The PolkaDot Frog Boutique

I would like to introduce you to the next Ms. Biz.  Tina is the founder of The PolkaDot Frog Boutique.

Q: Tell me a little about your business (or businesses).  For example, what you sell, services offered, etc)

Tina: My business is customizing unique gifts.  I make handmade children’s clothing, like A line dress, shirts and pants outfits, personalized appliquéd t-shirts. We have baby bibs, burp cloths, blankets, rattles, personalized sippy cups, sports cups, koozies, travel mugs, hand painted clipboards and chalkboards, little girls spa items,custom gift baskets for any occasion, altered books, home decor, hair bows and hair bow holders. We can custom make most of our items. We offer personalization on most of our items. It can be an embroidered name or monogram on an item or it can be a hand painted name or monogram as well. You can pick materials, ribbons, thread colors, fonts and designs. Everything to make it your own personal item. Different from all others.We offer a special hand written note to be sent to the person receiving a gift and the gifts are always gift wrapped - for no charge. I want to offer boutique style with out the high boutique prices so everyone can enjoy a special gift. We give every purchase that gift feel…even if it is for the person buying it. Everything is a gift.

Q:  What are your best selling products?

Tina: My best selling products are the personalized hand painted clipboards but a very close second are the new bow holders that I personalize with a letter on the ribbon.

Q: How did you come up with the name?

Tina: I wanted a frog logo because of the F.R.O.G. which in my life stands for Forever Rely On God. I tossed around names that would fit a frog logo, like - The Lily Pad and such but nothing jumped out at me. I am a sewer an I do embroidery so when I came across a frog design of a frog that had polka dots AND it was cute, I said that’s it. It has to be The PolkaDot Frog.

Q: When and why did you start the business?

Tina: I started it because I was tired of going into high end boutiques to buy the cutest clothes for my daughter and having to spend $80.00 on a dress that was very simple to make. I wanted to be able to let her go and play on the playground, make an art project or go for lunch and not worry about the “What if’s”. So I decided that I needed to start using the talent that God gave me instead of letting it go to waste.

Q: What was the hardest part for you?

Tina: The hardest part for me was and sometimes still is - jumping out there and just doing it. Creating something new. What if no one likes it, what if I put this design on that bib and someone wanted something different…Oh No! What if…What if I sat there and did nothing…noting would sell. Sometimes it is still hard. What if I choose to do spiders for fall and everyone wants pumpkins, now I have spider shirts everywhere. What if nobody likes it? That type of thing is the hardest for me.

Q: What motivates you to keep going?

Tina: My motivation is when I do jump out there and make things and people flock to them and snatch them up.Just today I was taking in some bow holders and before they were even out, she was grabbing one. The other is my family. They may second guess what I am doing or why but when it is all said and done they are my biggest promoters. Especially the kids. Sometimes that can be embarrassing. But always in the best of ways.

Q: Do you have any advice for other women wanting to start their own business or ones who have just begun?

Tina: Do what you like to do but Love what you do. It should be a passion. Take a chance on that product or design that you are unsure of. You may not be in love with it but someone will be. Don’t stop! It is a slow process. Some do jump right in and make it big but the majority of people don’t. Do not be fooled by those that say it is nothing. It is your life and you have to dedicate yourself to it. It is your job. You may not get fired but when you have no customers…you’re fired. If you stay focused on the big picture you will win. I told my son today that nothing in life worth having comes easy. The harder you work for it, the more rewarding it is in the end. KEEP GOING!

Q: Tell me about you - hobbies, favorite things, etc.

