Raising Boys

Man oh man, raising boys is hard work. Their energy alone is enough to make me go crazy sometimes. I have three boys. Jack is 6, Luke is 3 and Ty is 2. They are constant balls of energy. Their love for their friends, their family, their toys (especially the coveted Pokemon cards) just amazes me. Sometimes I wish I could get excited about something as little as going out for pizza; Or running through the Slip-N-Slide. I remember those days when I got so excited about the littelest things. When you get older, things just aren't as exciting as they were when were little. When it's particularly crazy here, I try to picture the house 20 years from now. The windows will be free of hand prints, and it'll be really quiet here. I'll miss the noise and energy some day.

Shopping Cart Cover

I read an article not to long ago about shopping cart handle bars having more germs than public restrooms. Yuck! At the end of the story the reporter said your only option to keep germs away from your children riding with you, was to spend about $40.00 on a cover that fits inside the baby seat portion of the cart. Guess what? It's not the only option! I created a product that fits on the handle bar of most shopping carts. You can put your child's snacks in the container so they can feed themselves. Your hands are free to shop, while your child is content feeding themselves. Just think, you don't need to keep touching the handle bar then trying to hand out a snack one at a time to your child. Less germs? I think so!

OnTray

In about 3 weeks, May 30th to be exact, www.ontray2go.com will be a viable web-site. I'm going to have inventory to sell and I'll be anxiously awaiting my first customer. I am so nervous. I have been working on finding ways to promote my web-site with little to no money. Mainly, I'm trying to get to the media. It is hard to figure out how to penetrate that market in the most efficient way. I want them to read my press release, not throw it into the trashcan. We'll see. Hopefully I'll get so much press, I won't know what to do with myself :) .

Not a finalist

Well, at 3:00 on Friday I received an e-mail from QVC that I did not advance to the final round of their contest with Oprah. I was so incredibly sad. My weekend was not a whole lot of fun. Then I picked myself up and thought about all the people that I know that are "success stories". Did their success happen overnight? Did they win a contest and that's what put them on the map? I don't think so. Why should it be so easy for me? It's back to the drawing board. I'm moving forward. I really have no choice but to keep on keeping on. QVC and Oprah aren't the end all be all. I have bigger places to go. Just watch! (Although it would have been cool to be on Oprah, huh)

Waiting to Hear From QVC

So I sent QVC an e-mail today. Just a random e-mail to the Product Search Department. I told them that I was at the Oprah/QVC event on March 23rd, and that I really wanted...no I needed to know if they had at least contacted the 10 finalists. I got an e-mail back that notification would be sent out on or after April 27th. This is killing me. I truly feel like I am going to make it to the next round. It's weird; I have dreams; I envision meeting Oprah. I see signs all around me. Is that weird? I'm just looking forward to Friday. Advancing to the next round or not, I need to move forward!

OnTray colors

The other day I toured Olan Plastics where OnTray will be manufactured. I picked up some samples of the colors I liked. I'm going to offer OnTray is four different colors. Blue, pink, green, and yellow translucent. They're fun, young, and just what I had in mind. I am so excited to get my first order in.

Olan Plastics

Today I'm scheduled to go visit the factory where Ontray will be manufactured. They, Olan and Laser reproductions, thought it would be good for me to take a tour, and see how a product is made. Too bad I won't actually be able to see my tool. It's on a boat on it's way here from China! It won't be to Columbus until 4/23. Oh well, at least I'll get to see the place, and get to see some color swatches. I'm thinking about making OnTray come in four different colors. Blue, pink, red, and green.

Pushing through pain

Yesterday I read an article in Business First here in Columbus (www.columbus.bizjournals.com). The article was titled "Entrepreneurs who push through pain find their rewards at finish line". I swear it was written for me(well and I guess every other Entrepreneur here in Columbus :) ) . The other day I wrote about wanting to give up on this project of mine. I'm tired and feel beat up emotionally and financially. Then things come into my life that make me want to keep going. Keep pushing. Steve Anderson, who wrote the article, says, "My experience has been the effort you put in is far less than what you get out. And here's the secret:The greatest rewards lie just beyond where most people quit trying". Isn't that something? For now, that's enough to keep me pushing through this pain.

42 Kids

The name of my company is 42 Kids. People started commenting on the fact that I always referred to my brood as, "Me and my 42 Kids". When it came time to come up with a name for my company, 42 Kids was the only one I felt was just right. I registered the domain name www.42kids.com, and that will be linked to OnTray's web-site. For down the road when I come up with other ideas:)

Trying to stay positive

It might be the weather or, it might be the fact that all of my children are sick. Whatever it is, I am in a funk! I feel like this little side project of mine, OnTray, is taking FOREVER to get off and running. I feel like the bills keep coming in for this project, and I'm paying them, but I'm not making any money! This is a scary process, this whole entrepreneur thing. These days make it tough for me to want to keep going. I almost feel like I'm so far in to the project that I have no choice but to keep going on. May 30, 2007 is my launch date for www.ontray2go.com. That feel like a lifetime away.

