Giveaway: Toywrangler

I have a great giveaway today! This is for all of you moms out there who have little ones who love to play the "pick it up, drop it down, pick it up" game with you all day. When I saw this, I thought only a mom could come up with something so ingenuis like this! Kristy of Luvloo is giving away a Toywrangler set along with one of her kid tees (choice of dino or argyle bunnies) to 4 lucky readers.

All you have to do is respond in the comments window about why a Toywrangler might come in handy in your household. The giveaway is open to all Designing Moms and readers and will close on Friday so comment away--Goodluck!

What exactly is a Toywrangler?

Kristy: Toywrangler is what the products are called but the business name is Luvloo. That is how my son Owen pronounced "Love You" when he first learned to talk-- www.toywrangler.com and www.luvloo.com are both the same site.

Four years ago when my son Owen was Nine months old- we spent almost every meal retrieving toys from the floor, under our table & even other patron's tables. I grew so tired of playing pick-up in the restaurant, while shopping or even out for walks, that I came up with the Toywrangler and the Mini Toywrangler. I could attach and interchange my son's toys, bottles and pacifier without even reaching to the floor. I was excited to go out to eat and see that the ToyWrangler™ actually solved our problem. We wanted a product that was #1 Safe, #2 Easy for the child to retrieve toys, pacis, bottles/cups by themselves and #3 A product that was machine washable. Four years later I am still amazed and excited that my own children have become my sources of inspiration for the Toywrangler as well as shirts and other unique ideas.

What have been the rewards of starting your own business?

Being able to be with my children and getting inspiration from them. I also get excited every time I receive feedback from people using my product and thanking me for creating them.

What about the challenges?

I went into this with no real sense of how to run a business. I have a degree in Visual Communication with an advertising and marketing background. You can say I had the passion, the desire and the creativeness yet no idea what profit margins should be or what P&L were. I just jumped in head first and followed my heart. You can not be afraid to fail or you will never succeed. It is the risk I was willing to take. It has not been easy at all but you really have to trust your instincts and ask a lot of questions. This past year has been challenging because safety standards have hit small businesses like myself hard. However I was lucky enough to have already followed the ASTM standards and I already tested and used BPA FREE plastics.

Any advice to moms who want to start their own businesses?

Do not be afraid to email or call people that are already successful. I remember early in the process I emailed the sisters behind Fresh Baby and they actually called me back and gave me all kinds of information. Everyone needs to buy Tamara Monosoff's The Mom Inventors Handbook this book is jammed packed full of priceless info. Even if you are not a mom this is the book to get if you have an idea. I also must mention Laine Caspi from Parent's of Invention. I was able to call her and learn all kinds of info about the industry and manufacturing. Do not be afraid to call and email potential customers or people that can help sell your idea.

My family and their support and the fact that to this day I can still get excited about my Toywranglers and still think they are a good useful idea.

A Typical Day in My Life:

My day typically revolves around my boys Owen 5, Ari 3 and my husband Eric. They are my main priorities and the reason I do what I do. It has been hard to balance both but I am learning that I cannot do it alone. A few months back I hired a PR girl I never thought I could afford but she is well worth it. I just started working with a distribution company and I hope they can get me into some of the bigger stores and handle all of the orders eventually. I am lucky enough that I still work part time doing design work for an oil company so I can still be with my children daily. I am also lucky enough that my parents come to my home and take care of the boys so that I can get work done. I am on the computer a lot at night after the kids go to bed. You just have to find time when you can. I really believe you get out of it what you put into it.