Writing the Business Plan
Now that your research and plan development are nearing completion, it is time to move into action. If you are still in favor of going ahead, it is time to take several specific steps. The key one is to organize your dream scheme into a business plan.
What Is It?
* Is written by the home-based business owner with outside help as needed.
* Is accurate and concise as a result of careful study.
* Explains how the business will function in the marketplace.
* Clearly depicts its operational characteristics.
* Details how it will be financed.
* Outlines how it will be managed.
* Is the management and financial “blueprint” for startup and profitable operation?
* Serves as a prospectus for potential investors and lenders.
Why Create It?
* The process of putting the business plan together, including the thought that you put in before writing it, forces you to take an objective, critical, unemotional look at your entire business proposal.
* The finished written plan is an operational tool which, when properly used, will help you manage your business and work toward its success.
* The completed business plan is a means for communicating your ideas to others and provides the basis for financing your business.
Who Should Write It?
* The home-based owner to the extent possible
* Seek assistance in weak areas such as:
* accounting
* insurance
* capital requirements
* operational forecasting
* tax and legal requirements
When Should a Business Plan Be Used?
* To make crucial startup decisions
* To reassure lenders or backers
* To measure operational progress
* To test planning assumptions
* As a basis for adjusting forecasts
* To anticipate ongoing capital and cash requirements
* As the benchmark for good operational management
Proposed Outline for Home-Based Business Plan
This outline is suggested for a small proprietorship or family business. Shape it to fit your unique needs.
Part I. – Business Organization
Cover Page:
Business Name:_____________________
Street Address: _____________________
Mailing Address:____________________
Telephone Number:__________________
Owner(s) Name(s):___________________
Inside Pages:
Business Form:______________________
(proprietorship, partnership, corporation)
If incorporated:______________________
(state of corporation)
Include copies of key subsidiary documents in an appendix. Remember even partnerships require written agreements of terms and conditions to avoid later conflicts and to establish legal entities and equities. Corporations require charters, articles of incorporation, and by-laws.
Part II. – Business Purpose and Function
In this section, write an accurate yet concise description of the business. Describe the business you plan to start in narrative form.
What is the principal activity? Be specific. Give examples.
Product or service description(s):
* Retail sales?
* Manufacturing?
* Service?
* Other?
How will it be started?
* A new startup
* The expansion of an existing business
* Purchase of an going business
* A franchise opportunity
* Actual or projected startup date
Why will it succeed? Promote your idea!
* How and why this business will be successful
* What is unique about your business
* What is its market “niche”
What is your experience in this business? If you have a current resume of your career, include it in an appendix and reference it here. Otherwise write a narrative here and include a resume in the finished product. If you lack specific experience, detail how you plan to gain it, such as training, apprenticeship or working with partners who have experience.
The Marketing Plan
The marketing plan is the core of your business rationale. To develop a consistent sales growth, a home-based businessperson must become knowledgeable about the market. To demonstrate your understanding, this section of the home-based business plan should seek to concisely answer several basic questions.
Who Is Your Market?
* Describe the profile of your typical customer.
# Age____________________________________
Male, female, both_______________________ _
How many in family_____________________ ___
Annual family income_______________________
Location________________________________
Buying patterns___________________________
Reason to buy from you____________________
Other__________________________________
* Geographically describe your trading area
# (i.e., county, state, national)
________________________________________
* Economically describe your trading area
# (single family, average earnings, number of children)
________________________________________
How Large is the Market?
* Total units or dollars__________________________
* Growing______ Steady______ Decreasing_____
* If growing, annual growth rate___________________
Who Is Your Competition?
No small business operates in a vacuum. Get to know and respect the competition. Target your marketing plans. Identify direct competitors (both in terms of geography and product lines) and those who are similar or marginally comparative. Begin by listing names, addresses, and products or services. Detail briefly but concisely the following information concerning each of your competitors:
* Who are the nearest ones?
* How are their businesses similar or competitive to yours?
* Do you have a unique “niche”? Describe it.
* How will your service or product be better or more saleable than your competitors?
* Are their businesses growing? Stable? Declining? Why?
* What can be learned from observing their operations or talking to their present or former clients?
* Will you have competitive advantages or disadvantages by operating from home? Be honest!
Remember, your business can become more profitable by adopting the good competitive practices and by avoiding their errors.
