 Motherloving Creations Born from Babes and Kids(Page 2 of 15) She realized that she needed to find something they would not be able to put on their backs, and resolved to design her own product. She formed focus groups of 4th to 12th graders, gave them construction paper and markers, and told them they were a company. Whatever they designed had to have wheels. The winners would get Baskin Robbins coupons for prizes. "Our product line came from the kids," she said. But this was only the first step. "I haven't even stopped to count the setbacks," she said. "In high tech, ideas get funded, but not consumer products. You need a prototype." They went to an industrial design firm that "dropped the ball," costing them $30,000 for a prototype that was "all wrong and twice the size" they had specified. Her husband, an engineer, said, "That's it. I'll do it myself," and went into the garage. Eventually his work yielded a prototype that could be rolled easily over a curb, up and down stairs and has two unique features: Its exoskeleton can be separated from the bag so that Zuca owners can change the look of their bag, plus the pack doubles as a seat. Launched in July 2004, the Zuca is now sold online and in retail stores, serving "everyone from 8 years old to over 80." Even though the Udalls initially focused on the needs of their school-aged children, the ZUCA has been featured in Arthritis Today, and its fastest growing market is now adults. Need Sparks Venture One month after the Zuca website was launched, Claire Ekelund, co-owner of Bebe au Lait in Los Gatos, would launch hers. Like her fellow entrepreneurs, Ekelund developed her product by identifying a problem and searching for a solution. As a new mother, Ekelund was proud that she was nursing, but she added, "I wanted my privacy. My husband was a soccer player with the Earthquakes. I didn't want to breastfeed in public, but I didn't want to leave the game either." Like her fellow entrepreneurs, Ekelund knew that mass-produced products would not entirely meet her needs. "Some nursing covers looked like tents," she said. "And you couldn't see your baby." So she designed her own product. Bebe au Lait nursing covers are unique due to their bone necklines, which make the cover stand out a few inches away from the skin, enabling the mother to see her baby and allowing a breeze to flow underneath. Also sold under the name Hooter Hiders, they are made from 100 percent cotton in a broad range of colors, styles, and prints. "The nursing cover is an accessory for the mother," she explained. | ||
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