Candice Davis - After Birth London
Candice is the founder of After Birth London, a website for resources for post-natal mums. She graduated from MSc International Business Management with Marketing in 2024, after winning the B2C category at the South Bank Ignite finals.
What is your idea, and when did it start?
The initial seed was planted in 2016/17 when I was pregnant with my last-born. As an older mum I was much more aware of the things that can go wrong – when I had my eldest I was 19, and I had no expectations that anything could go differently from the way you think it will. But as an older mum, suddenly I realised all the things that can go wrong, and I found it difficult to get answers to these new questions I had. There wasn’t one specific place I could go to find answers, especially about myself – there was a lot about the baby, and it felt like the world thought if you problem solve for the baby you automatically problem solve for you as well.
Through my placenta encapsulation business at the time, I met a lot of older mums who were mirroring the same concerns. It made me realise that we need one specific place you can go to and find what you need. This led to the three different branches of After Birth London: we lead with the advice section, where you can look up a question or ask your own question and we’ll research it for you. Next came the retail section: I got sick of the difficulties buying things I needed, only to find them sold out, or only available in other countries, or the links were broken. So I decided we need to stock these things in-house so when we promote an item, it is available to buy there and then. Finally, we’re going to have the directory for post-natal services, for example if you want a post-natal doula, or a cleaner that doesn’t mind watching the baby while you’re in the bath, then they will be able to list there, and this makes me better than Google – not many people can say that! It’ll be so specific – there will be a list of services that are relatable to you.
Who will this benefit?
After Birth London is for post-natal mums, who are looking for answers to their questions, resources, products and services, all of which we’ll share. Partners will also benefit, as they can search and find answers and help however they can.
How has LSBU supported you in your enterprise journey?
Firstly, my seven years of studying – firstly Business Management, then Marketing with Luxury Brand Management, and finally and most recently my MSc International Business Management with Marketing – were a huge part of my enterprise journey. I had businesses in the past, but I didn’t understand what I was missing and what was needed. Academically learning through my degrees opened my mind up to how to do things, and how to analyse it afterwards. It helped me to realise mistakes I’d made in the past and why things happened a certain way.
On top of that, I was also a part of Toastmasters through LSBU, and was even founding president for the first year – I wouldn’t have done this if LSBU hadn’t offered it. This helped me develop my ability to articulate my thoughts in a more formal setting, outside my comfort zone.
Finally, Mohammed and the team – I did a shorter scheme before, then a year-long commitment, before Ignite was even on the table. Dedicating that time, the weekly classes, was the best choice. Even when it was a subject I thought I knew about, I would attend and still learn a lot. It rounded off my knowledge and gave me the security to take these steps.
I feel better equipped from my experience with the enterprise team, it was like a finishing school - it put the finishing touches on - as they helped me to understand my responsibilities and the way to do things, not just in general but in a way that is best for you. They got lots of experts in, like accountants and other specialists, who spoke about their real-life experiences, which was valuable to have access to as they could answer questions you weren’t sure who else to ask. The enterprise team offer everything you need: hot desking, meeting rooms, 121 appointments with the support team. I built a lot of connections too, a fellow finalist is now a close friend and another has joined me to work on the digital aspects of my business. In the community and network that’s come out of this, we’re all so excited about each other’s ideas, offering advice or compliments – it’s exciting to see others on their journeys, and to be a part of it, and see it happening and unfolding – it’s almost as exciting as your own!
Find out more about After Birth London at www.afterbirth.london, and you can find them on Instagram @after_birth_london.