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ODETTE PARFITT

After nearly four years in business, there aren’t many parents of young ones in Nelson Mandela Bay who haven’t heard of My Magic Words. The Lovemore Heights-based bookstore-slash-arts and crafts centre has brought entertainment and a love of reading to children across the Bay.

041Baby spoke to owner Nicola Cronje to find out more about what inspired this kiddie-focused business. 

How would you describe the business to someone who hasn’t heard of it?

We are a children’s secondhand bookstore and exchange, stocking books from 0-15 years. We are also an arts and crafts activity centre, as well as a party and school outing venue. 

Where did the idea come from?

It’s quite a long story, but in short it happened quite organically after developing a book obsession, specifically for children’s books to read with my own children. Eventually I was running out of space, so I had to sell some of what I had in order to get new books. I also struggled to find what I was looking for in Gqeberha, so I ended up buying books from cities like Joburg and Cape Town where there is a greater variety of secondhand books. Moms quickly picked up that I always had nice books for sale, so from there I created a WhatsApp group. Before I knew it, I had an accidental business running on the side of my full-time job, which was quickly consuming both my time and passion. 

I saw there was a real need and demand for secondhand books. By the time I opened the bookshop, I already had 150 moms on my WhatsApp group. I also knew I wanted to be more than just a bookstore and I love being creative, so hence the arts and crafts activities to give people a reason to keep coming to the store.

What was your career background before starting this business?

I was a Human Resources Practitioner for BMW Nelson Mandela Bay. 

What has surprised you most about being a business owner?

I think mostly how demanding it is of all your time and energy. Being a business owner is really a 24/7 job, you never get the opportunity to completely switch off. But it is also extremely fulfilling and rewarding. 

What do you think makes NMB an ideal location for your business?

I think with any location, everywhere has its own list of pros and cons. I’ve often felt our business would do better in cities like Joburg or Cape Town, but then rental prices and cost of living is so much higher. So that would be the main benefit of NMB: that cost of living is lower, and because it’s smaller it’s easier to develop a good and loyal customer base, with real relationships that sometimes even become real friendships. 

What would you say are three key ingredients to any successful business?

Adaptability is a must; changing your offerings as your market changes. Keeping up with new trends and what’s happening in the current market is also important. Really understanding your customer base is key. Also, marketing, marketing and more marketing. Building relationships with your customers is also important. I’ve given four and could add so much more!