Who knew her baby girl would lead her to a venture. When Carla Palmer’s baby was teething, bibs were a necessity but she couldn’t find something that was stylish and functional at the same time. “I told my husband I can do this better and we started brainstorming. I wanted to create something unique.”
Carla had been in brand design before leaving her career to be a stay at home mom. When she thought of the idea to create a bib set that would go with white “onesies,” Carla envisioned a set of three bibs in different fabrics that could be snapped on as necessary without having to change the whole outfit. One day at a fabric store, Carla picked up a business card for a seamstress.
“Turns out she was a sweet Grandma and I took my 7 month old daughter Charlie with me when I first met her. We got together at a Starbucks so I could show her what I wanted her to sew for me.” The Grandma was a pattern maker and she set out to create a prototype for Carla. “But she wasn’t the person who could produce the numbers I needed.” Carla searched for a manufacturer who could and ended up finding a company in Minneapolis.
“When I was looking for the right people, a friend who had started a baby product company, became my mentor of sorts. She offered great tips, business suggestions and needed resources.” It’s always friends and family who can make it all happen and come together. Carla sent her prototype to the company in Minneapolis and several iterations went back and forth before the sample was correct in her mind.
Carla then hosted some focus groups with moms, to get input and see what would resonate with her target market. “This was so helpful to see the product on actual babies and in use.” One mom told her, “As soon as I strapped my 4-month-old into his car seat the other day, he spit up. No problem! I just unsnapped the Cheekie Charlie bib and gave him a new one.” This was great feedback.
She chose three different patterned bibs for her first set and now she was ready to order. “It was scary to order in bulk. I was never in marketing.” And she needed a name. With a British husband who had always used the word “cheeky” and even called their daughter cheeky Charlie, Carla thought Cheekie (spelled differently) Charlie was the perfect choice for a name for her new venture.
Carla decided to start selling on line and through trunk shows. Her husband helped with her web site and a shopping cart; now she was in business. To get started, Carla organized a launch party where she invited every mom she knew. The overwhelming response and number of sales solidified her idea. “That was great validation. I learned something new about marketing every day. And reaching out to mommy bloggers and newspapers, I even got press coverage.”
Cheekie Charlie has added two new sets to the line, one with nautical print bibs and one with cheery garden fabrics. Then another discovery. Carla began personalizing t-shirts for Charlie and when other moms liked them so much, she decided to expand her brand. “I love that I have my own business and I can’t wait to tell Charlie, when’s she old enough, how I did it all with her as my inspiration.”
Contact: CheekieCharlie.com
VentureMom Tip
Host a focus group to get input and feedback for your new product.
