A Brazilian mum-of-two living in Leamington has made post-Brexit international trade look like child’s play after setting up a business that ships UK and EU baby products directly to customers in her home country.
Assiane Clarete has long considered her home start-up Anna Claire Baby as her ‘third child’, running it from her home over the last eight years while raising two children, but has now seen it fly the nest after moving into its first premises after a sustained period of growth.
The supplier, which exports clothing, toys and other children’s items directly to consumers in Brazil, has moved to Space Business Centre Warwick, with Assiane previously running the business from her garage and kitchen table.
Assiane, who set up the baby clothing business from her garage after migrating to the UK in 2014, is hoping to reach even more customers in Brazil and beyond thanks to her improved storage facilities and dedicated office space at the £5.5m site in Tachbrook Park.
The service is one of the only ways for families in South America’s largest country to get hold of certain items and brands that are popular across Europe for newborns to 10-year-olds, including Béaba, Maxi-Cosi, Tommee Tippee, Silver Cross and Sophie the Giraffe product ranges.
The mum of two, who is originally from Curitiba in the south of Brazil, worked as a mechanical engineer before moving to the UK with her husband, who is also a mechanical engineer, while two months pregnant with her first child.
The pair initially moved to Solihull before settling in Leamington where they are raising their two children aged seven and nine.
Assiane said moving to Space Warwick has given her more leisure and family time at home.
The 35,000 sq ft development created and operated by AC Lloyd Commercial contains flexible, multi-use units available on 30-day monthly rolling agreements, and business owners from a wide range of industries are helping to turn Space Warwick into a thriving business community.
Assiane said: “We are cautiously optimistic about how things are going after some steady growth in recent years. As with any small business, nothing is certain, but having the flexibility that we do at Space Warwick means we can take a chance on that growth and do what we can to keep progressing.
“In recent years, most of my time has been spent on the business, but having a dedicated HQ means I can have more family time at home, and not be constantly thinking about the business and working late hours without any separation from my work life.
“Moving to Space Warwick has been a huge positive for us as it’s in a great location near to our home and school, and the flexible set up is really compatible with the business right now.
“So far, despite the challenges of Brexit, trading across the globe has had some really great outcomes. We just hope it can continue as we look to expand elsewhere.”
Kat Skerry, Site Manager at Space Business Centre Warwick, said: “We are lucky to have some incredible small businesses coming to Space to support their growth, and Assiane shows the scale that is possible with the right infrastructure in place.
“We are looking forward to seeing how the business develops in the coming months and years.”
For more information visit www.anneclairebaby.com