Tina: My hobbies are: being a craft junkie. If they have made it, I have the tools and supplies for it…well no I don’t… I have not made my own glass beads…yet. Every summer I give the girls a summer project. We made lotions and lip balms last summer. This summer it was soaps. The 8 year old got her first sewing machine so that is fun to show her new things and seeing her try to come up with things and “patterns” on her own. I love to sew and create different things. I would be rich if I could patent every thought that crossed my mind. I love to watch the sun come up on the beach, the world waking up. I like to watch the sunset over water. I love puppies and babies. I love my job. I teach preschool. I love children. But I have to say that my most passionate thing to do is spend “nothing” time with my family, that is more valuable than anything. Nothing meaning we don’t have to do anything, we can sit and do nothing. Those are the memories that will take us through life.

Q: Do you have a discount you would like to offer the readers?

Tina: They can get 15% off using the code MSBIZ.

Thank you, Tina, for being this week’s Ms. Biz!  Please stop by and visit Tina at The PolkaDot Frog Boutique.

Kidz Comfort

Rae Lynn Glispin, owner and founder of Kidz Comfort, is our next Ms. Biz! Stop by and check out her My Doudou bed bumper.

Q: Tell me a little about your business (or businesses).  For example, what you sell, services offered, etc)

Rae Lynn: Kidz Comfort offers unique and colorful bedding and accessories to help kids rest comfortably and safely.  Our bedding items are all made in the USA from high quality 100% cotton fabrics.  Our Comforter sets, Bed Bumpers for Big Kids and Toddler Pillows are available in many stylish colors and themes.  Lullaby CDs and bedtime story books are a great addition to help make a child’s bedtime experience more relaxed.  We also offer all-natural and reusable Kidz Heat & Cool Packs in lots of fun prints for those little bumps and bruises that all kids get.

Q: What is your best selling product?

Rae Lynn: Our best selling product is a toss-up.  We have had such great success with our reusable Kidz Heat & Cool Packs and our Bed Bumpers for Big Kids.  They are both very unique and something every child should have.  And they both make great gifts!

Q: How did you come up with the name?

Rae Lynn: We were trying to capture the real purpose of our site in just a couple short words.  We knew these were the words that made perfect sense as our mission is to provide a comforting bedtime routine for kids.  What goes along with sleeping but the traditional sleeping zzzzzz’s and a nighttime sky and moon.  We added it all into our name so that it was very clear what our site was about.

Q: When and why did you start the business?

Rae Lynn: We have two toddler boys and their bedtime routine was always a “process,” to say the least.  We also had concerns about how active they were during the night, often waking themselves up by banging into the wall that runs alongside their beds.  Along with that, our winters are very very cold, which often made their walls very chilly.  We became concerned that they would get cold during the night if they happened to rest against their walls.  That is when we created the bed bumper to hang on the wall, and be removable for washing.

We launched our business in September of 2007, initially only selling our unique and patented Bed Bumper for Big Kids.  We began to realize that customers prefer a larger variety of products to choose from and that providing coordinating bedding was important to our continued success.

We are dedicated to continue making our products in the USA and with the highest quality materials.

Q: What was the hardest part for you?

Rae Lynn: The hardest part was taking that first step and actually spending money on the businesses start-up costs.  It was a scary thing to commit to.  It is also very tough to convince a spouse that isn’t into shopping…although I have to say my Husband has been supportive since the very beginning, so I am fortunate for that.

Q: What motivates you to keep going?

Rae Lynn: I obviously don’t want to be a failure, but more importantly, I want to show my boys that you can accomplish almost anything if you set your mind to it.  I never want to have regrets and I refuse to give up.  It is an internal drive that women often have to prove what we are capable of.

Q: Any advice for other women wanting to start their own business or ones who have just begun?

Rae Lynn: Research, research, research.  That is one of the most important things to do.  There are so many resources out there to guide women into and through entrepreneurship.  Massachusetts and Rhode Island have www.cweonline.org, but each state has similar organizations that will help propel women into business-ownership.  Check with your state’s SBA or SBDC for advice and direction.  This has saved us thousands of dollars and provided me with so much information, assisting me to be more successful.

Another helpful tip is to find useful networking groups, both on-line and off.  A great group to join is www.mompack.com.  It’s a great place to bounce ideas and questions off of other business owners.

