How the father-daughter team behind Urban Ethos increased revenue by 500% in 12 months

They say when you’re running a business, you can quickly end up spending more time with your colleagues than your family. But when your team and your family are one and the same, does that make for harmonious relationships all round, or tensions both at work and at home?

For father-and-daughter duo Michael and Chantel Vidor, co-founders of Urban Ethos, running a business together has not only strengthened their relationship, it’s led to business success as well.

Urban Ethos creates eco-friendly household products including bamboo toilet paper, sugarcane bin bags, and reusable spray bottles with dissolvable tabs that are mixed with water to create a cleaning solution.

The Vidors first launched the business in 2019, selling through supermarkets. The products are now on the shelves in 900 Woolies stores around the country, as well as in stores in New Zealand.

The pair launched their own e-commerce and subscription offering in January 2021, and recently secured $3.8 million in funding, partly to help fuel further international expansion plans.

They’ve deliberately tapped into both the e-commerce and bricks-and-mortar markets to get their products into the hands of as many people as possible, regardless of demographic. Combined with a strong focus on customer service and feedback, that’s led to 500% revenue growth over the past 12 months.

You could say entrepreneurialism runs in this family.

Michael has previously run businesses supplying major supermarkets, and was the main licensee for Jamie Oliver’s brand of kitchenware in Australia. Before that, he and his wife had a chain of retail stores in Queensland.

Chantel’s background is in marketing and e-commerce for big retailers such as CottonOn, Mimco and Catch Group.

It’s easy to see how their skill sets complement each other, and no surprise that Chantel set out to follow in her father’s footsteps.

“I’ve grown up being very business minded,” she says.

Right place, right time

When asked how the business reported so much growth in such a short space of time, Chantel says, to a point, “it’s all about timing.”

More than ever, consumers are conscious of the environment, and the impact of the products they’re using.

Equally, the majority of the products Urban Ethos sells are easy to swap into their routines. It’s just a case of choosing one brand over another; customers don’t have to commit to any real lifestyle change.

Michael notes that consumers are now “actively looking for new eco-sustainable alternatives”.

Urban Ethos products. Source: supplied.

The team’s focus has been on creating products that meet “the highest possible ethical standards”, but that also perform just as well as other brands.

Then, it’s all about making it as easy as possible to make the switch.

At the end of the day, any retailer’s success depends on its customers, Chantel explains. So it’s important to take the product to them.

For consumers who like to shop online, they’re online. For those who prefer to get their cleaning supplies at the supermarket, they’re there too.

“We are where you shop,” she says.

“It’s really important to have your products accessible for every consumer.”

Standing out online

Urban Ethos operates in the incredibly fast-growing sustainability sector, and managed to ride both the boom in eco-consciousness and e-commerce.

But in a world where everything and everyone is online, there’s a lot of noise to cut through.

For Chantel, being able to stand out comes down, again, to a focus on the consumer. Customers are “the soul of the business”, she says.

The team has also focused on making an emotional connection with their customers, such through their ‘shop for your grandkids’ campaign, which features kids talking about sustainability, the impact of climate change, and why it’s important for everyone to do their bit.

But they also plan much of their activity around what customers are asking for. That requires Chantel and Michael to listen.

Urban Ethos customers are constantly getting in touch via email, the website’s chat function and direct messages on social media. Chantel replies to every email personally, she says.

It’s about understanding customer needs, but also building trust, she adds.

“We have to make sure they’re happy, give them the products they want, and make sure we have all the eco-credentials, so they feel comfortable shopping with us.”

Michael also points out that despite the strong growth, this is not a time to get complacent. This is still an environment fraught with uncertainty.

“It’s a complicated time to plan too far ahead, so we have been supporting our team to keep things simple, provide the very best customer service we can and to go that extra mile when needed.”

Urban Ethos’ Bamper bamboo toilet rolls. Source: supplied.

Family matters

I ask Chantel what it’s like to work with her dad, and Michael what it’s like to work with his daughter. Both respond with emphatic positives.

“I absolutely love it,” Chantel says.

Having worked in big corporations in the past, she enjoys working in a close-knit team and just getting to speak with family every day.

“This is by far the best thing I’ve done.”

For his part, Michael says it’s “very special”.

He spent his early career working in his family’s business, and didn’t always love it, he admits.

“I learnt a lot about how important it is to guide and educate the next generation, but most importantly, I learnt how valuable it is to have the next generation by your side while navigating a rapidly changing business environment.”

Michael points to Chantel’s “incredible” awareness and knowledge of marketing trends, as well as her dedication and commitment — the kind that can be hard to find outside of family.

It’s a sweet story, for sure. But both father and daughter believe their connection has also led to business success.

“He understands me and I understand him,” Chantel says.

“We’re able to achieve bigger and better things because of that.”

She sees a huge benefit in having people around her who truly believe in her and what she’s doing as a business owner. That kind of positive reinforcement allows for more space for personal growth, which in turn leads to business growth, she explains.

“You’re just vouching for each other. There’s no politics.”

All of that also inevitably trickles into the broader company culture, and Urban Ethos’ team members that are not blood relatives have also played a huge role in the growth of the business, Michael notes.

“Treating people equally, valuing their contribution and respecting their voice are all key elements to our success,” he says.

Michael and Chantel Vidor. Source: supplied.

Ups and downs?

That’s not to say that there are no downsides. Discussions at the dinner table can tend to skew towards work, and when the Vidors have down time with the rest of the family, it can quickly start to feel more like work time.

However, Chantel says that’s probably more of an annoyance for the other family members. Even before they partnered up on Urban Ethos, she always chatted with her dad about whatever venture he was working on.

Talking shop is part of their relationship, and clearly something she values. If anything, she says working together has brought her closer to Michael.

“I’m super lucky,” she says.

“Our relationship has blossomed.”

At the same time, running any business will involve difficult conversations. When family is involved, that can mean “a higher degree of emotion”, Michael says, although he adds that such situations are pretty rare.

For him, the setup comes with many more benefits than downsides, “especially when I’m working with a daughter as talented and capable as mine”, he says.

“The trust, commitment and caring dedication for everything we do is extremely valuable.”

In December, the Vidor family will be welcoming another addition, with Chantel due to give birth to a baby girl.

As to whether this will be the third generation to join the family business remains to be seen, Chantel laughs. But she does hope to foster a similar relationship with her daughter to the one she has with her dad.

It’s not only about business. It’s collaboration, partnership, support and trust.

“I would love that for her,” she says.

“She’ll be surrounded by it from the day she’s born”