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!