A Mom's Work is Never Done

Here's a nice chart from the Heritage Foundation providing a breakdown of a mother's time -- and the chart does not even include the time spent in running a business for the work at home moms out there!

Kathy Gendel: Success in the Undergarment Business

Ever watched QVC? One of QVC's best selling products is Breezies Intimates, a line of undergarments created by Kathy Gendel. Breezies Intimates is a wide range of undergarments sold exclusively by QVC.

What sets the Breezies apart is the patented fabric used in panties and bra linings. More than underwear-as-sexy-objects pitch like Victoria Secret, Breezies positions itself as an underwear that addresses women concerns on odor control, staining and feminine issues. And the products have gained a huge customer base, becoming one of QVC's favorite products.

Breezies Intimates, launched more than 10 years ago, started -- and remains -- a family affair. Kathy, who was then a fashion merchandiser, created her line of undergarments with her husband Craig, who was a panty manufacturer. Today, Kathy's two daughters are now involved in the business and have designed their own lines.

Kathy's approach to business is "slow but sure" and never trying to grow too quickly -- a strategy that worked well for this millionaire mom and her family.

PowerHomeBiz Small & Home Business Blog: Mom Entrepreneurs: 10 Rules for Doing Business

Mom Entrepreneurs: 10 Rules for Doing Business

Very informative rules for doing business from Kim Levine, a successful woman entrepreneur and Wuvit's inventor.

Eureka Moment: Kim Levine, Creator of Wuvit

Great business ideas are everywhere -- if you're willing to look closely.

Kim Levine, invented Wuvit, which are little bags that comes in various patterns and provides soothing penetrating moist heat. She describes her eureka moment in her book "Mommy Millionaire: How I Turned My Kitchen Table Idea into a Million Dollars and How You Can Too" that led to her product invention as:

"My husband was feeding deer in the backyard of our sprawling tree-lined suburban neighborhood ... I saw a fifty pound bag of corn he had left standing upright next to my sewing machine and a lightbulb went off in my head. I had heard of rice in socks, surely corn would be better: It had a bigger grain that would hold on to heat longer. I put the corn in a hastily sewn pillowcase, heated it up in the microwave for a couple of minutes, then took it out and held it against my chest. I was blown away by the wave of soothing moist heat that enveloped my body."

Kobold Toys: Home-Based Mom Launching a New Online Toy Store

A former colleague of mine who have left the workforce to be a full time mom to her kids has recently launched a unique specialty toy store. Ana Eiras, together with her partner Carmina Valdizan, are bringing to the Web a different kind of toy store called Kobold Toys.

Kobold Toys brings its customers not only exclusive toys designed in many countries around the world, but also great new services to make their customers’ shopping experience a unique one.

With the toy industry earning $22 billion in sales in 2007 in the United States alone, Ana is hopeful that there is room for Kobold Toys. This toy store has been operating in the last four years as a successful brick and mortar store in Panama with Carmina at the helm. With Ana on board, she will move Kobold Toys on the Web and eventually hope to start brick and mortar shops as well in the United States.

To learn about the strategies and Ana's experiences in launching Kobold Toys Online, read the article Kobold Toys: How a Brick and Mortar Toy Store is Moving to the Web

Banu Ozden, Starting a Business After Cancer Diagnosis

When people are diagnosed with cancer, some panic and wallow in fear; others pray; while many prepare themselves physically and emotionally for the battle ahead. Some will start doing the things they’ve always wanted to do but never did, like travel to some exotic land.

But not Banu Ozden. When she heard that she had breast cancer, she started a business.

While many will think that starting a business when one has been diagnosed with cancer is not the best time, especially if the cancer has metastasized to the bone, but Banu knew she had to do this venture.

Banu, then 35 years old, was diagnosed with Stage III breast cancer in 2001. During her treatment, she became frustrated navigating the medical billing process as she received overcharges and errors in her bills. She couldn’t make sense of the medical codes and statements, which did not accurately reflect what she needed to pay.

A former director of research of computing systems at Bell Labs, she realized that she is not the only one confused and frustrated with the medical billing process. That led to the idea for a business that will help ordinary medical consumers make sense of their bills by automating the billing process and weeding out billing errors.

Computer expert Banu, who has multiple patents under her belt, then started just such a service, Web-based SmartMedicalConsumer http://www.SmartMedicalConsumer.com.

The free online service offers its users automatic error detection, alerting them as to how many potential errors it has detected and where they can be found. It’s free to consumers but she’s planning to generate revenues by selling ads on the site and selling her proprietary software to companies.

Banu is a rare breed of a woman, and we wish her well.

Characteristics of Successful Entrepreneurs

Financial Post has an interesting article entitled "Understanding the psychology of the successful" which lists the characteristics of successful entrepreneurs. According to the article, those who succeed in entrepreneurial activities share the following attributes:

• often relatively comfortable with ambiguity, uncertainty and risk
• strongly influence events (or self-efficacy)
• have high levels of work motivation
• characterized by high levels of social competence and social intelligence
• has an ability to build relationships and to connect with others on a social and interpersonal level
• single-minded and devoted to their unique passions
• have a unique ability to see opportunities others fail to recognize
• may judge ambiguous business conditions in more positive, enthusiastic, and optimistic terms
• takes advantage of resources such as mentoring, counselling and other small business development assistance
• has some blend of critical analytical thinking, creativity, and practical implementation of ideas

The question now is, do you have to be born with these characteristics or can you develop them through experiences and education?

Brenda Dronkers: Finding Success with Inflatable Party Spaces

Sometimes the best business ideas are just around us -- if you know where to look.

Brenda Dronkers, founder of the inflatable party place Pump It Up http://www.pumpitupparty.com/index.htm, got the inspiration for her business in her church's fall festival in 1999. She was then a California mother of three who struggled to make ends meet with no college degree and no money.

In that festival, she saw her kids' excitement as they rushed to the inflatable trampoline. And the idea hit her -- since kids love inflatables and inflatable slides and trampolines are always a hit during parties, why not create a place full of inflatables where parties can be safely held?

Brenda moved fast with her business idea. With a friend giving her some capital, she leased a cheap warehouse and commissioned much-sturdier inflatables. She opened her first Pump It Up in Pleasanton, California that year.

And her business worked! She booked 90 parties in her first month. Last year, revenues of Pump It Up reached $55 million. She has franchised her idea, and now has about 160 franchises in 38 states.

Check out Brenda's successful venture at PumpItUpParty.com

ADDED:
You can read about Brenda's new venture and the lessons she learned from Pump It Up in the article "Brenda Dronkers: Moving from One Successful Business to Another"