Making connections

Recently, I attended the Baby Bonanza here in Columbus. I mainly wanted to see how other vendors set up their booths at trade shows. I learned a lot. I also made a great contact in the woman entrepreneur world. Her web-site is www.contemporarybaby.com. She has beautiful baby products like bibs, blankets, and burp clothes. Just really sweet things. I'm a sucker for anything chenille! Anyway, I'm realizing that making connections can help you tremendously in a new venture. She is willing to help me with marketing. With her having already launched a successful business, I am looking forward to hearing what she has to say.

Making My Blog Work Better

Well, I've spent most of my free time today trying to figure out more about Blogging. I still don't feel like I really know what I'm doing. I set up profiles with companies that hopefully will drive more traffic to my blog, which in turn will help drive traffic to my web-site when it goes live. That address again is www.ontray2go.com.

Laura

technorati

Technorati Profile

May 30, 2007

Well, May 30, 2007 is the big day! That's the day we are taking www.ontray2go.com live! I am so excited, nervous, happy, scared, relieved, oh the list goes on and on. I just hope this works. I need to take the next 45 days and really think about how I'm going to promote my product. My budget has been primarily spent on getting this idea off the ground. I don't have much money left for traditional advertising. I'm sure I'll come up with something.

Laura

Getting close to going live!

Well, it's almost here. I am just about ready to go live with my web-site. I am so excited for this to happen!

I keep imagining someone at the store, frustrated like I was many months ago. Then they go home and Google, "shopping cart container", or "container that attaches to a shopping cart" (that's what I Googled!), and they'll actually find something that can help them. Something they can buy! Oh my gosh, how awesome. I am so excited. This is going to sound silly, but I am actually going to help people. What a great feeling.

Laura

Samples

Well, I picked up some samples of OnTray yesterday. They look great; Just perfect. It was so sweet, when I got home yesterday with the samples, my 6 year old son asked me if he could have one. I gave him one and he said, "Thanks mom for my OnTray. I love it. It holds my Pokemon cards. I love it!". I almost cried. He is so proud of me. It blows me away that a little boy can have so much compassion. Well, if this OnTray thing doesn't work out, at least Jack has a great case for his Pokemon cards. A very expensive case:) !

Laura

Trying to get the word out there!

Well, it's crunch time. I have plans to got Chicago March 22-24th. I entered Oprah and QVC's "Next Big Idea" contest. I'm going to one of three trade shows and presenting OnTray to a rep from QVC. I am so incredibly nervous. I have just a little over 2 weeks to get a presentation together, have pictures taken of the product, and pull my act together. Can I do it? I really think I can. I'm so excited to get the word out there about my product. OnTray has the potential to help many peoples lives a little better. I believe that! Isn't it silly, really. How does a container make someones life better? If I had that when my children were a little younger maybe I would've been a little more patient at the store with them. Maybe they would have enjoyed there time at the store with me. Maybe things just would have been a little calmer Maybe...

Wow! I watched Oprah today (it was taped from last week), and there was a panel discussing The Secret. I found it to be just amazing. I have struggled with this decision to take the product I've created, financially strap me and my family and make it a reality. I go up and down with this decision. The thing I struggle with the most is, am I worthy of this invention being a success story? I mean, why me? Out of all of the people in the world who could have come up with this idea, why was it me? What is the purpose? I have always been an analyzer. I analyze things to death. My husband thinks it's just because I'm a good person that good things can happen to me. Really?

The panel that was discussing The Secret had some great points. They feel we attract things, events, people, situations, relationships, just about everything in to our lives. I truly feel that way. I hope to attract customers to my product because I want to make a difference in their lives. I know it's just a silly container, but it's something that helps them with their daily lives as a parent of small children. Oh yeah, and I'd like to make some money in the process. :)

Ontray is getting closer to making an apperance!

Ontray is getting closer to being completed, and becoming available for purchase. I guess I didn't really describe what it is that I invented in my previos blogs (still very new at this whole blog thing). It's a container with a lid that attach's to the handle bar part of the grocery cart. It extends out to face the child in the child/baby seat. The child/baby can then self feed from the tray! The adult with the child have their hands free to carry their grocery list, coupons, coffee, whatever they need to help their trip to the store a far more enjoyable experience. At least for me, it's a little more enjoyable. Actually, I never fully enjoy going to the grocery store. Anyway, I'll keep you posted on when it'll be available.

Laura

Searching for Grants

The product that I am developing is coming along quite nicely. I have a Patent Pending, a Trademark Pending, a working prototype, and I'm in the beginning stages of the design aspect of the logos and packaging. I told my husband I wanted to take a little break from the big stuff, and try and focus on finding Grant money. I'll tell you what, there is so much money out there in the forms of Grants, but I don't think I qualify for one. You would think a Woman entrepreneur, who is working on an invention would qualify for something, but I'm having a hard time. If anyone is reading this, and has a suggestion, by all means bring it on!

Laura