With a Mission to Connect Parents Across the U.S., Darcy Cruwys Created a Network of Thrifty Moms
Darcy Cruwys started Swap Mamas, a website connecting parents across the United States, after she lost her job in the 2008 market crash. Her aim was to lessen the financial expense of raising children by encouraging moms to exchange kids’ clothes. But what began as a passionate community has now blossomed into a fast-growing business that’s received recognition from prominent publications like The New York Times and Parenting Magazine.
With big changes on the way for Swap Mamas, we sat down with Darcy to talk about keeping the company sustainable, sticking to her guns and how she still sometimes feels like she's winging it.
Name: Darcy Cruwys
Business: Swap Mamas
Started: January 2009
How did you get started?
Swap Mamas started in January 2009. When my daughter was born, I had a really tight-knit circle of friends, all with baby girls, who were scattered across the country. Whenever an older child grew out of an item of clothing, a box would get shipped along to the next mom in the group.
For the first few years of my little one’s life, I didn't have to buy any clothes for her. It bothered me to think that there were people out there who didn't have such a great support system. I decided that there had to be an easy way to connect these people, and after some brainstorming I started Swap Mamas.
At first I didn't think it would become a huge business — I just wanted to help people and connect parents who wouldn't otherwise meet. But there was obviously a huge need for it, because it really took off!
Today we have about 35,000 members across the United States. It's a very close community of moms who trust and support one another, and I'm so proud to have started it.
What was your first year like?
It was pretty scary at the beginning! Swap Mamas started out as such a feel-good, community-based network that I didn't really have any idea how to make money from it.
For a long time it wasn't really sustainable as a business, but I was just so stubborn that I kept it going. I'd been laid off from my job and had the opportunity to work on building Swap Mamas full-time, so it was partly because of luck that it worked out.
While I wanted Swap Mamas to stay true to the way I originally imagined it, eventually I came to terms with the fact that I needed to make money from the site.
It took me a few years to find the direction I should take, and right now I'm adding a new section where members can buy and sell goods in addition to exchanging them. Based on the feedback I've received from the community, I think it’ll work well.
What was the spark that ignited the launch of your network?
My daughter inspired everything. I've always been a person who wanted to give back, but something about becoming a parent accelerated that emotion.
Swap Mamas was an idea that had been kicking around for a while, but the real push was losing my job. At the time, I needed to decide whether to go out and find work somewhere else *or* pursue my passion.
I've always wanted to have my own business, so I took the leap.
What was the first thing you did that helped you attract a following?
Back in the day, I was actually a mommy blogger. I developed some great friendships with ladies who also had blogs, and I credit them for helping me spread the word about Swap Mamas and building up a base for the site.
Things took off after that, but I also did a lot of grassroots marketing and outreach myself. I used to work at a magazine, so I had a good idea what editors were looking for when I tried to get placements in their publications.
I started out small with the local paper, which did a story about Swap Mamas. From there, the bigger outlets picked up on the story and it gained traction. The local TV networks started to pay attention to it, and larger stations soon ran a few segments. Good Morning America also did a piece, and big-name publications like Parenting Magazine and The New York Times mentioned us as well.
What were the three most effective things you did at the beginning to build a successful community around your business?
The most important thing was to get people to use the site.
Next, it was finding the right audience.
Thirdly, I would say — even though it sounds corny — that keeping my passion alive was what mattered most. It's easy to get discouraged, and starting a business on my own wasn't easy. That's why it's important for entrepreneurs do something they're really crazy about. Luckily, having that motivation was never an issue for me, so I was able to keep it up even when times were tough.
What have you learned is key to bringing people together?
People are good! I guess I always knew that, but Swap Mamas really reinforced the message for me.
People want to help others and come together as a community, which is one of the things that has helped the site succeed. It just wouldn't be worth it if there was a ton of drama or infighting on Swap Mamas — for me or for the members.
We’re creating this supportive environment because that's what people want and need.
What would you like to learn today from a community of other small business owners and self-employed professionals?
There's so much I'd like to learn. Every day I feel like I'm winging it and that everything I do is part of this big experiment!
I'd love to learn about useful things like marketing, how to bring more people to the website, managing day-to-day operations and the different business models other entrepreneurs use.
Calling all fellow small business owners!
Do *you* have tips for Darcy that can help her expand her reach and bring more people to her website? Are you also creating a community around your business or site, and do you have a story to share?
Tell us more in the comments below! :-)