Find a mentor.  Find some one that runs a similar business and ask to meet with them.  It may take a few tries, but you will find some one that is willing to share their lessons with you.

It has been so much work, but at the same time, so fulfilling.  I am so proud to have taken this path in my life.

Q: Tell me about you - hobbies, favorite things, etc.

Rae Lynn: My priority has always been my family.  We have made many sacrifices so that I could have a large impact on how my children are raised.  I now have the best of many worlds, staying home with my boys every Monday and Friday (and of course weekends), working part-time for a non-profit organization, Center for Women & Enterprise (www.cweonline.org), who has helped me get my business started in the first place, and I also am fortunate enough to run my own home-based business.

I absolutely love gardening and have my own small organic vegetable garden to poke around in.  There’s nothing like your own home grown veggies.  I also love flower gardening, black and white photography and just hanging out and playing with my family.  I LOVE eating every kind of food that exists, which is often a curse!

Q: Do you have a discount you would like to offer the readers?

Rae Lynn: Just enter msbiz at checkout as your coupon code and you will receive a 10% discount on all orders.

Thank you, Rae Lynn, for taking the time to answer the questions!

Cheeky Tots

Our next Ms. Biz is Helen of Cheeky Tots.  Please stop by her place on the web for some great items for babies and kids.

Q: What kind of business do you have?  (what you sell, service provided, etc.)

Helen: We are an online baby and children’s store, we sell a wide range of products including: modern cloth nappies, nappy making fabrics, baby and infants clothing, nappy bags, children’s novelty name plaques, blankets, soft toys and other misc children’s products. We also specialise in embroidered clothing.

Q: What is your best selling product?

Helen: One of our biggest sellers are our range of children’s novelty name plaques, they are available in many fun designs and are personalised with each child’s name.

Q: How did you come up with the name?

Helen: The store was originally called “Cheeky Bots” which was focused around cloth nappies. I then changed the name to Cheeky Tots to be more general, as our product range grew.

Q: When and why did you start your business?

Helen: I started the business after having my son 15 mths ago, I loved the idea of working from home whilst looking after my family. My background is in sales and marketing so it was easy to make the transition into internet trading. I had been a seller on eBay for several years before opening my website in the middle of last year.

Q: What was the biggest obstacle you faced?

Helen: Initially it was being taken seriously by suppliers. It’s very hard to become a stockist when you are still establishing yourself in the marketplace. Also setting up the website and finding suppliers can be very daunting at first as it’s hard to know where to start.

Q: What motivates you to keep going?

Helen: My customers. I have many repeat customers and the more sales that I get, the harder I work. I believe in offering a very high standard of customer service so it’s very rewarding when this is acknowledged.

Q: Advice for other women wanting to start their own business or ones who are just beginning?

Helen: Do your research first before rushing in and spend a little money initially to get a good set-up for your website and be prepared to spend many hours setting your business up. Be willing to learn as you can save time and money by doing alot of the groundwork yourself. Finally, be patient. It is not an overnight thing, it can take many months of hard work before reaping the rewards.

Q: What would you like the readers to know about you?  (Your background, hobbies, the little things you find important, etc).

Helen: Originally from the UK, I now live in Melbourne, Australia with my husband and 16 month old son. Our second child is due at the end of this year. I have a creative and arty nature and I love all things colourful, which is why Cheeky Tots has such a bright, fun website. I also enjoy sewing and making products to sell (when time permits!) and I have plans to develop this side of my business in the future. I consider myself to have a fun, easy going nature and I thank my parents for teaching me to have respect for others.

Q: Do you have a coupon code or special that you have going on or would like to offer to the readers?

Helen: Cheeky Tots ships world-wide and we are offering all readers 10% discount off all products until 6/30/2008. Enter discount code FEATURE into the checkout to redeem your discount (cannot be used in conjunction with any other discount or offer).

Thank you very much, Helen, for taking the time to answer our questions!