Kinder Cash
How to make big profits catering to the little ones
All kidding aside, the numbers look great for children's
business owners: According to the U.S. Census Bureau, American
births have averaged about four million each year since the
beginning of the 1990s, and American Demographics estimates the
number will continue at this rate through the rest of the
decade.
Because the children's business market is a uniquely
regenerative one-as kids grow up, younger children take their
places-new opportunities within the children's business
industry are constantly springing up. This month, we've
profiled five unique and thriving business that profitably cater to
the development, security and creativity of children.
Children's Furniture
For some, business inspiration dawns after years of research. For
others, it grows out of necessity. For Laura Mann, it came in the
form of a giraffe.
"When my husband, Christian, and I were visiting his parents,
we noticed a small giraffe chair he played with as a child,"
recalls Mann. "I'll never forget the look on his face when
he saw the chair again, and I thought to myself, 'what a great
gift idea for someone having a baby.'"
It was with this inspiration that Mann, now 26, started Wood
Design, her homebased children's furniture business, in
Pasadena, California. She presented her first chair as a baby
shower gift in 1991, and by the end of the party, half-a-dozen
interested guests asked for Mann's name and phone number.
Within two weeks, she received her first four orders.
From there, it was a classic case of word-of-mouth advertising.
Happy mothers, doting grandmothers and impressed shower-goers
spread the word on Mann's behalf, raving about the young woman
who made beautiful chairs for children. Now, her product line has
grown to include children's toy chests, high chairs and
bureaus. One client even hired her to customize an entire nursery,
including a canvas mural to match the personalized furniture.
Mann estimates that the chairs, depending on the level of detail
requested, take between four to six hours to complete. She
purchases the furniture from an unfinished wood store, then sands,
paints, personalizes and lacquers the pieces, selling them to
customers for $150 plus shipping charges. At one point, Mann
completed up to six chairs a week, but now that she and Christian
are expecting their first child, she's slowed down production
to prepare her own nest.
"I don't want the quality of my work to suffer because
I'm overwhelmed with orders," admits Mann, who'd like
her business to remain a one-person operation. But if you have a
talent for creating children's furniture and the means to
produce on a larger scale (space, materials, assistants, etc.), you
can present samples of your work at children's boutiques, craft
shows and swap meets. Mann, who also works part-time at a floral
design shop, showcases some of her chairs in the store's
children's section.
Most craft supply stores sell materials at affordable prices, so
your greatest investment will likely be your time, patience and
creativity. Personalizing your work is another way to appeal to
children's gift purchasers; an item with a new baby' name
is always a sweet treat for new parents.
"People love heirlooms. I get inspired thinking of the
children looking at the furniture for the first time, having it
with them throughout their childhood and then passing it down from
one generation to the next," explains Mann. "I try to
make each piece different, so they're all special and
unique."
Reader Reference Source:
Juvenile Merchandising, a monthly children's
merchandising magazine, provides further information about
marketing children's products. Annual subscription/$25, single
issue/$4. To order, write 2125 Center Ave., #305, Fort Lee, NJ
07024, or call (201) 592-7007. Entrepreneur Magazine Group
publishes Business Start-Up Guide #1304: Crafts Business. To order,
see page 93, or call (800) 421-2300.
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