Finding Inspiration for Invention in Life’s Major Annoyances

Guest Author, Renee Martin writes the following:

To paraphrase a well-worn idiom, annoyance is the mother of invention.

So, mompreneurs, if your revenues are dwindling and you need to develop new products or services, you might follow the example recently set by a group of “kidpreneurs” in Southern California. Jot down a list of everyday pet peeves and ask yourself: Is this an entrepreneurial opportunity?

That approach helped launch Sanitation’s Solutions Inc., which pitched its I-Flush product proposal to a panel of venture capitalists on May 21. What does the I-Flush do? It provides a solution for one of the longest-standing annoyances perpetrated by mankind: the habit of leaving the toilet seat up. The I-Flush’s pulley-based system prevents toilet users from flushing unless the toilet seat and lid are down. Sanitation’s Solutions is made up of senior high school students at the California Academy of Math and Science in Carson, Calif.

As part of a class project, seniors at the school worked in teams of nine to design products, write business plans and develop marketing campaigns. The project culminated in a presentation to a panel of venture capitalists — a group of local business people and investors who served as judges. This competition, developed by high school teacher Greg Fisher, was recently featured in the Daily Breeze newspaper.

This school exercise drives home a concept that every mompreneur needs to integrate into her everyday life: Pet peeves, whether they are yours or a prospective client’s, can translate into entrepreneurial opportunity. You just have to train yourself to think that way, and to have the commitment and patience to take full advantage whenever it’s feasible.

Consider the example that Sara Blakely, founder of Spanx, set. The idea for Spanx first came to Blakely in 1998, while she was preparing for an open-mic appearance at a comedy club. At the time she was a 27-year-old office-supply sales manager who moonlighted as an amateur comic. Blakely was planning to wear a pair of white slacks and sexy sandals on stage. The annoyance she encountered while getting dressed: visible panty lines and the less-than-perfect contour of her backside. So she opted for a do-it-yourself solution. She grabbed some scissors, cut the feet out of a pair of control-top pantyhose and slipped them on. “That’s when I had my epiphany,” she says.

Blakely later researched and wrote a patent for footless pantyhose. That led to Spanx, a one-time home-based business that eventually outgrew the confines of her apartment and made her a multimillionaire. Blakely’s story is featured in a new book, The Risk Takers: 16 Women and Men Share Their Entrepreneurial Strategies for Success.

As a mompreneur, you can also use your “annoyance radar” to develop ways to improve your existing product offerings. During sales calls, really listen to prospective clients. Pose questions that will draw out what irks them about the product or services they’re already using. Use that information to exploit your competitor’s weakness and make it your strength.

This approach can also help you tap an underserved niche. You can develop products and services that are much more tailored to meeting the needs of a specific group of clients. With some savvy marketing, you can ensure that customers in a particular field come to view you as a specialist. For example, if you’re a graphic artist, you may discover a need for a bundle of products tailor-made for local architects, or restaurant owners, or ski resort operators.

Keep in mind that some market niches are just too specialized for large corporations to consider. But you as a small business owner can exploit that fact by identifying the needs and the pet peeves of people in that niche. Your business is nimble enough to quickly adapt to their specialized needs.

Remember this during your next sales call. If a prospective client starts whining, don’t tune out. Tune in and use your creativity to develop a solution that gives you an edge over your competitors.

Renee Martin was a dynamic real estate broker when she switched careers entirely, to work in community service. She became a rape counselor, a court-appointed special advocate for The Children’s Court (CASA), a director of community relations of a child abuse crisis center, and a public relations spokesperson for many community organizations. After publication of the book, she and Don coauthored, The Survival Guide for Women, she became a frequent and popular speaker at women’s seminars across the country. She is also co-author of The Risk Takers: 16 Women and Men Who Built Great Businesses Share Their Entrepreneurial Strategies For Success

To Plan or Not to Plan: That is the Question

I once had a mompreneur of 3 little ones ask, “What’s the use of planning when my plan never works?” I think we’ve all been there. When you are a working mom, especially one that works from home, it seems that your day is often at the mercy of your needy toddler.  Kids are anything but predictable and aren’t always going to take that nap when they are supposed to or play quietly while you finish that project you penciled in from 1 to 2 pm. So if your well thought out day doesn’t always unravel the way you’d imagined it, should you trash your planner? I answer with a resounding NO!

