What's YOUR mommy biz?

oopsy daisy, LLC

2009-05-12T13:47:00.005-04:00

Web Address: www.oopsydaisybb.com
Business Type: We manufacture all natural products for babies & kids

Owner: Debby DeOliveira
Number of children: 2 girls, Lili 4 ½ & Emmy 3
Year Started: 2008

What did you do before you became a WAHM?
I was in Real Estate, both in sales and development.

Describe your business/products:
oopsy daisy creates and manufactures all natural bath and body products for little ones. Our products contain NO Sulfates, Parabens, Propylene Glycol, Phthalates and all the other yucky stuff! We have also just launched team oopsy daisy a home party opportunity for moms who want to earn income in a flexible way without taking away time from their families.

What was your inspiration?
It all started when my second daughter was born. My daughter Lili was at the “I do it myself” stage and insistent on feeding herself. Needless to say, she was going to need some practice. With most of her food ending up in her hair, I knew I needed help!

That’s when I had an idea! I spent the next 8 months bringing my 3^rd child into the world. oopsy daisy! beautiful baby™, was born when I created our all natural High Chair Hair Care “The Original Rinse Free Shampoo For Kids!” and No Bath Bubble Bath Rinse Free Body Wash. Now when my girls get into a mess, it’s not a problem. I have what I need to clean them up anytime, anywhere with No Water Needed!

What has been your most successful marketing technique?
I give a lot of product away to charities, which creates lots of exposure. I have lots of requests for product to review from moms that blog and that has been great. And the occasional celebrity event, that's how we were featured on the TODAY SHOW!

WAHM advice?
Balance, I am challenged with it every day. We work at home to be there for our families, but it’s hard to leave your work at the “office”. Also, find something your passionate about, it makes the work fun and remember why you are doing it!

What has been the hardest part of starting your own business?
The time it takes, it can be all consuming. Also, when starting a business it can take a large financial investment and you don’t get a paycheck right away. There are sacrifices to make, but, I look at the big picture. I’m doing this for my family and that gets me through day to day. What has been the most surprising?
The friends I have made. I have met so many other creative, hard working women. A lot of us are in the same boat and the support we get from each other is great!

What has been the most exciting?
We have won awards which is always exciting, our products and I have been featured on different TV programs, which is really fun. But, really the most rewarding thing is to hear from other moms how our products have helped them and made their lives a little bit easier. It’s hard work being a mom and it doesn’t matter if you work or stay at home, getting through the day is challenging for all of us.
__________________________________________________

Ritzy Bitzy Designs

2009-05-08T12:31:00.005-04:00

Web Address: www.ritzybitzy.com
Business Type: Baby Bottle Bibs

Owner: Monica Jones
Number of children: 2
Year Started: 2006

What did you do before you became a WAHM?
I was a stay at home mom and took care of my first-born son.

Describe your business/products:
I started with luxury boutique blankets, lovies and then not long after the idea for the baby bottle bibs came to me as I was feeding my second son in 2006. In 2008, I decided to launch
the new product into the market.

What was your inspiration?
First and foremost, my two boys and their messy feedings! Second, it was the desire to be able to work from my home, be my own boss and make my own hours.

What has been your most successful marketing technique?
I believe that having been so accepted by the mommy-blog world in the beginning helped me
out in a very big way. It is true that print media is being phased out by the internet and it was real moms testing my product, which was the ultimate validation each time one of them loved the product, wrote about it on their blog and recommended it to their readers. Also, if you have a product, I highly recommend submitting to the iParenting Media Awards, we won an excellent product award in 2008! The award is very prestigious and recognized in the industry, so it also helped us very much with our marketing.

What sets you and/or your products apart from other mom-owned businesses?
I believe my product is unique, however there are so many other mom-owned businesses and inventors out there that come up with the greatest ideas. I like to think I am part of a growing sisterhood and I am always open to helping anyone out who may have any questions or need specific advice.

WAHM advice?
Never, ever, ever give up - I borrowed this from my wonderful mentor, Noel Goldman, the inventor of Strap Tamers. We as women need to know that we can achieve our dreams, now more than ever. With the internet and technological advances today, it is possible to run a business from your home and be able to make your own hours to be able to spend time with your family.

What has been the hardest part of starting your own business?
Balancing the role of wife, mom and entrepreneur is a constant struggle.

What has been the most surprising?
The amazing support of other WAHM’s, mom-inventors, and mompreneurs has been surprisingly amazing. So many of them are willing to help in any way they can. All you need to do is ask for help when you need it.

What has been the most exciting?
Getting thank you notes from celebrities, that’s always fun. As well as reading emails and testimonials from everyday people who love our product, that always put a smile on my face!

__________________________________________________

GRiPPiES, LLC

2009-05-07T21:32:00.005-04:00

Web Address: http://www.grippiesonline.com
Business Type: No-slip shapes for apparel

Owner: Corrie Wilder and Yelena Mogelefsky
Number of children:
2 each (Corrie has 2 girls, Yelena has a boy & girl)
Year Started: 2007

What did you do before you became a WAHM?

