They say that necessity is the mother of invention. That may be true, but three Charlotte-area moms prove that mothers themselves can become inventors when the need arises.
My Swing Thing
Name: Jhonna Merson
Product: My Swing Thing
Need identified: Playgrounds without toddler swings.
Solution: A portable harness that makes any regular swing usable and safer for very small kids.
Jhonna Merson is a mom, an entrepreneur, a breast cancer survivor and an inventor. Merson became an inventor by default. She was tired of taking her young son Connor to parks without toddler swings, so she went looking for a swing adapter. There was nothing on the market. That was the birth of her invention, My Swing Thing.
Creating the prototype was easy. Merson, whose online company Ador-me LLC offers embroidered children’s clothes, put her sewing skills to work to create a version of the harness-style swing adapter that would be safe and secure for children. Her end result was a swing adapter designed for children up to 85 pounds with a crotch strap, an adjustable three-point harness and a nylon clasp connecting it to the playground swing seat. Curious moms at the park came to look at her invention prototype and suggested she patent the design. She did – and that was just the beginning.
Research and development came next. Merson’s children, Connor and his sister Adeline, became a part of that process. “Connor was at an age where he was my guinea pig,” she laughs, adding that she would give him lollipops to get him to test versions of the harness. “And Addy was my little model,” says Merson, because she was the target age demographic for the product.
Merson left corporate life to stay home with her children, but her professional background helped during the research phase as she looked for competing products, or for suppliers, materials and safety regulations. “One of my professional positions [in the past] was implementation manager in the telecommunications industry. This research and implementation experience was invaluable to me in starting my own company,” says Merson. Although she enjoyed her current role as an at-home mom, she missed the interaction and energy of corporate life and welcomed the excitement of researching patents and materials for My Swing Thing.
Merson found that doing the research herself not only got the best results, but it was fun, too. “I tried an inventors assistance company, but wasn’t happy with their results, so I decided to research things myself. I spent many hours online and at the library,” she says. “The small business assistance center at the public library was invaluable and the support people at the U.S. Patent Office were also very helpful. Most of the information I was able to find online. When I did have to talk to a living-breathing body, I found that when you are open and honest about your lack of experience, people will usually try to help you out — people volunteer a lot of information when you ask them their opinion.”
“Right now is a great time for mommy inventors,” says Merson. She bases that view on the large number of products that target children, the number of educated moms with business experience who have the skills and abilities to design and market kid-focused new products and the vantage point that moms have to recognize unmet needs in the market for children’s toys and accessories.
Even so, every inventor has moments of doubt. “It’s very hard to remain realistic and slightly impartial,” says Merson. “In my mind, I knew I would send out flyers and mommies would flock to my Web site to buy the product!” Of course she admits that realistically, it takes months to build product awareness. “I do keep wondering when all my hard work will pay off, but honestly, I never think this is not going to work. I only think, how long will it take?”
At-home moms have been a valuable part of Merson’s research and development. She used the growing number of online communities for moms and their chat rooms as ways to refine her ideas and conduct virtual focus groups.
Coming up with the product was one hurdle — figuring out how to take it from prototype to production was another. “The manufacturing process was actually the hardest,” Merson says. “Most of the places I researched outsourced their products to China. I feel very strongly about keeping our products in the U.S. North Carolina has a long history of textiles and manufacturing and I felt that I should keep my product as local as possible. Because of the nature of the product, I needed a company that had experience with webbing, belting and clasps. So I specifically looked for backpack, luggage and sports equipment manufacturers.” She found Clay Creek in Burlington, N.C.
“I knew exactly how the device needed to be made and researched on my own the different components (webbing and strengths, clasps and hooks). I also searched the U.S. Consumer Protection Agency to make sure I was meeting or exceeding any government guidelines. After researching the components, I shopped around for a supplier. I didn’t want to have to go to multiple companies for my parts and I was fortunate enough to find a supplier, JC Tucker, in Atlanta,” says Merson.
Inventing while the kids are little takes its toll. “My house fell apart and I’m afraid to even look on top of my bookshelves,” says Merson of housekeeping efforts. She learned to do research online in 15-20 minute spurts while the kids watched a TV show, did homework or crafts at the kitchen table. Just as often, she used late nights or weekends to do Internet research. But she believes that the experience of inventing has made her a better mom. “It’s definitely helped me become much more patient,” says Merson. “It’s been almost three years since I first came up with the idea of My Swing Thing and I’m still far from finished. My multi-tasking skills have also improved — trying to get a product and business off the ground with two young children has definitely been challenging!”
