Mom Invented

After a frustrating shopping trip with her 3 boys, Laura Hamrick knew she had to create something to help her time at the market go more smoothly. During her sons’ afternoon nap, she came up with OnTray, a plastic container that attaches to the handlebar of a shopping cart where you can place your child’s favorite healthy snack or small toy.

The idea was simple, but there was nothing like it on the market and it solves a huge need at a low cost. OnTray encourages your child's independence and frees up your hands to shop more efficiently. It’s also BPA free, made in the USA and is available online and in stores like Buy Buy Baby, Babies"R"Us, and other gift shops and grocery stores.

Launched in June 2007, Laura is still running her company, 42 Kids, from her home, and is expecting her business to continue growing at a steady pace. She shared with us what keeps her inspired, her philosophy on helping children succeed and how she got herself back on track after wanting to quit during OnTray’s 2 year development process.

Mom Invented®: Why did you start this company and when?

Laura Hamrick: A few of years ago, I was at the grocery store with all three of my boys. Jack and Luke were "driving" the shopping cart that looks like a truck.  Ty, not even a year yet, was up front in the child seat part of the cart. I was handing him one snack at a time from a container that I carried with me everywhere I went. I was trying to shop, contain my little truck drivers, browse through my coupons, keep Ty happy and get all of the items on my list. Needless to say, I came home with a bunch of junk that Jack and Luke threw in the cart and was completely frazzled. I swore never to go shopping with the kids again!

That day, while the children were napping, I did some research on the web and found there wasn't a product available that would free up adult hands to shop and keep little hands busy. OnTray was born.

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

I am married to the most supportive husband, Chad, and have been for 12 years now.  We have three loud, energetic and fantastic boys, Jack, 8, Luke, 6, and Ty, 4.  Before becoming a stay-at-home mom, I graduated with a degree in early Childhood Development.  I know that having gone through that type of education program, helping children be more independent, was a catalyst in developing OnTray. I wanted to help children succeed in a situation -- shopping -- that is maybe not the most enjoyable for them. Being able to help themselves to a healthy snack or even a small toy helps the child feel a bit accomplished.

What process did you follow to develop a prototype?

My Patent Attorney had done some work with a local design company with a focus on plastics. I called them, and set up an appointment to show them my idea.  Meeting with them and showing them my really bad Play-Doh mock up is what got things rolling.

How did you find a manufacturer for your product?

The design firm I used for all of the CAD drawings and prototyping recommended a plastic manufacturer in my city. It was a great way to see the process unfold. Unfortunately, the partnership was not the best and I met my current manufacturer thanks to a reference from another mom inventor friend of mine.

Were there any setbacks in product development that had to be overcome?

My first prototype was just awful.  Don't get me wrong, I approved the drawings to go to prototyping stage, so I have no one to blame for the mishap but myself. Once I had the working model in my hands, however, I could just tell it wasn't going to work. I gave up. I told my husband I was going to cut my losses and walk away. I was crying and just a mess. Chad left and came home with a shopping cart he borrowed from our local grocer. He said, "Okay, now you have a cart in the garage. There's no way you can fail when the cart -- my muse, as it were -- is sitting out there waiting for you to study it." That was the turning point. How silly really, but I studied that grocery cart like I was going to have to take a test on it.

What was the biggest learning curve in terms of developing your product?

The biggest learning curve for me was realizing that no one was as invested in seeing OnTray come to life as much as me. I would get so frustrated that my web designer wouldn't get right back to me, or that my mold was taking 6 weeks to be built, not the 4 weeks as promised. Basically, having to rely and depend on others was something I needed to learn how to do.

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

I have learned that if you are diligent enough and good about researching, you can find free resources that give you media leads or queries from reporters. In fact, I have an interview coming out in Parents magazine’s March issue. All because I did my research.

I've also had a tremendous amount of success with my local papers and news outlets. Being a mom inventor has proven to be a great news story for my local outlets.

How did you finance your business?

I financed OnTray with our personal savings and credit cards. I never kept a running tally of how much was spent at the start. I found that when I looked at all of the money spent I wanted to just stop and walk away from it. I would say that it's at about $65,000.

42 Kids had sales of about $40,000 in 2008 and we are looking at almost $60,000 in 2009.  My projections for 2010 is to reach sales of at least $80,000.

What has been your greatest high point with your business?

My high point has seen how proud my husband and children are of me. My children like to tell people that I'm an inventor. They also like to show me what they've invented. My husband, who is usually less optimistic than me, has always believed in OnTray. That's when I knew I needed to trust my gut and go for it. It makes me smile when I think about how much support I have in my family.

Who has been your biggest source of inspiration?

Not to be hokey, but Tamara has been my biggest source of inspiration. From the day I accidentally discovered her book at my library to this day, Tamara's words from The Mom Inventors Handbook have resonated with me. Whenever I felt stuck, I would thumb through her book and get re-inspired.

What surprised you most about the process of starting your business?

What has surprised me the most has been how many hours a week I work. I don't keep track, but know it's almost as much as my husband, who works outside our home. I'd love for one of my goals in 2010 to be cutting back my hours. Not cutting back on OnTray, just working smarter, not harder.

What advice would you offer other moms developing their ideas?

My biggest piece of advice is to surround yourself with people who know more than you. People are usually very willing to help those who are just starting out, so don't be afraid to ask. Admire another mom inventor? Send her an e-mail asking for some advice. She may just e-mail you back and inspire you. It might be what you need to keep you going and could save you time and money.

Thank you for sharing your story, Laura! To learn more about OnTray, visit OnTray2Go.com. And if you have a great story to share about your product or business, we’d love to hear it!

Tagged as: featured mom, home based business, interview, kid-inspired, mom entrepreneur, mom inventor, product business, woman entrepreneur, woman inventor, work at home mom