To help you evaluate how successful your product or service will be, go down the following list of standard characteristics (you may want to add more from your knowledge of your field) and make a candid evaluation of your competitive “edge.” On a scale of “0″ (theirs puts mine to shame) to 10 (mine puts theirs to shame) indicate the potential for you and a total score:
FEATURE
Price ______
Performance ______
Durability ______
Versatility ______
Speed/accuracy ______
Ease of operation or use ______
Ease of maintenance or repair ______
Ease of cost or installation ______
Size or weight or color ______
Appearance or styling or packaging ______
Total Points ______
A Total Points score of less than 60 indicates that you might reconsider the viability of your product or service or think about how you can improve it. Over 80 points indicates a clear competitive edge.
What Percent of the Market Will You Penetrate?
1. Estimate the market in total units or dollars. ______
2. Estimate your planned volume. ______
3. Amount your volume will add to total market. ______
4. Subtract 3 from 2. ______
Line 4 represents the amount of your planned volume that must be taken away from the competition.
What Pricing and Sales Terms Are You Planning?
The primary consideration in pricing a product or service is the value that it represents to the customer. If, on the previous checklist of features, your product is truly ahead of the field, you can command a premium price. On the other hand, if it is a “me too” product, you may have to “buy” a share of the market to get your foothold and then try to move price up later. This is always risky and difficult. One rule will always hold: ultimately, the market will set the price. If your selling price does not exceed your costs and expenses by the margin necessary to keep your business healthy, you will fail. Know your competitors pricing policies. Send a friend to comparison shop. Is there discounting? Special sales? Price leaders? Make some “blind” phone calls. Detail your pricing policy:
What Is Your Sales Plan?
Describe how you will sell, distribute or service what you sell. Be specific. Below are outline some common practices:
Direct Sales
Direct sales by telephone or in person. The tremendous growth of individual sales representatives who sell by party bookings, door-to-door, and trough distribution of call back promotional campaigns suggests that careful research is required to be profitable.
Mail Order
Specialized markets for leisure time or unique products have grown as more two-income families find less time to shop. Be aware of recent mail order legislation and regulation.
Franchising
a. You may decide to either buy into someone else’s franchise as a franchise or
b. Create your own franchise operation that sells rights to specific territories or
product lines to others. Each will require further legal, financial, and marketing
research.
An excellent starting point if you are considering franchise involvement is the SBA Publication #MA7.007, Evaluating Franchising Opportunities. The International Franchise Association also publishes a number of valuable aids in this field.
Distributors
You may decide to work as a local or regional distributor for several different product lines.
Outline your sales plan below:
What Is Your Advertising Plan?
Each product or service will need its own advertising strategy as part of the total business marketing plan. Before developing an advertising campaign for your business plan, take time to review a few basic assumptions. By definition, advertising is any form of paid, non-personal promotion that communicates with a large number of potential customers at the same time. The purpose of advertising is to inform, persuade, and remind customers about your company’s products or services. Every advertising activity should have specific goals. Common examples are:
* To bring in sales orders or contracts
* To promote special events such as sales, business openings, new products
* To bring in requests for estimates or for a sales representative to call
* A special goal at the outset may be to use special media to establish yourself even before startup and to get potential customer “feedback”
These might include one or more of the following:
* Purchase and distribution of business cards to potential clients
* Posting notices on free bulletin boards in area supermarkets or office complexes
* A telephone survey of potential clients to alert them to startup plans
To assist in determining what types of advertising are appropriate and within company budget projections, it will be necessary to carefully review your customer profile. From this review, establish a clear statement of advertising goals. Write down what you want your advertising to accomplish:
The next step will be to develop answers to the following crucial questions:
Q. What should be said about the business and how should it be stated?
Q. What media should be used?
Q. How much can be afforded?
Q. How can the advertising program be implemented?
Q. How can its effectiveness be measured?
The basic criteria for selecting specific types of media will include concise answers to the following:
* Trading Area – Do you plan to serve or sell to an industrial market, a national market, a neighborhood or specialized market? Describe yours:
* Customer Type – What does your potential customer read or listen to? Where? How often? What image does the media you are considering suggest? Does it fit your customer? Describe your customer:
* Budget Restrictions – how will the amount of money you have to spend limit the media you can use? How can you spread your budget out over a year to give a repetitive, continuous message? While you may have to spend more at the start, a good ongoing guideline is that advertising should not exceed 1 or 2 percent of sales. Set forth how much you are willing to invest in advertising in the first year: $_____ Break into months or quarters: $_____ $_____ $_____ $_____
* Continuity of Message – how will the type of product or service, customer profile, and seasonal buying patterns affect your choice of media and the frequency with which you advertise? Explain your message here:
* Past Performance – What is the track record for use of the medium you are considering for your type of business? What do your competitors use? What does your trade association suggest? Enter appropriate comments here:
For more on media selection and creating your advertising plan, see Plan Your Advertising Budget (also found in this handbook).