Merson has this advice for would-be mom inventors: “If you are a stay-at-home mom and you have an idea, definitely pursue it,” she says. “Don’t be afraid to talk to people about your idea. There’s always the fear that someone will steal it, but in reality, most people aren’t really interested in developing a product or idea that’s going to take lots of time. I’m not saying you should blog your idea all over the Net, but don’t be afraid to ask other mommies their opinion of your idea. Lastly, if you are not a strong Internet user, you’d better become one. Understanding how blogging, search engine optimization, linking and site maps make or break a Web site is crucial in today’s Web-surfing society. Share your goals with people. Having a network of supporters is the best way to achieve a goal you set for yourself.”
My Swing Thing went on sale in May 2006 and Merson hopes to sell it to a larger company (Graco or Evenflo) that can take it to new heights. “I’m trying to use My Swing Thing as a stepping stone,” she says and she is already researching new ideas for potential products and services, including a membership arts and crafts program with projects by age, gender and season. My Swing Thing is available online at www.myswingthing.com.
Bella Tunno
Name: Michelle Tunno Buelow
Product: The Bella Tunno line of baby accessories
Need identified: Quality baby accessories with a sense of style.
Solution: Creatively designed yet functional burp clothes, bibs and other items made with fashionable fabrics and a flair for style.
Michelle Tunno Buelow is the Owner of Bella Tunno, a baby and children’s accessory company “dedicated to the balance of fashion, function and philanthropic good.” It all came about because of her first daughter, Riley Rose. “I really think that when I got pregnant and went to my baby showers, I started to notice that there may not have been stuff that met my style,” confesses Buelow. Her focus became trying to meld fashion and function — to create baby accessories that were neither trite nor boring.
“I still am an ordinary mom and hope to always be,” says Buelow. “It just made great sense to combine being a mom with an entrepreneurial idea. I think my background in branding, management consulting and Internet strategy, paired with the ability to stay home with my daughter, gave me the opportunity to move forward on my own. I also think that if I really knew what it took and how the business would grow I may have been too intimidated to move forward. In a sense, I credit my success to naiveté.”
“I liked the creative part,” she says. “I liked doing it myself and filling a void in the market.” Buelow also had a cause. Bella Tunno, she says, was “founded with a heart toward philanthropic causes.” Her brother had recently passed away just three months shy of completing his doctorate, and Buelow had been very involved in his research on controlling wild fires out West. She made a promise to finish his work — it will publish soon — and wanted to create a memorial fund through proceeds from her new company. Having accomplished both goals, Buelow is now moving on to other causes.
Buelow turned to family and friends to help with her dream. “My family has been a huge source of support and help,” says Buelow. “My mom and dad actually bought me a sewing machine which, unknown to any of us at that time, was the birth of Bella Tunno. My mom has been a silent partner all along, helping with my collateral, office management and most of all, my Web site. She actually taught herself Web site development so that she could build and manage my site. My husband has a great business mind and is very risk-tolerant. He loves the idea of having our own business and helps with everything from technical issues to taxes.
“I also met with local business people, store owners, showroom owners, retailers and pretty much anyone who would take the time to share a little knowledge with me.”
“In terms of inanimate help, I found the Internet to be a great source of knowledge. It’s amazing how much information can be found right at your fingertips. Being a new mom at the time, it was also the only consistent source I could access at 11 p.m. or 5 a.m.”
“Attending my first market was a huge help — I met so many other women that had their own business in this industry. So many of them have become great knowledge sources and good friends. Most of my volume comes from permanent showroom relationships around the United States, as well as international distribution relationships.”
Buelow also looked to private sources for her start-up funds. “Our start-up costs were personally financed,” says Buelow. “We decided to grow only at a rate that we could support financially. We had offers for financing, but as long as we could do it on our own, we really felt like that was the best decision. We were willing to accept all the risk because we believed in Bella Tunno that much.”
“Even in the midst of one huge crisis after another, I never really believed it wasn’t going to work,” says Buelow. “I have had manufacturing issues, sourcing issues, fabric discontinuations and backorders, just to name a few of the struggles. I’ve gone days without sleep and I’ve shed my fair share of tears. But I believe in the philanthropy behind Bella Tunno, the products developed by Bella Tunno and myself entirely too much to think it couldn’t work.”
