Angelique, mama of three runs a thriving business specialising in aestheically beautiful comfortable sheet protectors for when your little one is toilet taining at night. Here is a little bit about her and how she started and grown her successful buisness.
What is your Business? 
The Midnight Gang
A little bit about yourself.
I’m 37 with three children. 2 daughters 10 and 6 and an 8 year old son. I was a full time primary school teacher until I had my first daughter. I haven’t gone back.
How did the idea come about?
My daughter was 5 at the time and I remember having a sheet protector on her bed while we were going through the ‘no nappy’ stage at night. It was plain white and really stiff. She hated having it on her bed as it covered her pretty fitted sheet she loved so much and it made her self conscious as it was very clinical looking. I was looking at all her beautiful bed linen thinking ‘I wonder if I could create a product that looked just as beautiful as all her other bed linen, but has the use and benefits of a waterproof sheet protector?’. And so my journey began! I was so excited to create a product that took away the shame and embarrassment that some kids experience with bed wetting and also to create a product that the style savvy parent would love to feature in their children’s room that is both beautiful AND practical.
What has been the most challenging aspect of owning your own business so far?
It sounds so cliche and obvious but one of the biggest challenges for many women is juggling the work/life balance. Having children adds a whole new dynamic and it can be difficult to take off your mum hat and replace it with your entrepreneur hat. I think most women would agree that instead of taking hats off and replacing them with other hats, we just continue to pile the hats on and wear multiple at a time! I think sometimes the biggest challenge can be ourselves and our mindset.
What has been the highlight of owning your business?
The wonderful thing about being an entrepreneur and business owner is there are many opportunities to get excited and feel proud but one moment that really stands out to me was when my I made the decision to have my products sent to a 3PL (3rd party logistics company). Before then I was packing all our orders out of our garage. Each time a new shipment would come in my husband had to build more and more shelves. I would have to physically lift the boxes off the back of the truck and carry them into our house. When a new shipment arrived our lounge room and driveway would be filled with boxes for weeks while we tried to sort them out. My days were filled with packing orders in between looking after the kids. So at the beginning of 2021 I made the decision to use a 3PL. All my shipments now go directly to them and they pack all my orders. It has been an absolute game changer and such a proud moment for me to see my business go from a small garage based business to a large warehouse with all the potential in the world.
If you have one advice to give to another Mama wanting to start a business what will it be?
Identify your strengths and weaknesses in business and find someone who is strong in your weaknesses to support you. As much as we try to, it’s not possible to do EVERYTHING ourselves and sustain a successful business. Outsourcing is key!
You can follow Angelique’s business on her Instagram @the_midnight_gang Facebook & TIKTOK: @_the_midnight_gang
