Mom Invented

With four young children, Kristi Gorinas felt like she had something to add to the baby products market. Though her first idea, the Grow & Go Seat, is launching this fall, while it was in development she conceived a purse-diaper bag hybrid that beat her first product to market.

The Kristi G Company's elegant handbags' standout feature is the EZ-Wipe System -- a zippered pouch on the back of each bag where mom can pull out a baby wipe or tissue with just one hand. They're now being sold on the KristiG website and at select online and brick-and-mortar stores.

Since multitasking Mom Inventor Kristi started working on her ideas two years ago, she has learned a lot about the product development process, dealing with manufacturers in the U.S. and China, meeting with engineers, and learning to land press for her company by sending samples to media outlets. Here's how she did it...

Why did you start this company and when?

After my fourth daughter was born in February 2007, I still didn't have what I needed to easily take the baby places like soccer, grandma's house, or even just different areas in and around my house. I was inspired by another mom entrepreneur who took an idea and made it into a thriving business, and with my enthusiasm and energy, I knew I could develop a seat that met my needs.

While in development for the Go & Grow Seat, I also thought of the idea of pulling a wipe out of my purse -- not a typical diaper bag, but a sophisticated and stylish purse that was a reflection of my sensibilities. I researched thousands of diaper bags, purses, fabrics and shapes, and came up with what I think to be elegant purses built to function like diaper bags. Most importantly though, each bag is equipped with the EZ-Wipe System, where mom can pull out a baby wipe with one hand directly out of the zipper on the back of each bag. No more digging for the plastic wipe container at the bottom of your bag or stroller.

Check out the EZ-Wipe System in Action

What is your background and how does it relate to your company?

I've always been one with a lot of enthusiasm and initiative. I like to take on new projects and keep busy, and with four young girls, there is no downtime. My girls have been helpful in testing out the bags, giving their opinions and being part of the Kristi G Company. Our logo, a "G" in a circle really represents everything about our family: Our last name is Gorinas, we have lots of girls in the family, we are always on the go, and most importantly, we trust in God for all things. Prior to starting the seat and bags, I was an HR professional for 15 years. Having the business and hiring background has helped tremendously, but working for an established company is far from developing a product and a startup on your own.

How did you finance your business?
We have sourced money from family, a second mortgage, loans, 401k, credit cards and personal savings.

We've invested five times more than I had anticipated, and putting my family's financial future at risk is not a good feeling at all. I feel a lot of pressure each hour of every day to make these products successful to pay off our debts and save for our families future.

What process did you follow to develop a prototype?

The prototype process for the seat began with a graphic artist developing design renderings and then CAD images to ensure functionality and safety. We have completed our fifth prototype and are close to production.

The bags were a bit different in that drawings are difficult for most bag factories to comprehend unless you are standing there working with them during the sampling phase. My initial bag factories were in China and with four kids at home, I was unable to be there to help with the sampling phase. After 8 months of terrible samples and poor quality, I found a factory in California. I spent a few days in the factory with my bag examples and product specifications and came home with a couple of samples that were very close to perfect.

How did you determine your product's marketability?

We conducted a competitive analysis for both the seat and bag to determine current similar products and prices. We also conducted informal focus groups to get feedback and spoke with professionals in the baby/juvenile industry to get their feedback. The results were overwhelmingly positive regarding both the seat and bags. That was our cue to continue with the development process.

How did you find a manufacturer for your product?

Finding the right suppliers and manufacturer has been very difficult. I was fortunate to be connected to a product development engineer with a partner and small company based out of China. He had many years of experience doing business in China and had some connections. However, we still went through 3 manufacturers for the chair before finding the right one. It was all about networking with other professionals in similar businesses that could refer me to a factory that would be a good fit.

The bag was different -- I spent lots of time with online sourcing companies like Alibaba and MFG and tested out several factories in China before finally landing a company here in the US. Although the cost is much higher to produce the bags in the U.S., there are many advantages to having production in the same country.

Were there any setbacks in product development?

The time to get prototypes made and the money involved in making prototypes is the biggest challenge. For example, the EZ-Wipe Pouch, which holds the wipes or tissues, took 8 months to develop to ensure proper functionality and quality. Each sample typically takes 3-4 weeks, so once you make improvements to the first sample, it takes about another month to get the next sample. That makes for a very long process. Most importantly though, being a startup and an unknown business for a factory developing the samples, they typically put you at the bottom of their list of priorities. Developing a partnership with a factory to keep on top of your project is difficult as they see companies come and go all the time.

Not being an engineer myself, I didn't understand the level of detail the factory requires to make a product, even a product as simple as a plastic pouch. Needing a five page product specification for a plastic pouch seemed ridiculous, but even with that level of detail, mistakes are made. If a plastic pouch needs 5 pages of detail, then you can imagine what an infant seat would need. Being a "big picture" person, those details were difficult for me to put on paper. I just expected the factory to understand my needs with a picture and a small amount of detail. That doesn't happen.

What secrets have you learned in terms of publicity and marketing your product?

Giving away products to the appropriate media outlets is always a positive marketing tool and seems to get instant returns. Be prepared (I wasn't) to give away a lot of product to get the word out.

Also, just because you have a website doesn't mean you will sell products. You can't do it alone -- at least not with four kids. Find a professional sales rep or PR firm to help with the overwhelming process of getting the product out to your target market.

How have you managed to juggle the roles of business owner and mom?

It has been difficult finding chunks of time (2+ hours at a time) to really focus on the product development, marketing and basic business management of the company. With four kids, school activities, extracurricular activies, church and basic home management, the business definitely falls by the wayside. I like to have my household in order before I can really concentrate on the business, so that's another reason for a long development process. Me-time, exercising and time with my friends has been pushed to the very bottom of the priority list.

What advice would you offer other moms developing their products/ideas?

Don't procrastinate. If you have an product/idea for which there is demand, get your personal life and finances in order to pursue that idea. Finding a reputable business partner that can advise you on the startup and product development process will save you a lot of money and wasted time. Someone like Jim DeBetta and his Academy for Entrepreneurs offers a plethora of free advice. You can even hire him to evaluate your product and its potential in the marketplace. I would strongly suggest that you work with someone like Jim before getting too deep in the process.

Thank you for sharing your story Kristi! If you have an interesting story about your business or product, we'd love to hear it!

Tagged as: baby products, children's products, diaper bag, feature mom, featured mom, infant seat, kid-inspired, mom inventor, overseas manufacturing, product business, woman inventor