Corrie: Art Director, Marketing department at Sports Illustrated and Golf Magazine.

Yelena: Still WOHM, Product line manager at Foot Locker, developing and sourcing all private label clothing.

Describe your business/products:

Original GRiPPiES No-Slip Shapes: You’ve already got socks...make ‘em GRiPPiES Socks!

With GRiPPiES, you’ll never have to sacrifice a cute pair of socks or tights for your kid just because they don’t have grippers on the sole. You’ll never get stuck in your child’s gym class with the “wrong” kind of socks for running, jumping and climbing. With GRiPPiES, every sock becomes the right sock! GRiPPiES are available in a variety of shapes, in iron on and stick on options.

GRiPPiES No-Slip Tights: The first of their kind, these 100% nylon girls tights have a real GRiPPiES no-slip sole! Available in sizes 2-14, in 4 colors (black, white, cream and pink).

What was your inspiration?

Corrie Wilder and Yelena Mogelefsky are two moms who bonded on their daily Long Island Railroad commute and hung out together with their children at "mommy and me" gym classes. One day, Corrie's daughter helped take their friendship to a new level—after a tantrum about wanting to wear tights to gym class (when the rule there was to wear gripper socks) Corrie turned to Yelena and said "we have to make it so this doesn't happen ever again!"

After a bit of research in our kids sock drawers, we noticed that not all of their socks had non-skid bottoms and none of the girls' tights had a grippie sole. Without some kind of "grippies" on their socks and tights, there was no way to avoid our kids slipping and falling on our wood and tile floors, and no way to avoid Corrie's "girly girl's" gym fashion freakouts!

We couldn't find a product made specifically to make regular tights and socks non-skid in the marketplace. Unwilling to accept this as a final answer, we decided to make it ourselves!

What has been your most successful marketing technique?
Letting people try the product and seeing that we use them ourselves. Word of mouth marketing is very powerful.

WAHM advice?
Balance is very difficult, but possible. A good sense of humor is absolutely the foremost job requirement.

Blog Address?
http://www.theinventorsnotebook.blogspot.com (a bit neglected though...)

What has been the hardest part of starting your own business?
Selling is a big hurdle! Cash flow is a close second.

What has been the most surprising?
How fulfilling it is to make a relationship with a new customer and to hear good feedback.

What has been the most exciting?
Getting that first call from One Step Ahead catalog that their President tested and liked our very first product (iron on stars)
__________________________________________________

The Mommy Measure

2009-05-06T12:05:00.006-04:00

Web Address: www.mommymeasure.com
Business Type: Pregnancy growth chart and keepsake

Owners: Kevin & Pam Neff
Number of children: 2
Year Started: 2009

What did you do before you became a WAHM?

Teacher and stay at home mom.

Describe your business/products:

The Mommy Measure is a unique pregnancy growth chart and keepsake that allows moms to track their baby belly growth and document milestones and experiences during pregnancy.

What was your inspiration?

When Pam was pregnant with their first son, she used everything from toilet paper squares to ribbon to track her growing belly. She also kept little pregnancy notes in a journal. Later, when she was pregnant with her second son, she wanted to compare her two pregnancies, but there was not an easy way to do this with all the different items she had used. To solve the problem, Kevin and Pam created a keepsake that stores all pregnancy measurements and milestones in one place.

What has been the hardest part of starting your own business?

The hardest part of starting a business has been finding enough "free" time to work. With a two-and-a-half year old and a six month old, our hands are always full, so naptime and bedtime is when we get the most accomplished!

What has been the most exciting?
It has been exciting to see all the positive response from pregnant friends, customers, mommy bloggers, and fans on Facebook.

__________________________________________________

Baby Soft Shoes

2009-05-05T19:13:00.003-04:00

Web Address: www.babysoftshoes.com
Business Type: Affordable and Stylish Baby Soft Shoes

Owner: Destri Andorf
Number of children: 1 (22 months old daughter)
Year Started: 2008

What did you do before you became a WAHM?
Graphic Designer at a web development company

Describe your business/products:
Selling affordable yet stylish baby shoes.

What was your inspiration?
I was looking for an affordable baby soft shoes out there that look decent. But most of them are too expensive, especially only can be use for 3 months I think it's a total waste of money.

What has been your most successful marketing technique?
craigslist :) and word of mouth from moms to moms

WAHM advice?
Just keep on doing what you do be patience, your business will get there soon.. but might take some time and not gonna happen overnight that's for sure.

Blog Address?
babysoftshoes.blogspot.com

__________________________________________________

Ellie-Jayne Designs

2009-05-01T19:10:00.009-04:00

Boutique-style clothing and hair accessories
www.elliejaynedesigns.etsy.com

Owner: Amy Fournier
Number of children: Madeline is 4 and Allison is 3
Year Started: 2007

What did you do before you became a WAHM?
I was a SAHM. Before that I was a certified recreational therapist first at Shriners Childrens Hospital and then with Alzheimers/Dementia residents at a retirement facility.

