NZ Herald
  • Home
  • Latest news
  • Herald NOW
  • Video
  • New Zealand
  • Sport
  • World
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Podcasts
  • Quizzes
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Viva
  • Weather

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • New Zealand
    • All New Zealand
    • Crime
    • Politics
    • Education
    • Open Justice
    • Scam Update
  • Herald NOW
  • On The Up
  • World
    • All World
    • Australia
    • Asia
    • UK
    • United States
    • Middle East
    • Europe
    • Pacific
  • Business
    • All Business
    • MarketsSharesCurrencyCommoditiesStock TakesCrypto
    • Markets with Madison
    • Media Insider
    • Business analysis
    • Personal financeKiwiSaverInterest ratesTaxInvestment
    • EconomyInflationGDPOfficial cash rateEmployment
    • Small business
    • Business reportsMood of the BoardroomProject AucklandSustainable business and financeCapital markets reportAgribusiness reportInfrastructure reportDynamic business
    • Deloitte Top 200 Awards
    • CompaniesAged CareAgribusinessAirlinesBanking and financeConstructionEnergyFreight and logisticsHealthcareManufacturingMedia and MarketingRetailTelecommunicationsTourism
  • Opinion
    • All Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Editorials
    • Business analysis
    • Premium opinion
    • Letters to the editor
  • Politics
  • Sport
    • All Sport
    • OlympicsParalympics
    • RugbySuper RugbyNPCAll BlacksBlack FernsRugby sevensSchool rugby
    • CricketBlack CapsWhite Ferns
    • Racing
    • NetballSilver Ferns
    • LeagueWarriorsNRL
    • FootballWellington PhoenixAuckland FCAll WhitesFootball FernsEnglish Premier League
    • GolfNZ Open
    • MotorsportFormula 1
    • Boxing
    • UFC
    • BasketballNBABreakersTall BlacksTall Ferns
    • Tennis
    • Cycling
    • Athletics
    • SailingAmerica's CupSailGP
    • Rowing
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Viva - Food, fashion & beauty
    • Society Insider
    • Royals
    • Sex & relationships
    • Food & drinkRecipesRecipe collectionsRestaurant reviewsRestaurant bookings
    • Health & wellbeing
    • Fashion & beauty
    • Pets & animals
    • The Selection - Shop the trendsShop fashionShop beautyShop entertainmentShop giftsShop home & living
    • Milford's Investing Place
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • TV
    • MoviesMovie reviews
    • MusicMusic reviews
    • BooksBook reviews
    • Culture
    • ReviewsBook reviewsMovie reviewsMusic reviewsRestaurant reviews
  • Travel
    • All Travel
    • News
    • New ZealandNorthlandAucklandWellingtonCanterburyOtago / QueenstownNelson-TasmanBest NZ beaches
    • International travelAustraliaPacific IslandsEuropeUKUSAAfricaAsia
    • Rail holidays
    • Cruise holidays
    • Ski holidays
    • Luxury travel
    • Adventure travel
  • Kāhu Māori news
  • Environment
    • All Environment
    • Our Green Future
  • Talanoa Pacific news
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Property Insider
    • Interest rates tracker
    • Residential property listings
    • Commercial property listings
  • Health
  • Technology
    • All Technology
    • AI
    • Social media
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
    • Opinion
    • Audio & podcasts
  • Weather forecasts
    • All Weather forecasts
    • Kaitaia
    • Whangārei
    • Dargaville
    • Auckland
    • Thames
    • Tauranga
    • Hamilton
    • Whakatāne
    • Rotorua
    • Tokoroa
    • Te Kuiti
    • Taumaranui
    • Taupō
    • Gisborne
    • New Plymouth
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Dannevirke
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Levin
    • Paraparaumu
    • Masterton
    • Wellington
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Blenheim
    • Westport
    • Reefton
    • Kaikōura
    • Greymouth
    • Hokitika
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
    • Wānaka
    • Oamaru
    • Queenstown
    • Dunedin
    • Gore
    • Invercargill
  • Meet the journalists
  • Promotions & competitions
  • OneRoof property listings
  • Driven car news

