Mum becomes entrepreneur with mother's deals app

A MUM who struggled to afford the high cost of two young children has come up with an innovative mobile phone and computer app to help other mothers access top consumer deals.

Heather Dewar with her new app for Edinburgh Mums offering them deals and discounts across the city. Picture: Ian Georgeson

Heather Dewar, in her 40s, from Corstorphine, created the “Edinburgh Mums” app last year shortly after she gave birth to her second child.

“When I was on maternity leave I spent an awful long time searching the web for different products and services, things of value that I could afford, as I wasn’t earning much money.

“I was out on a limb and then I realised there was a gap in the market for a one-stop shop for deals for mums just like me.”

Heather, who is a part-time freelance journalist, sat down with her business partner and came up with the idea to create a website solely for mothers.

The site details reductions at clothes shops, days out, and on children’s goods.

And for when mum has a night off, she can log on to access offers available at city bars and restaurants, Heather said – and she can even arrange a cut-price deal at hair salons to prepare for her jaunt.

“We knew there were other offers websites out there but we condensed all the offers in the city down to an app tailored for mums in Edinburgh,” Heather said.

“Mums are very busy, especially working mums, so this app is something they can carry all time, on the bus or round town. They might be walking down the street with a buggy and realise they need something and can just go on to the app.”

While Heather says the product helps other mothers,running her own business also means she can spend more time at home with her children. “I was a journalist and didn’t want to go back to long hours, never being able to see my kids, so wanted a job to allow me to spend time with my children and to do something relevant to my life, as well as keeping my hand in to journalism.”

The app is believed to be the first of its kind in Scotland, and Heather next plans to roll it out across the country.

“I know that mums are always looking to save a penny and Edinburgh needed a local app that offered something for everyone,” she said.

“This app doesn’t just offer mum’s the chance to do things with their babies, it gives them discounts in lovely bars and restaurants too. Just because a woman suddenly becomes a mum it doesn’t mean life is over – it’s still nice to get out and do nice things.”

Heather said mums can “literally get anything” on the app in the palm of their hand.

Heather’s friend, Jay Feeney, is a web designer and helped her create the the app in partnership with Odd Panda Design at Edinburgh Napier University.

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