Management Plan
Who Will Do What?
Be sure to include four basic sets of information:
1. State a personal history of principals and Related work, hobby, or volunteer experience (include formal resumes in Appendix).
2. List and describe specific duties and responsibilities of each
3. List benefits and other forms of compensation for each.
4.Identify other professional resources available to the business. Example: accountant, lawyer, insurance broker, banker. Describe relationship of each to business. Example: “accountant available on part-time hourly basis, as needed, initial agreement calls for services not to exceed x hours per month at $xx.xx per hour.”
To make this section graphically clear, start with a simple organizational chart that lists specific tasks and shows who (type of person is more important than individual name other than for principals) will do what indicated by arrows, work flow, and lines of responsibility and/or communications. Consider the following examples:
Or like this?
Concisely answer the following question:
A. What are your personal needs now?
1. ____________________________________________________________
2. ____________________________________________________________
3. _____________________________________________________________
4. _____________________________________________________________
A. What skills must each key person have
1. _____________________________________________________________
2. _____________________________________________________________
3. _____________________________________________________________
4. _____________________________________________________________
A. Are the people needed available? Name Them, indicate full or part-time salary rates:
1. ______________________________________________________________
2. ______________________________________________________________
3. ______________________________________________________________
4. ______________________________________________________________
Detail a proposed work schedule by week and month for at least the first year.
Calculate total salaries, wages, fringe benefits, and payroll taxes for each month of the first year.
Compensation Fringe Payroll
Benefits Taxes
1st month $______ $______ $______
2nd month $______ $______ $______
3rd month $______ $______ $______
4th month $______ $______ $______
5th month $______ $______ $______
6th month $______ $______ $______
7th month $______ $______ $______
8th month $______ $______ $______
9th month $______ $______ $______
10th month $______ $______ $______
11th month $______ $______ $______
12th month $______ $______ $______
Full Year $______ $______ $______
If you have identified any gaps in personnel skills, state how these will be overcome by training, purchase of outside services, or subcontracting. Check with the nearest state employment service office for assistance. Write your plan:
What Is Your Banking Plan?
What will be the location and type of bank accounts opened for the business? A word of caution, keep business accounts separate from personal or family accounts. These vital records will be necessary for future tax and accounting purposes. Describe your banking plan:
How Is Your Credit Rating?
There may be several partial answers to this question. All will be of importance to the future of the business. First, what is your personal history of paying debts? Just to be safe, purchase a copy of your personal credit record from the local credit bureau for a small fee and make sure that it is accurate. Look in the classified telephone directory under “Credit Reporting Agencies.”
To establish a credit rating, it is necessary to secure credit with a number of businesses and to use it. Your rating will be based upon your record for paying for goods and services based upon the agreed terms. If your prior credit rating is poor, discuss with your lawyer, accountant, and banker options for improvement before seeking and being refused business credit.
Operational Plans Summary
The purpose of this section is to summarize from previous sections, the various operations of your business and link them to the finance section of your business plan. In addition you will want to summarize the advantages and disadvantages of a home-based business operation. Refer to your earlier checklist. Write your summary here:
The Financial Plan
Clearly the most critical section of your business plan document is the financial plan. In formulating this part of the planning document, you will establish vital schedules that will guide the financial health of your business through the troubled waters of the first year and beyond.
Before going into details of building the financial plan, it is important to realize that some basic knowledge of accounting is essential to the productive management of your business. If you are like most home business owners, you probably have a deep and abiding interest in the product or services that you sell or intend to sell. You like to do what you do, and it is even more fulfilling that you are making money doing it. There is nothing wrong with that. Your conviction that what you are doing or making is worthwhile is vitally important to the success. Nonetheless, the income of a coach who takes the greatest pride in producing a winning team will largely depend on someone keeping score of the wins and losses.
The business owner is no different. Your product or service may improve the condition of mankind for generations to come, but, unless you have access to an unlimited bankroll, you will fail if you don’t make a profit. If you don’t know what’s going on in your business, you are not in a very good position to assure its profitability.