Puzzles & Quizzes

  • Puzzles
    • All Puzzles
    • Sudoku
    • Code Cracker
    • Crosswords
    • Cryptic crossword
    • Wordsearch
  • Quizzes
    • All Quizzes
    • Morning quiz
    • Afternoon quiz
    • Sports quiz

Regions

  • Northland
    • All Northland
    • Far North
    • Kaitaia
    • Kerikeri
    • Kaikohe
    • Bay of Islands
    • Whangarei
    • Dargaville
    • Kaipara
    • Mangawhai
  • Auckland
  • Waikato
    • All Waikato
    • Hamilton
    • Coromandel & Hauraki
    • Matamata & Piako
    • Cambridge
    • Te Awamutu
    • Tokoroa & South Waikato
    • Taupō & Tūrangi
  • Bay of Plenty
    • All Bay of Plenty
    • Katikati
    • Tauranga
    • Mount Maunganui
    • Pāpāmoa
    • Te Puke
    • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Hawke's Bay
    • All Hawke's Bay
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Havelock North
    • Central Hawke's Bay
    • Wairoa
  • Taranaki
    • All Taranaki
    • Stratford
    • New Plymouth
    • Hāwera
  • Manawatū - Whanganui
    • All Manawatū - Whanganui
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Manawatū
    • Tararua
    • Horowhenua
  • Wellington
    • All Wellington
    • Kapiti
    • Wairarapa
    • Upper Hutt
    • Lower Hutt
  • Nelson & Tasman
    • All Nelson & Tasman
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Tasman
  • Marlborough
  • West Coast
  • Canterbury
    • All Canterbury
    • Kaikōura
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
  • Otago
    • All Otago
    • Oamaru
    • Dunedin
    • Balclutha
    • Alexandra
    • Queenstown
    • Wanaka
  • Southland
    • All Southland
    • Invercargill
    • Gore
    • Stewart Island
  • Gisborne

Media

  • Video
    • All Video
    • NZ news video
    • Herald NOW
    • Business news video
    • Politics news video
    • Sport video
    • World news video
    • Lifestyle video
    • Entertainment video
    • Travel video
    • Markets with Madison
    • Kea Kids news
  • Podcasts
    • All Podcasts
    • The Front Page
    • On the Tiles
    • Ask me Anything
    • The Little Things
  • Cartoons
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Business / Small Business

Small Business: Parent entrepreneurs - Brian Ruthie, Clevabib

NZ Herald
28 Jan, 2014 01:25 AM5 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

The Clevabib baby bib.

The Clevabib baby bib.

Brian Ruthie is the dad behind Clevabib, a bib he designed and patented that aims to keep babies’ laps as well as their fronts free from spills.

How did Clevabib come about?

Clevabib is a baby bib I designed and patented, which attaches to a highchair or table via suction cups to create a neat little pocket to catch mess.

My 'light bulb' moment came one day when I was cleaning baked beans off my son's designer baby trousers while he was wearing a bib. As I was muttering naughty words under my breath I pulled the bottom of the bib forward onto the highchair and said to myself "if only the bib could stick here then these trousers wouldn't be ruined".

After discussing the idea with my wife we decided the idea had merit and we needed to protect it. I met with a patent attorney and worked towards securing the rights to my idea.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Once that was done we needed a website completed in time for The Parent and Child Show in August 2013, where I debuted the product. The feedback was fabulous and, although my business is only in its first year, the opportunities and leads have been happening faster than I expected.

What's working life like for you?

As my business is very new, and we have three children, my wife and I both work full time jobs to pay the bills. I juggle the growth of our business mostly after the kids are in bed.

Working life is full on right now as we try to move forwards in our normal careers while bringing up the kids and building the business, but every little win for the bib is a step closer to our dream.

What impact has the business had on family life?

