 Mothers of Invention
by Allison Dempsey
photography by Karen Newman & Barry Erskine
West of the City
January/February
2006
Although most people consider raising children to be a
full-time job in itself, these Mompreneurs seriously challenge
the term stay at home as they successfully balance
both the needs of their families and their thriving small
businesses. And though their products may differ, their
advice is the same: passion is the ultimate key to success.
Tammany Atkinson of
Mississauga was crawling around on her tile floor with her
young son when she realized how sore it made her knees. She
searched for a product that would help protect a baby's delicate
knees from the scrapes and bruises that come with months of
crawling on hard surfaces, but when she realized there was
nothing available, she decided to invent it. Her company,
Bee's Knees, makes baby pants with padded knees, which were
originally fashioned from her husband's cut-up wetsuit.
"I researched my business for a year and a half to
find everything before it really got underway," says
Atkinson. "It's the little details and elements that
are important. It's
hard to get people
to deal with you in the beginning."
Atkinson's pants, found on her website
at www. beeskneesbaby.com, are both cute and comfort able.
With reinforced crawler kneepads, an elastic waistband,
a roomy fit for chubby legs and diapers, plus a soother
pocket, the soft yet durable pants come in sizes 6 to
12 months, 12 to 18 months and 18 to 24 months. The spongy
neoprene inserts are compression resistant and stretchable.
The pants are locally manufactured and come in a variety
of colours and fabrics: the Cowboy in stretch denim; the
Ivy League Baby in brushed, prewashed cotton; the Cozy
Crawler in a warm velvety material; and the water-repellent
Sporty style.
Atkinson initially worked while her son napped and then
late at night, with help from babysitters and family
"My husband helps out a lot," says Atkinson. "He's
very supportive.
After a long day at work, he'll fold laundry for an hour.
I couldn't have done this without him.
"I feel overwhelmed a lot," she
admits, "but
I'm passionate about
my product, I believe in it. It's so important for moms
to have something for them selves
when the laundry's
piling up, the house
is a mess and there are dirty diapers to change. There has
to be some sort of outlet."
Atkinson found she definitely needed
that outlet
when she discovered,
in 2003, that her
then 16-month-old
son was profoundly deaf and needed a cochlear implant in
order to hear.
"It was earth-shattering when
we found out Jackson was deaf. I thought, Will I ever
be happy again? I took it very badly."
Tammany and her husband, Paul, who
have since had
a second son in 2004, looked to the Learning to Listen Foundation
to guide them in helping their son learn to listen and speak.
They now support the foundation as their personal charity
through Bee's Knees.
Jackson now hears everything
- the only time he
can't hear is when he is swimming or in the bath, as the computer
system and microphone have to stay dry. It was the business
that kept Atkinson occupied when she was feeling depressed
or upset about her son.
"It was very therapeutic for me," she says. "The
money and time invested were worth my sanity!"
Atkinson now has $90,000 invested, with more big plans
coming up.
She employs Katie Horan full time to work on getting the
pants into stores,
plus a PR agency in New York City promotes the product in
the U.S. She regularly sends pants to celebrities, including
Katie Holmes and Tom Cruise, Jerry Seinfeld, Denise Richards,
Courteney Cox and Gwyneth Paltrow. InStyle Magazine
has requested a press package, and she recently sent 55
pairs to the Oprah Winfrey Show. "I spend most
of my time trying to get press, writing and bugging people
- getting our name out there."
Ask any parents with young children and they'll tell you,
it's better to get
out of the house
and stay busy in order to stay happy. The challenge lies
in finding a place to go and something to stay busy with.
Now there's no need to look further than www.lifewithkids.ca,
a website dedicated to gathering and promoting local fun-filled
events for kids and families.
Developed by moms Emma Dixon and Kenda Blum, it's described
as a one-stop source to find activity groups, child-friendly
businesses and restaurants, advice from other parents and
things like where to get your child's haircut.
"There's so much to do in the community, and if you
can't find it, you can create it," says Dixon.
The website, launched
this past July, began with a focus on younger kids, but will
soon expand to include the interests of older kids and families,
too. Busy with their three young children - Blum has a two-year-old
and a seven-week-old, Dixon has a one-year-old - the moms
and close friends live in Oakville right next door to each
other in adjoining houses. Their husbands work evenings and
the women became fast friends soon after they met, chatting
in the evenings about what to do with their kids the following
day, but they couldn't find a definitive source of information.
So they decided to create one, to help other parents as well
as themselves.
"The main focus is to get moms out into the community," says
Blum. "Its important to get out and socialize."
With her background in design, Blum designed the website,
which, along with postcards, emails, posters, local press,
and trunk shows, spreads the word and gets the name into
the community. The website features a wealth of information,
including write-ups on other local entrepreneurial parents,
free events and a popular expert page.
"We now have a sales rep because we can't keep up
with the sales," says Blum. "It's very important
to know you can do
it - you just have to prioritize," says
Dixon of starting
a business. "Rely
on friends and family
for help if you can." Along with being a full-time
stay-at-home mom, Blum also runs a small graphic design
company, and Dixon has a marketing background, so both women
know how important it is to be organized.
"You need a lot of support from your husband," says
Blum. "And you can't get frustrated if you don't have
the time to put into
it when you want.
You have to love what you do - it's not just a job." Future
plans include a possible franchise
of the website to
other communities in Ontario. "Find
something you love.
We love helping others and love meeting other moms. It's
fun."
More Info:
Bee's Knees
www.beeskneesbaby.com
905-609-1247
available
at:
Joelle's, Burlington
Pinocchio's
Pick of the Crop, Oakville
Safety
Superstore, Mississauga
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