Beginning a Manufacturing Process – Part 2

Mar 16th, 2010

Part 2 of our “Beginning a Manufacturing Relationship” blog post by Erin Wilson, President and Chief Mama at Lots to Say Baby, a manufacturer and designer of funny pacifiers.

Bringing your idea to reality – Part II Finding a Manufacturer

Our last post talked about ways to research the manufacturing process.  Once you are armed with some information about production methods, materials you want to use and government regulations that may apply it is time to start narrowing your search to find a factory that can help you bring your product to reality. 

This step is a big one – full of important decisions and many questions.  To navigate some of these questions I asked for Kevin Zanardelli from Innovative Development’s professional feedback.  The Innovative Development team has been ingrained in the Juvenile Products business for over 20 years and have been working with companies (including Lots to Say Baby) to develop their products for 20 years with factories in the US, Europe and Asia. 

What is the best way to find a manufacturer abroad?

Networking.   The best resource you may have is from another business owner who is happy with their current overseas supplier.   Someone who has gone through the new product development (NPD) process already and has successfully been producing and shipping goods with the supplier for some time is an invaluable resource.       There are many, many overseas Factories that are trying to get your business.    An internet search for “China manufacturers” will yield thousands (millions, actually) of links.   Factories can vary widely in size, quality, and manufacturing technology.   If you do not have a fellow business owner that can point you in the right direction, there are some other options and questions you can ask to get a better feeling on how a factory measures up.  More on that to follow. 

Continue reading the entire post at:

http://www.equinoxbusinesslaw.com/blog/2010/03/beginning-a-manufacturing-process-part-2/

http://www.equinoxbusinesslaw.com/blog/2010/03/beginning-a-manufacturing-process-part-1/

http://www.darden.virginia.edu/html/DeansBlog.aspx

Creating a Community of Integrity

“We can afford to lose money. We can afford to lose a lot of money. But we cannot afford to lose one shred of our reputation. Make sure everything you do can be reported on the front page of your local newspaper written by an unfriendly, but intelligent reporter.”

– Warren Buffett [1]

Last spring, a prospective student—someone who had been offered admission and was considering joining our community–approached me and said, “You talk a lot about ethics and integrity in your speeches, blog postings, and tweets.  Does Darden have an ethics problem?”  I replied, “No—precisely because we do talk about ethics and integrity pretty regularly.  They are not values that we store in a cupboard and only bring out on ceremonial occasions; they are part of our daily life.”  The person smiled politely and turned to someone else for conversation, giving no hint as to the kind of impression I had left.  A community of integrity is not everybody’s cup of tea; almost certainly, we lose some students who won’t make a commitment to a high community standard.  Thus, it was with a bit of surprise and satisfaction that I saw this person enroll last August.  Does all our talk about ethics help or hurt us? 

A truism in management and family life is “if you can’t talk about it, it won’t get done.”  Making progress on anything important is not a matter of …

continue reading at http://www.darden.virginia.edu/html/deansblog.aspx?id=20752&blogid=198

We saw an older boy - around 15 - hanging out in the little hut at the front of the center where a lot of the older kids chill.  I don’t know many of the older kids at the David Center because as most teenagers do, they tended to be a little more aloof and shy about using English with us.  I didn’t - and still don’t know his name.  Rhonda tells me that he is the smartest kid at the David Center.

Obviously not sick, we started giving him a hard time about why he wasn’t at school.  Rhonda translated for us at first then broke into a conversation with him about his answer.  We found out quickly after that this young man had outgrown his uniform.  He hadn’t told anyone in time to get a new one (the school year is just starting in Cambodia right now).  He had tried to borrow enough allowance to buy a new one but wasn’t able to.  No uniform..no school.

As any good Mom would, Rhonda gave him a bit of a stern talk about not coming forward but then went to work with us girls to fix the situation..Toni bought his uniform for him on the spot.  As he stood before Rhonda - as stoic as he could - one tear slipped down his cheek.  On the cusp of becoming a responsible man he had tried to fix this situation on his own..and it hadn’t worked.   

After speaking with Rhonda about uniform costs (between $2-5 depending on how much fabric is needed) and holding the teenage boy as he cried on my shoulder (he hid his tears from me initially when I checked on him..but then broke down when I hugged him and told him that he was still loved by me and by God - and we would fix this) I made a promise in my heart and to God that our kids at the David Center would have uniforms.   

The David Center is raising leaders out of a pitiful heartbreaking start to a kids life.  Setan talked to me about how many other orphanages only feed the body – not the soul of the kids. That when you drive in they don’t come running..and they shy away from hugs.  The David Center is different.  Our kids have the ability to get out of a life of poverty – to access education and grow up to be loving Christians.  They are the future leaders of Cambodia – this generation is the hope of Cambodia. 

I am not letting a kid miss out on an opportunity for education because they don’t have a uniform.  $2.  That is it.  These kids are well nourished at the David Center..they are going to grow so new uniforms are an uplifting fact of life J    

That boy changed my perspective and my heart. 

It’s good to be me.

I am going to try and write some of the memories I have of our trip – to capture the lessons that I have learned.  I don’t want to forget the people who changed how I think about life in some pretty surprising ways.

After a start in Phnom Pehn my husband and I split up in to two different groups.  Most of the trip is chronicled in a fellow traveller (and now dear friend)’s blog.  She did such a great job of capturing the trip I am including the link as a description of what we experienced. 

Check it out here: http://kimmeyer.wordpress.com/category/cambodia-2009/

I will be sure to follow up with some stories of my own - and some of the ways my heart has been completely changed after this trip.  With jet lag, re-entry into life as a Mom to Briggs and catching up with all that is going on with Lots to Say Baby, I am still a little overwhelmed as I try to process all that I saw. 