The time, effort and money needed to get a business off the ground is massive and the impact it has on the family can be consuming. We do our best to focus on work, daycare/school and household needs through the week, then fun stuff with the kids on the weekend, so it has as little effect on the family as possible.

Discover more

Currency

The rise and rise of Bitcoin

17 Jan 04:30 PM
Small Business

Small Business: Craft brewers

21 Jan 01:45 AM
Small Business

Small Business: Craft brewers - Craig Bowen, BeerNZ

21 Jan 12:15 AM
Small Business

Small Business: Craft brewers - Soren Eriksen, 8 Wired Brewing

21 Jan 08:20 PM

The kids were all involved in the design and testing of the bib. They all love it and my 10-year-old is very proud of his father being an inventor, as I am constantly getting questioned by his friends or their parents.

Only my 10-year-old can really understand why I spend so much time trying to grow a business to provide a better future, but he is immensely understanding and hopeful. The five- and three-year-olds are bit young to get it and that's why I try not to let it impact the time I spend with them.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

What have been some of the other challenges?

They've been mostly financial in these early stages. We had a significant house deposit saved, which we instead decided to put into the business and it got gobbled up fairly rapidly. When they say it takes a $100,000 to start a business they are not far off and it will always be a burden until I can replace it.

Other challenges have been finding out how to patent, design, manufacture, import, market and so on. I don't have any family or friends who have been down the same path, so research, trial and error have been my only options.

Sales have been an obvious reward at this early stage, but the positive feedback from people seeing or using the bib has also been very rewarding and a huge reassurance that we made the right decision to invest all our savings in it.

What are your hopes for the business?

My hope is it goes from humble beginnings to a prosperous future.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

My five-year goal is to be a work-from-home Dad, spending quality time with my family. My 10-to-15-year plan is to become a successful employer with my own factory/shop. To create jobs that help the community and create an enjoyable work environment for staff is something I aspire to be able to do.

This year will demand a huge push in marketing and sales if I am to keep moving forward. I have some outlet stores requesting my product in New Zealand and a possible opportunity with an Australian distributor. Attending trade shows, more advertising and increasing our product line will also make it a very busy year, but I have every belief in my product. My determination to get the dream life motivates me to keep moving forward. I will not relent in the pursuit of happiness!

What are your top tips for other parent entrepreneurs?

Go for it! You have to be mentally prepared and financially ready - expect to put a lot in for no return in your first five years - but if you truly believe in your idea then get stuck in.

Coming up in Small Business: From Facebook to Twitter, Instagram to Pinterest, everyone's trying to raise their social media profile. But is it translating to sales? If you've got a cool story about how you've used social media buzz to market your business (that's had a tangible effect on the bottom line) drop me a line.

Save

    Share this article

Latest from Small Business

Lifestyle

The secret sauce of the bar named NZ's best

08 Jul 10:00 PM
Premium
Small Business

On The Up: From fishing shows to first aid - Parachute First Aid's unique journey

06 Jul 05:00 PM
Premium
Business|small business

'Change their footprint': Kiwi start-up's plan to shave $1200 a year off household power bills

30 Jun 05:00 PM

From early mornings to easy living

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Small Business

The secret sauce of the bar named NZ's best

The secret sauce of the bar named NZ's best

08 Jul 10:00 PM

'I’ve always wanted to be called an institution – that’s my goal.'

Premium
On The Up: From fishing shows to first aid - Parachute First Aid's unique journey

On The Up: From fishing shows to first aid - Parachute First Aid's unique journey

06 Jul 05:00 PM
Premium
'Change their footprint': Kiwi start-up's plan to shave $1200 a year off household power bills

'Change their footprint': Kiwi start-up's plan to shave $1200 a year off household power bills

30 Jun 05:00 PM
Premium
Small Business: Kiwi pickle brand processes 100 tonnes as business booms

Small Business: Kiwi pickle brand processes 100 tonnes as business booms

29 Jun 05:00 PM
Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky
sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP