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Children deserve the best
The idea of making design furniture for children had been underway for years. It was sparked in 1999, when Bolette Blædel was on maternity leave with her first child. Bolette Blædel soon discovered that there was lack of furniture for children that encouraged play and creativity while satisfying her preference for Danish design. She spent some time brainstorming with her sister Louise Blædel, and together they came up with the idea of creating a range of design furniture for children that would meet the requirements for both aesthetics and function. “Essentially, we want to create children’s furniture that stimulates the child without compromising on design quality,” says Bolette Blædel, director of bObles.

Since the first items in this series of design furniture were launched in 2006, bObles has had many success experiences that have had a motivating effect on the work and the level of ambition. Even at the first fair the company participated in, bObles was contacted by many foreign retailers interested in carrying its products. Since then, bObles has been approached by agents and distributors from more than 30 export markets around the world, but so far, the small company has taken on only six foreign markets, because it lacks the resources to keep up with the rapid growth in demand.

In 2006, bObles won the design prize Formidable, and the company has taken part in many fairs for acknowledged and established design-based companies. In 2007, Bolette and Louise fulfilled any designer’s dream as they received the stamp of approval from the Museum of Modern Art in New York, which included bObles in the museum store as one of the most outstanding examples of modern Danish design right now.

The business strategy
“From day one, design has been a key parameter in our company, because design is what gives the product the added value and exclusivity that makes it competitive both in Denmark and in the rest of the world,” says Bolette Blædel.

From the outset, the two sisters developed a strategy that has guided important business decisions ever since.

“The essence of our business strategy is very simple: We want to be an international brand. And in everything we have done and thought, that sentence has formed the basis for our guidelines and actions. In order to achieve our ambition of becoming an international brand, we not only considered it a necessity but also wanted to let design play a key role in the business concept,” says Bolette Blædel.

The two sisters consider design the element that makes the difference between a standard product and a competitive product in the export markets.

In order to accomplish their ambitious business plan, Bolette and Louise Blædel allied themselves with external partners. One is a financial advisor who has many years of experience as a consultant to Danish design-based companies. bObles has benefited a great deal from the assistance of this financial advisor, who has guided the sisters through a number of difficult strategic decision-making processes. He contacted the two sisters after seeing their products featured in the Danish financial newspaper Børsen to offer his business services pro bono. Another partner is Agenda Kommunikation, which also contacted bObles and offered the company a place in the Cocoons project – a growth environment for young up-and-coming suppliers of products for children that stand out thanks to a particularly visionary design profile.

“To be fortunate enough to be approached by such competent partners has been invaluable for us and our business. When we first set out, of course, we had no experience. We just dove right in without having any idea of the complexities of running a successful business. We have also had really good support from our bank and our lawyer throughout the process. Of course, we have always known a lot about good design, but we knew nothing about running a business. We would definitely not have been this successful without their assistance and professional competencies,” says Bolette Blædel.

As part of the business strategy, bObles also developed a growth strategy. The two sisters see a considerable growth potential in the company.

“We want to continue being a gazelle company with a 100 % annual growth rate,” Bolette Blædel says with a smile.

And so far, bObles has made true on these ambitions.As Bolette Blædel points out, a company with an ambitious growth strategy benefits from having an international perspective.

“It is the export markets that hold the big opportunities. That’s one of the reasons why it is our business strategy to become an international brand,” says Bolette Blædel.

Currently, bObles has exports to six countries, but the company has been approached by agents and distributors from more than 30 different countries; requests which they have so far turned down because they have been unable to keep up with demand. This gives the two sisters reason to believe that it is possible to maintain the impressive growth rates.

“Since the launch, we have seen a great demand for our products from all corners of the world. It seems that we have found a gap in the design market that needed to be filled. Besides, we have been fortunate in matching a current trend: Today’s parents are very keen to offer their children the best possible conditions for their development and happiness, and at the same time they are very aesthetically aware. Our products tap into this with their combined focus on design, clean and safe materials and the promotion of children’s sensory and motor functions,” says Bolette Blædel.

Future challenges
bObles has only been around for two years. Despite its tender age, the company has achieved outstanding results. In addition, bObles has helped put Denmark on the world map of design, as the company’s products are in demand around the world and present in some of the most esteemed design stores worldwide. bObles has become an example of new and innovative Danish design in Denmark and abroad.

This impressive arrival on the Danish and international design scene has led to convincing growth rates for this small company on the island of Amager by Copenhagen. Every year since its inception, bObles has been rated a gazelle company thanks to its increasing growth rates. Louise and Bolette Blædel aim to continue the same growth rate as in previous years, and they consider this a feasible goal thanks to high-quality design products and a sensible business and branding strategy.

The two sisters have high aspirations. “We want to be an internationally recognised brand, and we are off to a strong start. The positive response to our design products gives us every reason to believe in the dreams we have for the company. Our strength is that we have products that we really believe in, and because of that we are willing to take the plunge without too much deliberation,” Bolette Blædel concludes with a smile.