I dreaded January ‘07. My son, Finn turned four at the end of December and his Montessori school said at four he MUST go to school full days. Finn and I were use to scheduled events, trips to the library and play dates together.
Now, after four years, I would have to fill my own days. I was beside myself. What would I do? I didn’t want to go back to work full-time in Marketing and Public Relations, that would mean long days, 9am – 7pm, at the minimum. I also knew that I was not a ‘lady who lunches’. I racked my brain and began the process!
When Finn was 18 months, I wanted our playtime to be both fun and educational. I scoured teaching supply stores to find tools to help him learn the basics. I put a box together and called it mama’s school. We got the box out daily for 20-30 minutes and worked on the alphabet, numbers, shapes & colors. By the time he was 3, he could read!
Parents at his nursery school asked me how I taught him to read. I told them about my random box of teaching tools and about our 20-30 minute daily focused sessions. It was at that point, I realized there might be a business in his success, so I created Teach My Toddler.
I spent the first 6 months of 2007 researching and developing the concepts for Teach My Toddler. Then I found a manufacturer and put the whole project into production, while Finn was on summer holidays.
I took delivery of my product November, 2007. I officially launched it at Toronto’s Baby & Toddler Show on Nov.9, 2007. I had an overwhelming response. I sold 95 toddler totes in three days at the show. I used these sales numbers to get Teach My Toddler into 26 stores across Canada and I’ve sold over 500 totes in just 5 months.
If anyone is interested in becoming a Mompreneur, I have the following tips which have helped me along the way!
1. Think your idea through! – Truly visualize your days ahead, will the idea or business really give you more time with your kids or less.
2. Talk is cheap – Execution is everything. It is fairly easy to come up with a good idea but the hard work is putting that idea into motion! Be sure you have the time available at this stage in your life!
3. Know your numbers – just because you are a mom and you truly know your market – you still need a business plan that addresses sales targets, profitability, return on investment etc.
4. Be Flexible & Focused – Mompreneur’s hours need to be flexible, generally 9-3 but sometimes early morning or late nights. You must be excellent at switching gears and getting into the zone. It helps to have systems in place and delegate if you can.
5. Know your strengths and admit your weaknesses – fill the gaps with people who are good at the things you are not good at
6. Network – Tell everyone you meet about your business. Word of mouth within groups of moms is the most powerful marketing tool!
7.Talk to other mompreneurs about their experiences and read about successful companies to stay inspired!
Interested in seeing Teach My Toddler first-hand, please visit www.teach-my.com Be sure to watch the video demo and look inside the tote!
By Christy Cook
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