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Teaching It, Learning It, Doing It!

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Homeschooling Entrepreneurs

                          . . . that are doing it!

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Once again, a product brought from idea to market by a new mom that saw a need and took action. Tangela Walker-Craft has created one of the most versatile and useful products for moms that I’ve ever seen. If you have a baby in the house, or need the perfect gift idea for a new mom, you have to take a look at this GO! Pillow.

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Most new moms receive more baby gift items that they need, and that’s usually good, because babies need so many different things. However, this one ingenious item can replace several of these baby items (literally) all rolled up into one soft precious bundle.

 

As illustrated on their website, SimplyNecessary.com, this pillow has elastic on both ends so you can put your arm through it for a soft place for baby’s head when nursing and an attached blanket to easily cover up for modesty when necessary.

 

That’s not all. It can be a pillow and blanket to lay the baby or child on the floor, or a very convenient way to change diapers. There’s even a pocket you can put some wipes and a diaper in that makes those one handed changes much easier!

 

Tangela’s ‘baby’ is now 6, and her business is in full force. In her BC years (before child) she was a high school English teacher, and has even taken some graduate level classes, but running a business and home schooling her 6 year old is another education in itself!

 

The Go! Pillow has been a hit from the start, with generous support from a multitude of parenting and mom sites. Everyone that sees it loves it! It had to be exciting when her first two sales were at the post office when she took them in to ask advice on the best shipping methods for her new product. They loved the pillow and wanted to be her first purchase.

 

This is Tangela’s first business and it appears she has learned the ropes fairly quickly. With financial help from her mom, they have worked together bringing the GO! Pillow to market. Her mom also does the accounting for her, a blessing for sure!

 

Their largest investment involved getting Tangela’s idea patented. She hired a website developer to maintain a professional website along with other startup expenses. Her biggest regret is putting a large chunk of her start up capital into a PR firm that didn’t deliver on it’s promises.

 

She utilized the services of a sourcing consultant to find the best way to manufacture her pillow with the quality she desired. It’s truly the age of specialization, and money spent on consultants is usually money well spent. However, her lesson learned with the poor service from the PR firm shows us that checking out all the details is imperative. There is wisdom in a multitude of counsel.

 

Advertising has been done largely through what Tangela refers to as “Blog Tours”, which is visiting every parenting and baby related blog possible and asking for opinions and/or reviews. Some will do it for free, some charge a fee, but it’s a great way to get the word out. Her best advertising returns came from her TV appearance on Montel. I am impressed!  She’s had other TV appearances, too, but none that made as big an impact on her business as her appearance on Montel.

 

Homeschooling has been a good fit with Tangela’s busy lifestyle, and from what I’ve read, I believe her daughter will be a natural entrepreneur. Setting up her daughter’s “school” table next to her work computer makes it easy to be available for questions, review, or what ever she needs. School work taking priority, Tangela works at making every moment a teachable moment. Her daughter often doesn’t even realize she’s learning because Tangela seems to have a talent for teaching life and academic skills in the real world setting.

 

Like most little girls, her daughter mimics mom’s business as well as domestic behaviors. Confident this will create a well rounded young lady, I think this is how many homeschool families would like it all to work together when there’s a family business involved.

 

They also do a lot of reading together, taking turns reading to each other every night and always carrying a book with them everywhere they go.

She’s proud of the example she’s setting for her daughter, and grateful for the opportunity to work at home and homeschool her daughter.

 

An inspiration to other moms, one of Tangela’s greatest rewards in having her own business is the feedback she receives and the knowledge that her product is beneficial and practical. It’s been a lot of hard work, but it’s been worth it in every way.

 

Her Advice?

Regretfully, Tangela learned the hard way the importance of always being sure all contracts are in writing and detailed thoroughly. Her experience with the PR firm was a tough one, but has learned from it. Now we are learning from it too.

 

Doing your research and having a plan is on the top of her list of recommendations when asked. Making rash decisions when spending money is always a mistake, and it’s best to get as much advice as possible. Naturally, only follow the good advice, but two great resources have been her local Small Business Development Center and SCORE. If you haven’t looked into SCORE, a nonprofit organization free resource for small businesses, you are missing out. Experienced and retired business owners donate their time and advice to help others.

 

The way Tangela has integrated her homeschooling with her business life is a big part of the vision that Homeschool Entrepreneur was created around . There will always be textbooks (and the internet) available for all the facts that must be learned, but learning through life experience teaches lessons no book could possibly convey.

 

Be sure to visit:

SimplyNecessary.com

Be sure to tell them

Homeschool-Entrepreneur

sent you!

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