Describe your business/products:
I custom create boutique-style clothing and hair accessories for children of all ages.

What was your inspiration?
It started with trying to find cute affordable hairbows to match my girls outfits. I couldn't find any and the ones I did find where so cheaply made so I started making hairbows for my girls. Once I was really good at that, I started delving into sewing to make outfits to match the bows!

WAHM advice?
Work can always wait a little longer than your kiddos can. Give them attention first.

Blog
http://ellie-jaynedesigns.blogspot.com/

___________________________________________________________

love2bcreative

2009-04-30T22:17:00.003-04:00

Custom Stationary
www.love2bcreative.com

Owner: Julia Slike
Number of children: 1 girl (age 3)
Year Started: 2003

What did you do before you became a WAHM?
I was a Graphic Designer for Motor Trend Magazine as well as several other high end establishments.

Describe your business/products:
I create one-of-a-kind custom stationary for all occasions. I work one on one with each customer to create something unique and personal. My portfolio ranges from invites and announcements all the way to wedding favors and paper fans. No two products are alike. Now days with the internet being full of mass produced stationary being printed at top speeds by huge corporations, it's nice to know that there are still small companies who work individually with each client to create artisan products that can't be duplicated by mass production.

What was your inspiration?
Being a Graphic Designer for many years gave me the background I needed and after working for other companies for many years, I decided to focus on stationary and start my own business. I especially love weddings!

WAHM advice?
Take something that you're good at (a hobby? a current job? a passion?) and turn it into a business. Make money doing what you love.

Blog
http://love2bcreative.com/wordpress/
___________________________________________________________

Sweet Greetings, Inc.

2009-04-30T09:00:00.000-04:00

Personalized lawn announcements
www.Sweet-Greetings.com

Owner: Carrie Bryson
Number of children: 3 boys (ages 2, 4, 7)
Year Started: 2003

What did you do before you became a WAHM?
I was a professional Graphic Designer for over 10 years.

Describe your business/products:
I rent 7 foot tall personalized lawn storks to announce the birth of new babies as well as rent 4 foot tall all-occasoin signs for birthdays, weddings, graduations and more.

I also help other people start their own lawn announcement business. I've helped over 100 people start their own stork rental / yard greetings business.

Want to start a stork rental business?
www.Sweet-Greetings.com

What was your inspiration?
6 years ago I was reading a parenting magazine that spotlighted a mom who worked from home renting storks. That's when the light bulb went off and I realized that storks were my calling!

WAHM advice?
No matter how busy you are or what roadblocks get in your way, always remember that you CAN work from home. It's not an impossible dream. Being a WAHM is one of the hottest careers out there!

Blog
http://sweet-greetings.blogspot.com

___________________________________________________________

Thirty-One Gifts

2009-04-29T15:50:00.000-04:00

Web Address: www.MyThirtyOne.com
Business Type: Monogrammed items

Consultant: Jennifer Flory
Number of children: 3
Year Started: 2009

What did you do before you became a WAHM? I have been a SAHM since 2004, but have been involved in several direct sales businesses.

Describe your business/products: Thirty-One specializes in monogrammed bags, purses, totes, baby and kids items, home decor, stationery, and coming June 1st, a new catalog for Tweens and Teens

What was your inspiration? The products are beautiful and affordable!

WAHM advice? Create a business plan and stick to it!

Blog Address? www.DesignsbyCraftMom.blogspot.com

___________________________________________________________

Mom entrepreneurs, feature YOUR biz!

2009-04-29T15:24:00.023-04:00

Would you like your mommy biz featured on our blog? It's FREE! Looking for moms who have created their own, unique business. Simply fill out the following questionnaire and we will review it and let you know if we would like to showcase your business. Along with featuring your business, your biz will also be listed by category in the side bar. Copy/paste the questionnaire into the 'post a comment' area below (or click on 'comments' below the post to open the 'post a comment' window).

Business Name:
Web Address:
Business Type:

Owner:
Number of children:
Year Started:

What did you do before you became a WAHM?

Describe your business/products:

What was your inspiration?

What has been your most successful marketing technique?

WAHM advice?

Blog Address?

What has been the hardest part of starting your own business?

What has been the most surprising?

What has been the most exciting?

Please supply links to images and/or logos you would like us to include in your post.
__________________________________________________

Advertise your business

2009-04-28T11:01:00.003-04:00

Having your business showcased on whats-your-mommy-biz is FREE. Simply fill out the questionnaire and you may be the next mom entrepreneur featured!

Looking for even more exposure for your business?
Advertise on whats-your-mommy-biz!

We are currently taking a limited number of paid advertisers. Advertisers will need to provide a 2.5" x 1.25" block ad. $10/month, $25/3 months, $85/year. Email advertising inquiry to info @ sweet-greetings. com (remove spaces when emailing).