Stephanie Campbell came up with the idea for her business when she was on bed rest for 26 weeks for her daughter. She knew moms needed more help in planning for births – and for assistance as the little ones grow.
Now, she’s seeing a big surge in interest for the Dallas-based company, appropriately called Bed Rest Concierge, as more women are forced to be at home amid concerns about COVID-19.
“We were built for moms who couldn’t be mobile,” Campbell said. “We were built for moms, expectant parents, who would need the additional help. We just didn’t know it was going to come in the form of a pandemic.”
The company, which already has grown to about 90 employees and around 200 contractors, had sales in the U.S. during the last eight weeks that surpass all of the fourth quarter of last year, she said. Her major offices are in Dallas and Toronto.
While the company is geared toward women on bed rest, it works with all expectant families. And that’s become a bigger piece of its business amid the coronavirus outbreak.
Bed Rest Concierge is benefitting as more expectant moms are forced to stay at home and see their options for preparation decreasing. No longer can they quickly find a crib at the local store that may be closed down or go tour hospitals where they will give birth. And there can be shipping restrictions as well.
When there are fewer ways to get ready, people focus more on doing whatever they can.
“With the COVID-19, it’s made everything much more immediate,” Campbell said. “Moms are really just … in a hurry.”
Best Rest Concierge, which lets customers connect online or through phone calls, offers a wide-ranging lineup for moms. That includes planning baby showers and nursery designs, or a customer can get help with a birth plan or finding a doula. And in this age of folks staying home, the company is providing crucial services around diaper and grocery deliveries.
Whatever the case, she’s getting more interest for her services, though there is less pampering and spa treatments as there is a focus on other needs.
The company, which reaches across the U.S. and into Toronto, often receives interest from women who tend to have more discretionary income. She was intrigued when she started getting inquiries from Topeka, Kan., Iowa and parts of Illinois – and not just New York or California.
“I was like, 'Hmm, this might be real,'” she said. “It is something that is sweeping the nation, and everyone is really hit by it. Moms in Iowa have babies, but they may not have considered looking for us (before).”
In addition, a lot of husbands are reaching out because they want their wives to “feel secure,” she said.
While it might seem like the time to hire, the company is actually in a hiring freeze because she wants to be careful, given the concerns around the pandemic.
"We’re dealing with newborn babies whose immune systems are not developed," she said. "We’re dealing with moms so they’re at a weakened state. So, until we can provide more testing to go into homes or be around those babies, we cannot hire right now."
It’s not because she doesn’t want more employees.
“I would love to,” she said. “As soon as more testing is available – definitely hiring more people.”
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