In the book Alice in Wonderland there is a profound exchange between two of the story’s characters, Alice, the little girl who’s found herself lost in the forest and the Cheshire Cat -a strange feline who intermittently appears during Alice’s jaunt in Wonderland. Their brief conversation goes as follows:

“Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to walk from here?” asks Alice.
“That depends a good deal on where you want to get to,” responds the cat.
“I don’t much care where,” says Alice.
“Then it doesn’t much matter which way you walk,” replies the cat.

What can we glean from that? Well, without a clear idea of where you want to go, there’s little to no chance that you’ll end up in a place you’d ultimately like to be. Success and balance aren’t a matter of chance. They are the result of living with a clear plan and acting on that plan. Now again, having a plan doesn’t always translate into a day without interruptions or emergencies – throwing off your carefully thought out schedule.  In fact, I guarantee it won’t! But if you will at least be committed to making a plan, you will then have a map to guide you through the day – helping you use your time in a meaningful, effective way. There is so much vying for our attention, much of it trivial and unimportant.  Unless we make a conscious effort to determine how we’re going to spend those precious hours, we’ll find our time whittled away without anything to show for it.

A word of advice when it comes to planning: Plan around your priorities (not the other way around) and do your best to stick to your plan. But when something more important comes up, something that is of higher priority, be flexible and address the greater need. Frustration often sets in when we fail to recognize the place of priorities and flexibility within our schedule.

To plan or not to plan? Remember, success requires a map and your map is your weekly/daily plan. Be committed to it and watch yourself rise to great heights!

Tara McCausland is a speaker, aspiring author, and the owner of her own success/life coaching business - Joy Quest Coaching. She’s also the happy mommy of one active toddler and has been married to her high school sweetheart for 4 years.

As a coach, Tara specializes in helping mompreneurs build their businesses quickly, find more customers, and make more money – all the while helping them achieve greater balance and joy in their lives. She offers 1-on-1 coaching as well as group coaching via telephone and email.

Best way to contact Tara is by email at tara@myjoyquest.com or by phone at (801)979-6244.

Startup Princess News * February 8, 2008

Reminder! Today’s the LAST day to enter our ultra-cool contest…don’t be shy! Enter to win a free coaching call with a Fairy Godmother to brainstorm and discuss how to put together a strategy for your BIGGEST business WISH this year. Click here to enter.

Attention Utah County Startup Princesses! Remember to attend our February 13th Networking Tea Party event in Utah County, Provo Academy Library 6:30-8:30pm, $10 featuring Cherie Burton, Mrs. Utah 2004 discussing How to Prepare for a Media Interview (she’s even been on Oprah). (We’ll be recording the event for those of you unable to attend and will make available later.) We’re also going to save 45 minutes for Networking in small groups based on business industry. To RSVP click here.

Celebration Time!

Fairy Godmother Janet Meiners, Internet Marketing Specialist was quoted and a story of hers mentioned/linked to in the New York Times on Thursday… check it out here. Congrats!! Way to go!

Fairy Godmother Erika Wilde, a highly successful internet reseller, and Founder/Owner of StopDirt.com shares her latest exciting press opportunity:

One of my doormats was picked as the winner of Real Simple magazine’s “Door Mat Road Test.” (March issue)

We asked her how she got the opportunity and she replied, They just picked me off an internet search! (it pays to have high Google page rank!!) They approached me and asked that I send them one particular mat from my site. So I sent it to them and they did their own comparison testing and mine won! I can’t wait to see the article… should be on the newstands in about a week. The featured doormat starts at only $26 and is recommended for high-traffic outdoor entrances. For more information on the award-winning rubber brush door mat, click here.

Startup Princess Debbie Savage of Baby Emi Jewelry shares this update:

We are expanding our Cambodian Jingle Bells Jewelry line by adding 14K gold plated anklets and carrying bangles (both sterling silver and 14 K gold plated) to launch in Spring.

Our Cambodian Jingle Bells Jewelry was included in the “Celebrity BUMP Bag” with Jewels and Pinstripes and have gifted the following stars Christina Aguilera, Jennifer Lopez, Brooke Burke, Jessica Alba and Halle Berry to name a few.

A new website is scheduled to launch this summer with a new logo and shortened business name of BabyEmi. And will be featuring an exclusive collection of jewelry only available on my site which will be handstamped charm necklaces available in sterling silver, copper, and gold filled. So, many exciting things happening here at BEJ.

Congratulations to Janet, Erika and Debbie!!

What’s your latest-greatest news? Press op? New product launched? New trademark approved? Finished your business plan? Have a new business partner? Registered your LLC? Got your first business cards? Tell us and celebrate! You deserve to be recognized and we’re happy for you! Too shy to comment? Email us now and we’ll feature you and a photo next week!