98. Turtle Tots

Founders: Gaby Lixton and Caroline Sparks
Founded: September 2011
Website: www.turtletots.com

There are plenty of aqua-baby classes around, but none like Turtle Tots. As a successful franchisee for one such business, Lixton noticed many mums lacked confidence introducing their baby to the water, and devised a new type of class to resolve this, while also promoting pre and post-natal exercise. With marketing pro Sparks on board, they decided to license the start-up – and within a year had a dozen licensees on board, teaching in more than 15 territories around the UK.

They have been rewarded for their fast growth with funding from the European Regional Development Fund and plan to begin trading internationally within 12 months. Both founders have started and sold ‘baby businesses’ before, so they know how to make a splash.