found was that information was restricted to generic comparing age to stages in development, when in reality every child is unique.

“I Imagined how empowered parents would feel if they could really understand and embrace their child’s unique journey of development according their child’s individuality, with scientifically backed information and in one accessible place – a next generation App.”

And so the My First Five Years (MFFY) App business was ‘born’ with the first round of funding  completed within 48 hours. The second round of funding of £1.4 million, 12 months later was completed in 4 weeks and that really enabled her to launch the business forward.

To date the App has been downloaded 5,900 times. Creating a totally bespoke learning journey for every child and letting parents know what is likely to come next, the normal parental anxieties have no reason to exist. With a bank of 2000+ hints, tips, hacks and activity ideas using resources readily available in the home of outside in the environment, to support each child’s unique place in their learning.

My First Five Years has won 5 awards since launch

My First Five Years has won 5 awards since launch and has been featured on the App Store 3 times, the latter as App of the Day. MFFY has now got a toy range and have a 15-title book deal with Bloomsbury Publishing. In December 2022, the MFFY Podcast was launched and will be followed by Masterclasses in early 2023.

Hear more from Jennie about how she has become a serial entrepreneur, by attending the Inspiring Women award Lunch on 19/05/2023.