Most home-based businesses will use the “cash” method of accounting with a system of recordkeeping that may be little more than carefully annotated checkbook in which is recorded all receipts and all expenditures, backed up by a few forms or original entry (invoices, receipts, cash tickets). For a sole proprietorship, the business form assumed by this handout, the very minimum of recorded information is that required to accurately complete the federal Internal revenue Service Form 1040, Schedule C. Other business types (partnerships, joint ventures, corporations) have similar requirements but use different tax forms.
If your business is, or will be, larger than just a small supplement to family income, you will need something more sophisticated. Stationery stores can provide you with several packaged small business accounting systems complete with simple journals and ledgers and detailed instructions in understandable language.
Should you feel that your accounting knowledge is so rudimentary that you will need professional assistance to establish your accounting system, the classified section of your telephone directory can lead you to a number of small business services that offer a complete range of accounting services. Your can buy as much as you need, from a simple “peg-board” system all the way to computerized accounting, tax return service, and monthly profitably consultation. Rates are reasonable for the services rendered and investigative consultation will usually be free. Look under the heading, “Business Consultants,” and make some calls. Be sure to let them know the size of your business so you get to the ones who specialize in home-based operations. Many of them are home-based entrepreneurs themselves, and know what you will be going through.
Let’s start by looking at the makeup of the financial plan for the business.
The financial plan includes the following:
1. Financial Planning Assumptions-these are short
Statements of the conditions under which you plan to operate.
* Market health__________________________
* Date of startup_________________________
* Sales buildup ($)_______________________
* Gross profit margin_____________________
* Equipment, furniture, and fixtures required
* Payroll and other key expenses that will impact the financial plan_________________
2. Operational Plan – Profit and Loss Projection
-this is prepared for the first year, broken into twelve individual months. It should become your first year’s budget. See Exhibits A and A-1.
1. Souuce of Funds Schedule – this shows the source(s) of your funds to capitalize the business and how they will be distributed among your fixed assets and working capital.
2. Pro Forma Balance Sheet –”Pro Forma” refers to the fact that the balance sheet is before the fact, not actual. This form displays Assets, Liabilities, and Equity of the business. This will indicate how much investment will be required by the business and how much of it will be used as Working Capital in its operation.
3. Cash Flow Projection – this will forecast the flow of cash into and out of your business through the year. It helps you plan for staged purchasing, high volume months, and slow periods.
Creating the Profit and Loss Projection
Refer to Exhibits A and A-1. Create a wide sheet of analysis paper with a three-inch wide column at the extreme left and 13 narrow columns across the page. Write at the top of the first page the planned name of your business. On the second line of the heading, write “Profit and Loss Projection.” On the third line, write “First Year.”
Then, note the headings on Exhibit A and copy them onto your 13-cloumn sheet. If startup is indefinite, just write “Month #1,” “Month #2,” etc. Column 13 should be headed “Total Year.”
In the wide, unnumbered column on the left of your 13-column sheet, copy the headings from the similar area on Exhibit A. Then, follow the example set by Exhibit A and list all of the other components of your income, cost, and expense structure. You may add or delete specific lines of expense to suit your business plan. Guard against consolidating too many types of expense under one account lest you lose control of the components. At the same time, don’t try to break down expenses so discretely that accounting becomes a nuisance instead of a management tool. Once again, Exhibit A provides ample detail for most home-based businesses.
Now, in the small column just to the left of the first monthly column, you will want to note which of the items in the left-hand column are to be estimated on a monthly (M) or a yearly (Y) basis. Items such as sales, cost of sales, and variable expenses will be estimated monthly based on planned volume and seasonal or other estimated fluctuations. Fixed expenses can usually be estimated on a yearly basis and divided by twelve to arrive at even monthly values. The “M” and “Y” designations will be used later to distinguish between variable and fixed expense.
Depreciation allowances for fixed assets such as production equipment, office furniture and machines, vehicles, etc., will be calculated from the source of funds schedule.
Exhibit A-1 describes line by line how the values on the profit and loss projection are developed. Use this as your guide.