One of the biggest challenges was going from hand-sewn specialty items to mass production. “I knew nothing about manufacturing – but knew that close proximity to my manufacturing was important,” says Buelow. “I started with home seamstresses, then moved to small manufacturing shops and now I’m working with four sizable manufacturers. As your needs change, you need to be flexible and have a growth plan in place, but it’s important to grow in a manageable way.”
Then came distribution. Taking the product out to meet with potential distributors and store owners was a way to hear the market’s reaction first-hand. “I started out with a story and a bag of samples here in Charlotte – I showed my line to 11 stores and 10 of those placed orders,” says Buelow. “One of those stores was instrumental in teaching me about markets and directed me to an amazing showroom in Atlanta. Buelow emphasizes the importance of attending a large market with your product, saying “You get to hear how potential customers respond to your line, you can observe how the showroom staff sell/describe your line and you can walk away with priceless feedback.”
Bella Tunno is off to a good start. Available in 400 baby boutiques nationwide, including 15 in the Charlotte area, Bella Tunno appeared in the MTV Style Lounge, and was part of a celebrity gift bag given to A-list moms-to-be, including Brittany Spears and Angelina Jolie at The Golden Globes. Buelow hopes to become the brand leader for fashionable baby accessories. “I want to be the brand people turn to for the funky and functional baby accessories,” she says.
Along the way, she says she has learned some important lessons about business — and motherhood. “I have learned so much (good and bad) about business in the last year and a half,” says Buelow. “Mostly, I have learned so much about myself. Starting your own business is overwhelming and exhilarating all at the same time. It’s easy to get lost in the business and let the rest of your priorities fall aside. My biggest challenge isn’t running my business; it’s keeping my priorities in line. I am first a wife, then a mom, then a daughter and friend and THEN I am a business woman. I chose this business so that I could raise my daughter in a moment-by-moment way and I intend to continue being a hands-on example in her life.”
Buelow says she has come away with a few essential lessons. “One — Control what you can, worry about what things you can fix, do your best every single moment, and then free yourself from the rest.
“Two — Always keep your family and friends first. . . . When all else crumbles, it’s really only people that you have in your life.
“Three — People are innately good. I was prepared for cutthroat business interactions and stab-you-in-the-back experiences. I’ve been so pleasantly surprised with the ‘golden rule’ cycle that exists in the world.
“And four — If presented with an opportunity where your passions and your strengths can intersect, don’t let that chance pass you up. The gratification and feeling of accomplishment is amazing when you’re doing what you know you’re meant to do.”
Buelow has this advice for other inventor moms: “The highs are higher than you’ll ever imagine and the lows are lower than you can prepare yourself for — don’t let either of them take you off course too far. . .”
Let’s Yackle!
Name: Patricia Littwin
Product: Yackle Ball
Need identified: Fun activity to get kids moving requiring no athletic skill or coordination.
Solution: A “ball” that is easy to catch and throw even with limited ability.
For inventor Patricia Littwin, the idea for Yackle Ball came out of frustration over how difficult it was to get kids who didn’t fit the typical athletic mold to play active games. Her younger son, Michael, spent a summer indoors because he had been attacked by bees and was afraid to venture outside.
“I was a single mother of three children for 12 years and my youngest son had a hard time with sports. He was 2 months premature and as he grew he wasn’t very coordinated. Due to being extremely small for his age he had a hard time fitting in with the other kids. I used to tell him that I was going to invent a new sport that he could be good at so he would go outside with the other kids,” says Littwin.
The result was Yackle Ball, an X-shaped black and white, soft-but-durable “ball” that is easy to throw, easy to catch and fun for all ages. Littwin came up with Yackle Ball’s unique shape by doodling and using the seamstress skills she learned from her mother to create a prototype. The name for her unique invention came from brainstorming rhyming words, tackle — yackle. As for the colors, black and white are Littwin’s favorites — stark colors that convey strength.
Along the way, Littwin experienced both support and skepticism from family and friends. “The biggest help was and is my husband Charles,” says Littwin, who is now remarried. “Yes, I can invent, but manufacturing is a whole other story! My family, even my children, laughed at me and never believed it would amount to anything. My mother helped me in the beginning but I don’t think she really thought I would bring it to the market, but my husband and his family, especially his father, have supported me and helped me make my dream come true!”
Littwin’s dream was to create a ball for everyone. “You don’t have to be athletic to play,” promises Littwin, who says that each Yackle Ball comes with a pamphlet of games. “My dream is to have Yackle Ball played in every school and get the children more P.E. time,” says Littwin on her Web site. “I want to make exercising fun with sports and this is one that [people of] any age or athletic ability can play. We will be donating our time with the N.C. Special Olympics to work with the athletes to teach them Yackle Ball.”
