March 6, 2025
Entrepreneurs, Female Founder Spotlight, Latest Articles

IWD Inspirational Female Founder Spotlight: Minty Macliver

Can you tell us a little about your background and your company?

My name is Minty Macliver and I have been running Multimac for 13 years now. I am one of 4 children and when my younger sister came along, my father designed and invented a multiple child car seat, allowing you to take 3 or 4 children in the back of a normal sized car. It took 13 years to get to market, being the only multi child seat in the world and all the rules being written around single child seats. After many years and a lot of expense, he single handedly got the seat to market. I started working with my Dad at the age of 19 with little experience in the world of business. I learnt a lot very fast, being thrown in and the deep end at a young age with a lot of responsibility. We now sell Multimacs all over the world, the manufacturing is still all done in the UK which is something we are very passionate about. We have served around 15,000 families, the Multimac has won many awards and has saved lives in real life collisions.

What inspired you to start your business?

The idea came from my Dad having his fourth child and realising you couldn’t safely get the whole family in one car – unless it was a 7 seater! So like most inventions it came from his own necessity. My siblings and I were the guinea pigs. So I went from sitting in it, to selling it!

How did you create awareness for your brand?

Social media is our main form of marketing, as everyone is on social media these days. We have a brilliant PR lady who gets us lots of coverage in magazines, and reviewed by motor journalists and baby and child magazines and forums. However, we find that most people are referred to us through world of mouth which is fantastic. Providing outstanding customer service has always been a big part of what we do and I think our customers recognise this and are passionate to help ‘spread the word’ and champion Multimac which we are so grateful for.
What strategies helped you secure funding and scale your business?

In the beginning we were self-funded, and since then have used bank loans and overdrafts (secured). We were ineligible for any government grants which are only available for B to B businesses and we unusually manufacture and sell directly to the public.

What have been your biggest successes so far?

International recognition with design awards and sales throughout the world.

What challenges have you faced, and how did you overcome them?

Brexit was a huge challenge for us, as we export around 35% of our sales. Suddenly having all this additional legislation in place to both import and export was a huge learning curve.

I think with anything, the more research you do the better, knowledge is power. Use those around you who are there to help and ask as many questions as you can without feeling like you might look stupid. I have made a lot of mistakes over the past but I have learnt so much from them. I still make lots of mistakes and I’m still learning a lot…

Another big challenge was that the regulations around child seats changed in 2024 which meant we had to re-design and re-test the seat as well as change all of our critical documentation. This was very time consuming, laborious and expensive, but had to be done if we wanted to stay in business!

What are your plans for the future?

We have a couple of new products in the pipeline which we hope to bring to market over the next 18 months. Ultimately we would like Multimac to be a household name, the go to product for any family with 3 or more children.

What advice would you give to aspiring female entrepreneurs?

The main thing that I live by is Stick to your guns, listen to your gut. If something doesn’t feel right, it properly isn’t.
You will make mistakes, but you will learn from them.
What are your top three tips for entrepreneurial success?

Don’t let your own doubt hold you back, there is a reason you have the opportunity to do something, so take advantage of it and just believe in yourself. (easier said than done, I know, but that inner belief is crucial)

Hire slow and fire fast. If someone isn’t right for your business, act on it as soon as you can. You need a solid team around you and if one person does not fit in with your values, culture or work ethic, they need to go.

Make sure you have a solid support team around you. Remember business is all about relationships and communication. Make sure you nurture all your relationships, whether that be with colleagues, suppliers or customers. Communication is key.

Who are five people who inspire you the most, and why?

My Dad has to be one of them, as I have spent my life watching him work hard with such tenacity. He has faced so many hurdles yet nothing phases him and he just gets on with things and has the best, most positive attitude to life.

My sister who works very hard, and always strives for more, both from herself and people around her. She has a real can do attitude in both her work and personal life and pushes herself out of comfort zone all the time.

Susie Wolf, who is changing the game for females in motorsport. A racing driver herself, and then development driver, she then started the ‘Dare to be different’ organisation to get women into the sport, and now is the MD of the F1Academy, a Formula 1 backed racing series for female drivers.

Steven Bartlett, (whose podcasts I listen to relentlessly) I think its amazing how much he has achieved in life, especially considering he didn’t have the best start in life. I think he is truly inspirational and I thoroughly enjoy listening to him interviewing people.

Deborah Meaden who I love watching on Dragons den, I think she is the perfect example of firm but fair. She also started her career running the family business, before buying, scaling and selling many businesses. I feel the way she holds herself and conducts business is very admirable, she has a strong morale compass as well as a great sense of humour.