Source of Funds Schedule
To create this schedule, you will need to create a list of all of the Assets that you intend to use in your business, how much investment each will require, and the source of funds to capitalize them. A sample of such a list is shown below:
Asset Cost Source of Funds
Cash $2,500 Personal savings
Accounts Receivable 3,000 From profits
Inventory 2,000 Vendor credit
Pickup truck 5,000 Currently owned
Packaging machine 10,000 Installment purchase
Office desk and chair 300 Currently owned
Calculator 75 Personal cash
Electric Typewriter* 500 Personal savings
*A note about office equipment: although this handout has been written for a broad audience of home-based business operators, those who plan enterprises which produce printed products or large volume of correspondence should consider an electronic word processor as a great time saver. Test use or rent two or more brands that appear to meet your needs and select the one with which you feel most comfortable. Don’t be afraid to ask others who have had to make this decision for advice. Compatibility of your system with those of potential typesetting services or printers should be of high consideration. If you are not quite sure, consider renting or leasing the equipment until you are. Service contracts on such complex electronic gear are usually a good insurance policy.
Before you leave your source of funds schedule, indicate the number of months (years x 12) of useful life for depreciable fixed assets. (In the example, the pickup truck, the packaging machine, and the furniture and office equipment would be depreciable.) Generally, any individual item of equipment, furniture, fixtures, vehicles, etc., costing over $100 should be depreciated. For more information on allowances for depreciation, you can get free publications and assistance from your local Internal revenue Service office. Divide the cost of each fixed asset item by the number of months over which it will be depreciated. You will need this data to enter as monthly depreciation on your profit and loss projection. All of the data on the source of funds schedule will be needed to create the balance sheet.
Creating the Pro Forma Balance Sheet
Refer to Exhibit B. This is a balance sheet form. There are a number of variations of this form and you may find it prudent to ask your banker for the form that the bank uses for small businesses. It will make it easier for them to evaluate the health of your business. Use Exhibit B in Exhibit B-1 that describes line by line how to develop balance sheet.
Even though you may plan to stage the purchase of some assets through the year, for the purposes of this pro forma balance sheet, assume that all assets will be provided at startup.
Cash Flow Projection
An important subsidiary schedule to your financial plan is a monthly cash flow projection. Prudent business management practice is to keep no more cash in the business than is needed to operate it and to protect it from catastrophe. In most small businesses, the problem is rarely one of having too much cash. A cash flow projection is made to advise management of the amount of cash that is going to be absorbed by the operation of the business and compares it against the amount that will be advisable.
Refer to Exhibit C for an excellent form for this purpose. Your projection should be prepared on 13-column analysis paper to allow for a twelve-month projection. Exhibit C-1 represents a line by line description and explanation of the components of the cash flow projection that provides a step-by-step method of preparation.
Outside Sources of Assistance
The U.S. Small Business Administration’s Office of Business Development programs are extensive and diversified. They include free individual counseling, courses, conferences, workshops, problem clinics, and a wide range of publications. Counseling is provided through community based organizations such as:
SCORE and ACE, which help small business owners, solve their operating problems through a one-on-one relationship. Counseling is not limited to small businesses that have a problem. It is available as well to managers of successful firms who wish to review their objectives and long-range plans for expansion and diversification.
SMALL BUSINESS INSTITUTES (SBIs) which have been organized through SBA on over 500 university and college campuses as another way to help small business. At each SBI, senior and graduate students at schools of business administration, and their faculty advisors, provide on-site management counseling. Students are guided by the faculty advisors and SBA management assistance experts and receive academic credit for their work.
SMALL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT CENTERS (SBDCs) which draw from resources of local, state, and federal government programs, the private sector, and the university facilities to provide managerial and technical help, research studies, and other types of specialized assistance of value to small business. These university-based centers provide individual counseling and practical training for small business owners.
BUSINESS MANAGEMENT TRAINING programs are co-sponsored by SBA in cooperation with educational institutions, Chambers of Commerce, and trade associations. Courses generally take place in the evening and last from six to eight weeks. In addition, conferences covering such subjects as working capital, business forecasting, and marketing are held for established businesses on a regular basis. SBA conducts Pre-Business Workshops dealing with financing, marketing assistance, types of business organizations, and business site selection for prospective business owners. Clinics that focus on particular problems of small firms in specific industrial categories are held on an as-needed basis.
COOPERATIVE EXTENSION SERVICE offers advice in a wide variety of home economics and agricultural subject matter. Consult your county Extension agent for more information.
A Final Word
In completing this handout, you have put in a great deal of time and effort. You should now have all of the elements needed to present as simple or sophisticated a prospectus for your enterprise as you desire. More important, you have created the management tools to guide you in your venture. Once the business opens its doors, the details, problems, challenges, and joys of going it alone will inundate you. It will be difficult to hold your course through the rough seas ahead, but don’t forget this “chartbook,” it will see you through to “port profit.” It should be a living document, referred to regularly, massaged constantly, and revised to reflect your experience. Begin a planning cycle that expands this first year plan into one that spans three or five years out. Update it at regular intervals. Set your goals and live by them. Your success is in your hands. Good planning and good execution!