Littwin has made it her national crusade to take Yackle Ball to the schools, making personal appearances at school gym classes and offering the balls to parents for purchase. As a bonus, a percentage of the day’s proceeds go to providing free Yackle Balls to the school and money to subsidize physical education programs.
She even turned down a multi-million dollar offer from a national toy manufacturer choosing to retain full control over the manufacture and marketing of her creation. “I was discouraged with what they wanted to do with the ball,” says Littwin of her brush with a big buy-out. “It wasn’t going to get into the schools and help kids. It might not serve the purpose (I) wanted it to serve.” The company wanted to change the shape and the color, and said it couldn’t be called a “ball.” “It was just another Frisbee to them,” she says. “I want to make a difference with our children.”
One of Yackle Ball’s big appeals is how easy it is to catch, even for little hands. Its soft form reduces the fear of being hit with the ball, and the X-shape makes a beginner’s “hug catch” more likely to work. Where round balls fall through a hug catch, Yackle Balls “arms” make it easy to catch. Those same qualities make it user-friendly for children with developmental delays or physical disabilities.
Once Littwin knew the concept was a winner, she faced manufacturing challenges. The first balls were largely hand-made and automating the X-shaped ball’s manufacture proved so daunting that three consultants failed. “Everyone said, ‘go overseas,’” Littwin recounts on her Web site, “but I was determined to keep it here in the United States for as long as possible!” Finally, Littwin and her husband walked through the process step by step and devised a way to automate it from start to finish. She bought her own large-scale sewing equipment and set up shop in Troutman, N.C. The plant was automated in January of 2006, with the first fully automated run coming off the assembly line the day after Memorial Day. Now, the plant can create 120 balls per hour, or 24,000 balls a month. Eventually, she wants to expand capacity to create 40 balls a minute, or 5 million Yackle Balls a year.
Creative financing is always important. “When we decided to open the plant, we raised $30,000 from the Charlotte Christmas Show last year from selling handmade balls,” says Littwin of her start-up financing. “My husband’s father has bought stock in my company and yes, I have several credit cards that are filled to the limit, along with two leases that I pay monthly.”
With the new automation, Littwin can offer custom versions with the logos and colors of companies, colleges and universities. She wants to refine the automation process to reduce the ball’s price. And in the meantime, Littwin has invented two more items and found a major franchise to carry them. Her two new items, Yackle Bone and Aqua Yackle, are variations on the Yackle Ball theme and keep the same unique X shape. Yackle Bone is made of a material durable enough to withstand energetic play with a large dog, and Aqua Yackle is a waterproof version for use in the pool or anywhere kids play in water.
Yackle Ball is currently available in 12 stores and three states as well as online at www.yackleball.com. Five area YMCAs also use the ball. Littwin wants to reach youth groups and other YMCAs, as well as schools. She offers a discount to nonprofits, does not charge for school events or Special Olympics, and 15 percent of sales each month goes to worthy causes, like the Mooresville Exchange Club. “If I can just do the schools, I’ll be happy, I’ll have done what I set out to do,” says Littwin.
What does Michael, now age 20, think about the ball invented by his mom because of his bee-sting summer long ago? Littwin says he came home recently with his original ball worn out. “Well, I need a new Yackle Ball,” he told her. She took him to see the new plant. “He was blown away,” she chuckles.
Does she ever stop to think about the risks she’s taken, investing in a manufacturing plant, turning away a sure-thing offer and trying to invent a new sport? Sure. But it’s worth it. “If you want it to happen, you have to be willing to take the risk,” says Littwin.
The experience also changed Littwin in ways she didn’t expect. “I love running my own company and have learned so much about team work and hard work to make the impossible happen,” says Littwin. “As a person, I have learned that I have strengths that I would have never know that I was capable of. Making my children proud is very important to me. The compliments from people playing with the ball are blowing me away and it feels like heaven when I receive e-mails that I have helped children with my invention. Many of the letters have brought tears to my eyes and filled my heart with joy.”
Her advice to other mom inventors? Be prepared for the cost of success. “In my case I am the inventor, manufacturer and the sales people (for now) and it is hard,” says Littwin. “You have to give up everything, put your life on hold and dedicate yourself 100 percent — physically and financially — to making it succeed!”
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