The family company BCB – EKO in Baldone creates furniture and toys for children thanks to... their own children. Parents Jānis and Baiba Bernāni got inspired to start up their company by their children.
When you are raising three active boys, the question of how to create a safe and engaging activity environment for them becomes very relevant. Jānis put his highly qualified carpentry skills to use, and the result was so good that he decided to offer his products to others as well, and now about 600 children’s beds, furniture, development toys and playgrounds made by the company have reached customers all over Latvia.
Three generations of ZiPa
The boys are the first testers and evaluators also of new creations, while the recently registered company’s trademark ZiPa was created to express gratitude to Jānis and Baiba's parents. So, it turns out that the three generations of Bernani are involved in the creation of ZiPa furniture.
The company’s management as well as generation and implementation of ideas are in the hands of Jānis. He started his own carpentry business in a garage, with hand tools and the belief that a decent man's garage is a good enough starting point for a successful business.
Jānis gained the skills of a stylish furniture carpenter and woodcarver at the Riga Crafts School. At the Riga Technical University (RTU), he obtained a master's degree in woodworking technology and design. However, starting to work independently, he realized that he needed to get another “higher education” - practical business skills.
"When I graduated from the RTU, I thought I knew everything about woodworking. However, to achieve something in business, it was necessary to study again, and more intensively than at the University. I like to think of something new – a construction or a design - and make it myself. We started with cots. It seems to be a simple task - to make a comfortable, safe, long-lasting, and attractive cot. But when you start doing it, there are so many nuances…. The distance between slats, connection points, choice of materials - everything must be weighed up and worked out in such a way that even a very restless baby is safe in bed," explains Jānis, emphasizing that only water-based paints, varnishes, and wax are used for the final treatment of products.
When my first self-made children's furniture was displayed on the Internet, I was a little bit worried, but customers applied for it the very next day.
A vague vision and reserves of patience
Communication with clients and arriving at a solution acceptable to both parties is the most interesting stage of cooperation. "Clients describe me their needs, and I have to offer them the best solution for a specific place and function. Let’s take for example a hanging bed. It looks stylish, but it's not like the baby will just sleep peacefully and rock easily in it. He/she will move, so you need to figure out how to turn a vague vision into a safe and attractive sleeping place. And it is interesting, because each order presents a new challenge and raises the bar for professional opportunities," Jānis says passionately, who has, as it looks like, found his own formula for a successful business. It is concise, but very capacious in meaning - just do it and be patient. Namely, if you have an order or just a design, when all the constructive details are not clear yet, you need to start doing and the work itself will lead to the desired result. Jānis' reserves of patience are well characterized by the process of creating a high-quality double sledge, which started long time ago. Eight prototypes have been developed in two years. The sledge is safe, durable, comfortable, with insulation, it slides well, but the craftsman patiently continues to improve his hobby: "As a professional, I must be able to assemble such a construction in 10 minutes for the customer to be able to do it in half an hour. For now, it still takes too much time, we need to find better solutions," Jānis is strict in his demands for his performance.
The fact that the saying "a carpenter must be perfect" is not just a good-sounding phrase in this company, can be well observed when entering the work premises, which now occupy the entire garage building built for several cars. Instruments lined up in elegant rows, the position of workbenches and materials - everything is thought out in a way to work quickly and accurately. "Before starting up my own business, I was in paid employment. The opportunities for professional growth were good, but as they say, it's easy to work with other people's money," laughs Jānis and continues: "When you start working independently, you quickly realize that the greatest value in business is time. Orders must be executed as quickly as possible. I work without counting the hours, and everything in the workshop must be in order, so that there is no delay in looking for the necessary tool or material. A rationally arranged workplace saves time and contributes to the quality of performance," sums up Jānis.
A professional approach saves time and money
An important place in the company’s order of things is the protection of its intellectual property. With the support of the European Union Intellectual Property Office’s SME Fund, the ZiPa trademark and design were registered. As it turns out, the common perception that trademark registration is complicated and requires a lot of time and money, is, quoting a famous writer, greatly exaggerated!
"At first, I also believed that registration is a cumbersome and expensive procedure, but I decided to consult with professionals in the field. My position was somewhat categorical, but justified - I don't need an advisor, I need a specialist who takes responsibility and does his/her work from A to Z. To my surprise, everything happened just as I wanted in cooperation with patent attorney Ieva Zvejsalniece. It was like a clockwork – first, there was a consultation, then I prepared the necessary documents, followed by intellectual property diagnostics and strategy development, which was a serious research. Then, less than two months later, I received a message about the design registration, and, finally, we registered the trademark.
The total costs are 2,500 - 3,000 euros, but if you do everything correctly, these expenses are covered by the SME fund. In my company, when receiving an order, I take full responsibility for ensuring that the client receives durable, visually attractive, and safe furniture. That's why I really appreciate other specialists’ professional approach to their work," Jānis Bernāns is pleased about his experience of cooperation with the representative of intellectual property field.
However, during the registration process there were also some adventures and experiences. Having submitted the application and having made the first payment, suddenly, I received the following e-mail: “Urgently transfer 3,000 euros to the specified account, otherwise the registration application will be permanently cancelled!” The investigation promptly carried out together with the patent attorney revealed that cyber criminals quite regularly try to cheat Latvian and European businessmen out of their money with such false statements.
This spring, Zipa.lv received the Ķekava region annual award in the nomination "Craftsman of the Year". The recognition gives satisfaction, but the master emphasizes that the most important thing for him is the customer. And it is a double pleasure when the customers for whom the children's furniture had been made in the early days of the company turn to him again. Jānis associates the future of the company with the production and export of developing toys. The demand for balance boards, toy roads, and other games promoting children's development is growing. Baldone’s carpentry also produces unique designs. For example, easily transportable mobile hot cereal boxes used as a therapy for children with developmental disabilities. Zipa.lv aims to expand the production and geography of the market, maintaining the privilege of working with individual customers and creating original items. It is not an easy task, but it can be achieved if you have the ideas and patience to implement them perfectly.
Practical steps for an EU SME to receive support summarized by Māra Vilciņa, Project manager in the Latvian Patent office:
- If you are an EU SME and have a little knowledge of your industrial property, go to the EU IPO website in ej.uz/MVUfonds2023
- If you are EU SME, but you are not sure about your industrial property, then contact one of the Latvian IP experts and they will apply for support for your company. You can also find more information on the Ideas powered for business website at: https://business.ideaspowered.eu/
- Register and create an account for your company. is takes only a few steps and only 2 official documents - the company VAT and Bank account information.
- Select and apply for everything your company would need – IP strategy development, trade mark, design registration, patent search and registration, and plant variety protection.
- The total aid available for one SME in Latvia is EUR 3 355!