Love,

Erin - Chief Momma

 It is all coming together - so I actually have a moment to think about how much fun the show is going to be.  Sure it is a lot of work - but - it is also a chance for us to see so many of the stores we have been working with for 2 years now.  I love to put a face to a name so it is always great.  There is also time for me to catch up with fellow entrepreneurs and mompreneurs - share resources and hear how they have been doing.  This is such a collaborative industry that I always learn a lot and enjoy the friendships that have grown.

If you are in Vegas - drop by Booth 216 - see our new products and say hi!

Ok, now I have to go get orders out.

-Chief Momma

Lots to Say Baby will be launching TWO new products this month at the ABC Kids Expo Sept 13th.  Stay tuned for details that may ‘leak out’ here in the next few weeks!  The products look awesome and from the initial reaction by our mom’s panel I KNOW that you are going to go crazy for them too!

We are putting the final touches on our website - SO excited!

Then, - I am headed to Cambodia at the end of the month.  My husband and I will be working at an orphanage called the David Center.  With all the chaos going on it has been tough to get my head wrapped around this incredible experience but as it gets closer I can’t help but feel just how important this trip will be in our lives.

So, that is it.  We are home.  Email will be finished up today.  Then it’s feet first in show prep!

Have a great week!

Erin

Its 7:30 and I am on the front porch of the house in Maine.  The sun has set a sparkle to the water and warms my foot and shoulder – the only parts not shaded by the pillar.  The breeze blows a crisp coolness  across the porch leaving me to figure out if I am hot or cold –or in this case both at the same time.  It is delicious.

Today is our last full day on Mount Desert  Island.  We will be back I am sure of it.  We wont be coming back to this house though and my heart is starting to feel the cracks of sadness that have been there all week I am over all joyful and thankful for this gift of a week.  After 50+ years, the house will sell this summer.  It will go to another family who will create new traditions.  I believe they will love the house like we always have so I am ok with that part.  I mourn not sitting in my space though.  So many of the memories I have here are solitary.  I lived up here alone or with grandma for that summer before going off to Switzerland.  MY room has always been Alice’s room or Daddy’s room so it gets complicated when people start coming here when I am here cause I get a little possesive. 

The house will sell because it is time for my aunt and uncle to build their dream retirement home up the road.  We will come to visit which is how I know we will be back.  But it won’t be in my space.  It will be –even more than it ever has been – in their house.  The ache gets bigger.  I want to steal dishes from the cupbard. 

Enough of the sadness for now.  I will let more in when I am down on the Claremont dock – for now I am lettin it simmer under the surface.  Because this day is just TOO DIVINE to waste on a moment of forlorn dramatics.  The water is so sparkly..I have mentioned that already right?  It’s amazing so totally worth a second mention.  The day sits ahead of us with so much promise!  B (my son) is still sleeping.  S (my husband) is still lounging in bed.  P (by brother) is snoring in the bedroom above me.  It is the kind of quiet that I love the most..family near by but with space. 

Ok so what to do today?  Hair appt at 9:30.  What? YOU don’t get your hair done on vacation!?  Its kind of a think with my Aunt A.  She always has the best hair dresser and loves hers here on the island and made an appointment for me months ago!  We may walk into town before that to get coffee and a scone..well I will be getting a blueberry danish because they are SO yummy –and- I can’t really stand a scone.  SO DRY!

S might ride his bike to Bar Harbor to return it to the rental shop.  B and I will meet him and finish the trip with a hike to the top of..hmm..maybe one of the Bubbles.  Or amybe we will just drive around the island and soak in the amazing views.  Tonight we will probably have broiled haddock cause that sounds good to me right now.  Who knows..I still have to pack so the boys will probably be able to talk me into dinner out too.

Ok, off to read for a bit.  I totally heart my Kindle.  It takes a bit to get used to holding but I heart it nonetheless. 

Hiking every day.  Lobsters on the dock in our grubbies.  Fish chowder and an evening of Scrabble.  It was a place where I could sit and think on the rocks of the coastline.  I figured out a lot about who I am on those rocks. 

It is heaven.   

Now it is time to go back.  It has been 10 years since I have driven over the bridge (Thompson Island I think) to get to Mount Desert Island.  Last time I visited, I was living in DC on my own in a tiny studio apartment and working at my first job since graduation.  Sean and I had just started dating - he wasn’t with me because I wasn’t ready to introduce the new “guy” in my life to the family :).

Today, life is much different.  The ‘guy’ was a keeper -Sean and I have been married for 8 1/2 years.  We live outside Seattle and have an awesome 2 1/2 year old son. 

They have never been there and I can’t wait to show them a place that means so much to me.  This week I will share with them a piece of my heart and soul. 

It isn’t that we wanted to wait that long until we went back.  Life just got crazy and though we always said ’next year’ another trip always came up.  We wanted to explore the rest of the world as a couple -Greece, Mexico, Ireland all beckoned us.   Maine would always be there.

Except now, it will be there for another family soon.  Friday I will drive over that bridge and head to WL for the last time.  The house will be sold this year.  I hope to a family who will make new traditions and memories and loves it as much as we do.  Part of my heart breaks for this transition to a new time.  Most of me though is just so excited to show Sean and Briggs a bit of me that they have never seen.

So in a few days I will be elbow deep in lobster guts and exhausted from hiking Cadillac Mtn.  It is going to be a great week.

-Erin

Chief Momma

PS: It wouldn’t be a post without a funny picture of Briggs dressed up like a lobster