People’s Champion 2013

Founders: Naomi Bloomstein and Sarah Wuttke
Year Started: 2011
Website: www.littlebird.co.uk

A new addition to the Awards this year, the People’s Champion Award enabled peers and members of the public to vote for their favourite Startups Awards finalist based on the business proposition, story and branding. The award was decided entirely on the number of votes received and with thousands of votes polled, Little Bird were a deserved winner. 

Providing hand-picked deals for families, Little Bird demonstrates the success of creating targeted deals for a targeted audience. The website generates daily, curated offers to give new ideas and inspiration to mums, dads and families with children aged 0-16 years. From family days out, theatre shows, kids’ activities, family breaks, products, and treats for mums, the site sends ideas and savings straight to users’ mailboxes.

Little Bird’s offering also incorporates a weekly ‘What’s On’ feature of child-friendly events taking place across the UK, as well as regular competitions to win prizes and experience days out. 

Founded on the basis of social buying; helping people buy together to save together, the family deal site has established a growing network of users looking to source and identify good ideas and opportunities that ‘fit around family life’. 

In two years, Little Bird has built up exclusive relationships with leading companies such as The Science Museum, The Southbank and Jamie Oliver’s Feastival and it has recently capitalised on the education market, launching a school fundraising programme. The programme allows schools to sign up parents to the site in return for commission on every new user and any future purchases made.

A niche business, mumpreneurs Bloomstein and Wuttke are aiming for Little Bird to become a market leader and are working with merchants to ensure it stands out from competitors.

Judges comments:

Judged by the public and readers of Startups.co.uk, we’re delighted to see democracy at work, with a finalist in our Mumpreneur category going on to take the People’s prize.