Mom Invented

Maythi Calvert and Robin Speas were two stay-at-home moms who were tired of yucky spoons, dirty diaper bags, and all around messiness. And together, they've come up with a solution -- Spooneez utensil carriers.

You just place your spoons or other items in the Spooneez’s pockets, fold the top over, roll up, secure and you're done. No more yucky spoons stuck to the bottom of your diaper bag. No more having to lick baby food off your little one's spoon before packing it up. And they come in different sizes and patterns to suit the style- and space-conscious mom.

Though it took many prototypes and a lot of late nights to bring Spooneez to market, Maythi and Robin’s year-old product is now in boutiques and online stores, and they've moved from manufacturing in their homes to outsourcing to a local North Carolina textile manufacturer.

Maythi shares how she came up with the Spooneez concept when her daughter was an infant, how she developed a prototype without knowing how to sew, and how she and Robin manage juggling parenthood and business.

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

Maythi Calvert: We started the company because we felt we had a wonderful product that moms everywhere would love. I used our prototypes, which were very rough sketches of our final product, when I was out with my baby and would get questions from people about where I bought it and could they buy one too. I also got a lot of "Wish I had one of those when so-and-so was a baby," and we knew we had to turn this idea into a reality.

We started the company in December 2008 and launched our product in April 2009. Our eco-friendly line is BPA-, PVC- and phthalate-free as well as machine washable, and all materials used in the production of Spooneez products are manufactured in the USA.

What were your initial goals?

Our initial goals were to simply sell to our friends, family and local stores and boutiques. However, we have gotten a great response and our products are in two local boutiques -- one of which has sold out 4 times -- and Spooneez are also currently available on three online retail sites. Last summer, we made it on our local news as a "Favorite Summer Must Have for moms" and have received several positive reviews.

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

I am a stay-at-home Mom to two beautiful daughters. I do not have a background in anything business related, although my Mom would say that this is my calling since I always had a "business" as a little kid -- everything from a hair salon to a bookstore. However, I truly believe that being a mom is the best preparation for successful multitasking.

Robin is also a stay-at-home Mom to three daughters. Her background is in accounting -- thank goodness! She is amazing with Excel and keeps all of our books in order.

What was your 'aha' moment when it came to starting a business?

When I had my first child, I decided to stay at home with her and couldn't believe how much goes into caring for a child day in and day out. As much as I loved being home, I needed something else to feel like I was using my brain. My first child was a horrible sleeper. I would sit in her room brainstorming about what I could do that would allow me to still stay home, but be able to feel productive. Many late nights led to the design idea for the Spooneez utensil carrier.

How did you develop a prototype?

The idea for Spooneez products came well before I had read The Mom Inventors Handbook. The only thing I could think of doing at the time was drawing my idea. I cannot sew, so trying to create one was out of the question. A few months later, my mom made the very first Spooneez prototype. It was nothing like I had envisioned, and she and I kept tweaking.

I then let the project sit, as I had my second child and was very busy. Then, I showed my friend Robin the product and she was onboard after I explained it to her. She is now my business partner as well, and together we continued to tweak the product until we were satisfied. We kept all our prototypes because we were amazed every day at how far we had come. We created, sewed and tweaked every prototype ourselves.

How did you determine your product's marketability?

We had such a great response from friends and strangers that would see our Spooneez utensil carrier that we felt it was worth giving it a shot. We also conducted a focus group prior to the product launch and had so many amazing suggestions and advice. It was overwhelming, but incredibly helpful. We also have friends who do PR and marketing, and they were blown away by our product and have helped us a great deal.

How did you find a manufacturer for your product?

At first, we didn’t have enough money to go out and find someone to make our products, so Robin and I decided we'd create our own assembly line of sorts and we single-handedly made the first batch ourselves. Once we got to a certain number, however, we began to need some help. At that point, we would assemble them and found a local manufacturer that agreed to "finish sew" them for us.

Once we started having higher demand, we outsourced most of the production to our local manufacturer. However, we still make some ourselves, mostly to save on cost, since we are still a fairly new startup. We also decided it was incredibly important to us to support our local economy and were proud to have them manufactured right here in North Carolina. Many of our textile manufacturers have shut down due to outsourcing to overseas facilities, so supporting them was very important to us.

Did you have any setbacks in product development?

For anyone creating their own product, there are setbacks. We had so many prototypes we lost count. We wanted the final product to be perfect. Finding the perfect fabric was tough, and once we found it, a lot was out of stock or backordered, so some of the patterns we had counted on and marketed were unavailable all of a sudden. Fortunately, we were able to replace them with other wonderful fabrics and have had a great response.

What was the biggest learning curve in product development?

It is amazing how much tweaking is involved. I used to see a product and think, "Geez, I could have thought of that -- how easy is that?" Then you start working on something yourself and realize how much went into that one simple-looking product. I certainly look at everything with a different perspective these days and have a great appreciation for mom-invented -- and any other invented -- products out there.

What secrets have you learned in terms of marketing your business?

Take any free publicity you can get! And the internet is an unbelievable place for marketing. There are millions of mom blogs and baby blogs out there that can get your product in front of a large number of people. Also, advertise within your local market. We found a wonderful Mom blog that attracts many moms and dads in our area and they had a special "mompreneur" rate for their advertising -- we got 50% off on a 6-month ad that runs on their site.

What has been the most difficult part about marketing your business?

Realizing that not everyone thinks you have an awesome product. You put so much heart and soul into it that you forget not everyone is as invested. Also, it takes time. You can't expect to just get out there and hit all the major magazines or publications. Just as the product took time to come to fruition, so does the marketing.

How do you manage to balance the roles of mom and business owner?

It is very hard, especially since right at the beginning I had an infant. Robin and I have all girls that all get along and love to play together, so when we meet for business the girls all think they are meeting for a play date.

Our families come first regardless of what is going on and we always make time for our children and our spouses. We normally try to meet while our children are at school and do our computer work at night or early in the morning. It is not easy to juggle, but it is possible if you prioritize. It also helps to have a supportive spouse.

How did you finance your business?

We each decided to put in $1,250 and see how far we could take it. We did great until we started to grow and had to purchase larger quantities of materials. We then opened two credit cards and have needed to use one of them so far to finance some of the bigger purchases that we have had to pay up front. We hope not to have to take out a loan, but know that might be something we look into if we end up with a large order.

Right now, we are not turning a profit, but we hope to be able to break even at the end of this year and pay off our small debt.

What has kept you going in your business?

Watching our children be excited for us and our products. You know it’s a big part of your life when one of the words in your 20-month-old’s vocabulary is “Spooneez”. Our girls see their moms working hard at something they love and believe in. It has been such a great opportunity to teach our children, and especially our girls, that anything is possible if you put your mind to it and that success is not measured by money or material possessions, but by doing your best and trying your hardest.

What advice do you have for other moms bringing their ideas to market?

No matter what anyone else says, if you believe in your product, go for it. Use all the resources you can find. It is amazing how many people have helped us, many for free, because they are excited for us or remember what it was like when they were a new business.

And don't give up. It sounds cliche, but it’s true. There are many ups and downs, but focus on your product and you will make it happen.

Thank you for sharing your story, Maythi! To learn more about Spooneez, visit RollUpTheMess.com. You can also interact with Maythi in the new Mom Invented® Community. And if you have a great story about your product or business, we’d love to hear it!

Tagged as: children's product, featured mom, kid-inspired, organizing, product business, stay at home mom, women business owners, work at home mom, work from home