Business Spotlight: Urban Chickadee
By Anna-Grae York
EDMONTON — An up-and-coming baby planning and design business in the west end aims to go way beyond what expectant parents could ever wish for.
Urban Chickadee provides all the services expecting moms could ask for and more. From nursery design to car seat installation and even personal shopping assistance, the women behind Urban Chickadee are there for mothers every step of the way.
Jennifer Jones, one of the two women who founded the company, wants moms to know they have nothing to worry about, especially the first-timers.
“They don’t know what to expect. There’s so much information out there,” said Jones, who knows very well how nerve-racking pregnancy can be with a two-year-old girl at home and a baby on the way. “We’re there to just guide them through it.”
With backgrounds in interior design and interior architecture between them, Jones and her business partner, Jacqueline Neher, can design a nursery or play area for the baby that is safe, stylish and fun.
- Jennifer Jones, seen here on Oct. 12, 2011, is co-owner of Urban Chickadee, a baby-planning company that helps new moms get through pregnancy and beyond by helping out with designing nurseries, stocking up on supplies and more. Photograph by Anna-Grae York.
Not only will they design a space for you, but they’ll also make sure that space is well-stocked for when the baby comes. The ladies will even do the shopping — anything to take some stress off your back.
Urban Chickadee works by package, meaning moms can select the services that best suit their needs. The packages go by what expecting parents will need during different stages of the pregnancy, as well as after the baby is born. There is even a “Mommy’s Day Out” package, but Jones said they can do whatever the parents are comfortable with.
“We’re totally flexible. We have our own packages, but we can still customize them depending on how much help you want,” she said.
Urban Chickadee also offers Bump Camp, which is a five-week prenatal course that consists of five classes covering a wide range of topics, from all about diapers to product knowledge to breastfeeding.
“We wanted to do something different than the regular prenatal ‘this is gonna hurt, and here’s how you breathe.’ We wanted to focus more on the fun side of it,” said Jones. “We’ve gotten really positive feedback from it and we’re really enjoying it.”
Bump Camp is for dads, too. One of the sessions is even dedicated to them and what they need to know.
“It’s important for them to know what to expect,” said Jones.
Jones also said it was a hard game at first to attract couples to the business, but it caught on quick enough.
“People aren’t familiar with it and don’t think they need it, but it’s like what wedding planners are to brides,” she said. “We’re saving you time and money.”
And with the recent first-ever Urban Mommy Expo held in Edmonton, businesses like Jones’s are beginning to thrive more and more. Mommy Expo is a showcase of products and services for young children held by local business owners.
“I think part of the reason is the explosion of babies in Edmonton,” said Allison Anderson, the co-organizer and photographer of the Expo, on why parenting businesses like Jones’s are really taking off. “A lot of moms in particular don’t want to go back to work, so, if someone sees the opportunity for these types of businesses, they’ll take it. And that’s what’s happening here.”
Businesses like Jones’s are trending not only in Edmonton, but internationally as well. Pregnant in Heels, a show on Bravo TV, documents the works of a woman who operates a business in Manhattan that is very similar to Urban Chickadee, but with a few more crazy requests than Jones sees.
Jones said she just wants to make preparation for mothers-to-be easier, less stressful, more relaxing and, above all, more fun.
Urban Chickadee will be taking part in the “Home for the Holidays” fundraiser as decorators this year. Home for the Holidays is a fundraiser for the Junior League of Edmonton, in which designers such as Jones and Neher redecorate five homes.
Tickets are sold to people wishing to tour the homes for decorating ideas. They can be purchased online or at participating retailers for either $40 for a self-guided tour, or $60 for a guided bus tour.
Read West Edmonton Local’s story on the Urban Mommy Expo here.
