Mothering Tao

I’m no business expert and certainly not one to give business advice. What I blog about are experiences, lessons learned from running a small WAHM business of my own. So please, consult a professional before you take heed to my ramblings here:

So to answer my title, SURE! The babywearing fever is catching on. It’s intuitive and more and more experts are agreeing on the benefits of babywearing, not to mention the practical aspects of parenting hands-free with a calm and happy baby.

BUT…before your babywearing fever drives you to take the plunge into starting a baby carrier business, check your inner voice. Is that voice saying, “wooo, imagine all the carriers that I’ll get to play with if I get to buy them at wholesale!” or is it saying, “I know it’ll be sweat and labor but gosh darn it, I’m passionate about making these products more accessible to a wider audience…” If it’s the latter, then you’re off to a good start. And if that voice is the first one, well, you already know right? It’s not a justifiable reason to embark on this very involved business adventure.

Now, the voice I fear most is this, “well, we need extra cash because I’m staying home with the baby / kids so I’ll just sew some mei tais or buy a few carriers and sell them to supplement our income.” I know it’s difficult to live on a single income for most families. But trust me, this is just about the most dangerous reason to start a baby carrier business. An Avon business. Sure! Bring in the extra cash! But to retail, much less manufacture, carriers is a painstaking venture.  So many SAHMs have decided to start a business selling carrier only to find out that it’s a high maintenance industry, meaning customers have more questions than say, someone buying a CD or a T-shirt. They’re not going to ask you how to put on the shirt or how to play the CD. With carriers, you will have to deal with more customer service-natured calls or emails regarding the comparisons of a carrier with another, what is the recommended age of the baby, how far does it adjust, what is the correct size, etc. And with the current baby carrier market, there are so many to choose from, the abundance of choice is requiring even more service on your end to make a sale happen. The biggie, though, is liability!!! If a carrier is recalled, you are responsible for making sure a customer is informed and the product is returned / handled properly in accordance with the recall. And God forbid should an accident occur, someone has to pay for the medical expenses associated with the injury. Insurance, then is a necessity. And at such, it is no bargain for the folks selling baby carriers to buy decent coverage.

Of course, I’m generalizing and perhaps even being overly negative. There are great rewards with running a babywearing business. When someone e-mails you their ah ha! moment, it’s priceless. And when you turn on a local mom to the joy of babywearing, the smile on your face will shine for days if not weeks when you run into her at the store wearing her baby like a pro!

In my previous post, I talked about the realities of time spent sustaining a business. It was not what I imagined it to be. Somehow, I figured, I could get everything done in 2 hours after the kids are in bed. Of course, that’s not the case.

I cringe for moms I hear wanting to start a internet business because “you never have to leave the house. How cool is that?” True. It’s a virtual business. But your time spent on the computer is very real. You may not leave the house but you cannot be fully present for your little one(s). You must multi-task between answering some emails and a must-be-done chore like making breakfast or washing the dishes before you run out of room in the sink. Adding to that, maybe mediate a fight or two between the siblings or finding something interesting to engage your child without resorting to Dora or Barney. The phone might ring and as you attempt to answer a question in the most professional business woman voice, you shout out, “NO! No baby! Don’t put your hand in there!!!” Shortly after, a shrieking voice sobs uncontrollably thus erasing all likelihood this phone call returning to that professional tone you had hope to convey.  Sounds like over-dramatization. But it’s not. I’m afraid.

In all honesty, I was that idealistic mom of two thinking I love babywearing, why isn’t anyone catching one? I’ve gotta jump in there and make it happen. After all, how involved can it really be? I just need a computer (which I already own…forget it’s a hand-me-down) and some money to start it up. Can’t be that hard. Over a year later, I’m still laughing at myself for being that naive. The time, the energy, the finance (which I will get to in another post).

Anyone who decides to pursue this business, my advice is to spend good amount of time researching your target audience. Who are they? Where are they? How will you get them to notice you? Then talk to some WAHMs and get a sense of what your life would be like. Most importantly, write up a business plan with REALISTIC goals. Don’t kid yourself and expect to blow up into Microsoft over night. Use a template, get a friend to help you or find a business consultant to advise you. The key is to have everything laid out so that you will be following a path rather than winging it along the way.

Happy venturing!!!