Resources
Atkinson, Wm. Working at Home: Is It for You? Dow Jones-Irwin, 1985. 162p. (HD62.7.A85 1985)
Behr, Marion. Women Working Home: The Homebased Business Guide and Directory. 2nd edition. Edison, N.J., WWH Press, 1983. (HD6072.6.U5B44 1983)
Barbec, Barbara. Homemade Money: The Definitive Guide to Success in a Home Business. Betterway Pubins., 1984. 272p.
Davidson, Peter. Earn Money at Home: Over 100 Ideas for Businesses Requiring Little or No Capital. McGraw-Hill, 1981. 326p. (HD69.N3D37)
Delany, George. The #1 Home Business Book. Liberty Publ. Co., 1981. 169p. (HD8036.D44)
Edwards, Paul and Sarah. Working From Home. Jeremy Tarcher Inc., 1985.
Feldstein, Stuart. Home, Inc.: How to Start and Operate a Successful Business From Your Home. Grosset & Dunlap, 1981. 249p. (HD8036.F45 1981)
Hewes, Jeremy J. Worksheads: Living and Working in the Same Place. Dolphin Books, 1981. 165p. (HD8037.U5H44)
Kishel, Gregory. Dollars on Your Doorstep: The Complete Guide to Homebased Businesses. Wiley, 1984. 183p. (HD62.7.K575 1984)
Lieberoff, Allen J. Climb Your Own Ladder: 101 Home Businesses That Can Make You Wealthy. Simon & Schuster, 1982. 242p. (HD2341.L49 1983)
Rice, Frederick H. Starting a Home-Based Business. University of Vermont. SBDC/DVES Burlington, VT., 1985.
Scott, Robert. Office at Home. Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1985. 373p. (HF5547.5.S38 1985)
Tepper, Terri. The New Entrepreneurs: Women Working From Home. Universe Books, 1980. 238p. (HF5500.3.U54T46)
Waymon, Lynn. Starting and Managing a Business From Your Home. U.S. Small Business Administration, Starting and Managing Series, Vol. 2, Washington, D.C., 1986.
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The Arkansas Small Business and Technology Development Center is funded in part through a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Small Business Administration through a partnership with the University of Arkansas at Little Rock College of Business and other institutions of higher education. All opinions, conclusions or recommendations expressed are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the SBA. It is the goal of UALR to eliminate discriminatory harassment and to promote equal opportunity regardless of race, gender, color, national origin, sexual orientation, age, religion, veteran’s status, or disability.
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In 2005, I created the very first prototype of SippiGrip. I was frustrated with my 1-year-old son, Jake, who threw his sippy cup to the floor from his high chair, stroller and car seat. I was constantly picking up the cups, which were either getting dirty or getting lost. I looked everywhere for something that would fit my needs. While there were a few products on the market at that point, each one had some major flaw that rendered the it useless by my standards. I even said to myself, “If I find something that works just as well as what I have created, I will let this project go and move on to something else.”
In the beginning, the SippiGrip was made out of polypropylene (most commonly used for dog leashes) and only came in three solid colors. It was incredibly long (too long to pass any safety tests) and, at the time, it didn’t have my “secret sauce,” the grip material. But I hit the streets anyway to get it in front of any mom who would be willing to use it and give me her feedback. I asked mothers what they would pay for it, what to call the item and what improvements they would make. That initial feedback is what gave me the idea to use a material that allows the strap to suction to the cup or bottle. That’s how I came up with the name SippiGrip, and it’s what truly differentiates the SippiGrip from my competitors’ products.
After seeing the success of SippiGrip, I knew I needed other products; the PaciGrip was an obvious addition. Because I was already using the same material for the SippiGrip, it was easy to add it to the production line and even offer them as a set. Little did I know that the PaciGrip was going to be one of my strongest sellers. This past year I introduced the SplatMat to the BooginHead brand, and I have two more products in development. All these products can be displayed in the same section of retail stores. They are also washable, durable, non-toxic, and they fit my main criteria: They solve a problem for parents at an affordable price.
Posted by homepreneurs 
In 1991, Dion Shaw was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS). Over the years, his health has declined, including ongoing vision problems associated with optic neuritis, and doctors now say a stem cell transplant is essential to his well-being and perhaps, survival.
