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FEATURED MOM INVENTORS > COURTNEY ROVIRA
Featured Mom Courtney Rovira talks about her new venture
Last year we featured Mom Inventor Courtney Rovira and her business partner, Shannon Larkin, when they launched Gal-Pal Deodorant Remover (see Mom Inventors archives for full story). Today, Courtney's back to tell us about her second venture - Blue No. 7 - a solo effort that features high quality home and lifestyle products, including her signature retro ice bags in fun colors and designs. Here's her story: Describe your company (Blue No. 7) and your product (or product line). Blue No.7 distributes, designs & manufactures high quality home & lifestyle products. Why did you start this company and when? Our first line of products - the therapeutic line - was created because I had suffered from severe migraines since the pregnancy of my daughter nearly 10 years ago. My migraines would sometimes last up to 12 days, and I tried just about everything for relief, including over-the-counter and prescription medications, diet & exercise, homeopathic remedies (massage and aromatherapy). I even had to resort to using a portable oxygen machine in some instances. But there was one thing that almost always gave me some relief - a combination of a hot or cold compress along with a sleep mask. It helped with the light sensitivity in almost every occurrence. So in 2003 I designed an eye mask that was able to hold a hot/cold gel pack inside, which became our Original Sleep Eye Mask + Gel Mask Insert. Not long after that I added the old fashioned Ice Bag to the line, the old "tried & true" remedy used by our grandmothers. This time around it had a twist - the nostalgic item would be offered in fun colors. The Ice Bag has since become our #1 selling product. We've also incorporated many useful and innovative items for health, home and lifestyle. What were your initial goals? Initially I just wanted to see if I could actually sell something that I had created and had manufactured. I think there is always some trepidation with new ventures. I just wanted to prove to myself that the product(s) were really of some value to those who needed or wanted them. In addition, I wanted it to be a family venture - something that the entire family could participate in (my mother, sister, my daughter and her father, etc.) 
Describe yourself and your family. What is your background and how does it relate to your company?
I am the mother of one daughter, Antonia, now 9 yrs old. I've been divorced for about 7 years. I have a fabulous ex-husband - our entire family (his and mine) have truly been a driving force behind Blue No.7. I've been very fortunate to have people around me that are tremendously supportive. As far as background, I graduated from The Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising in Los Angeles with a major in Merchandise Marketing and emphasis in Product Development. I had worked in the retail apparel industry for over a decade before I made the move to corporate finance some years ago. After about 5 years I became tired of the "good old boys" club. That's when I quit and went on my own. How have you managed to juggle the roles of business owner and mom? What falls by the wayside (laundry, work-out, etc. etc.)? Being self-employed for the last 4+ years seems like I've been doing it for the past 20 years. I can't remember my life being any other way than this - extremely busy. I do work 7 days a week, not necessarily 7 days in the office but I will always squeeze in work somewhere. I believe it has really become part of my nature over the years. When she's not in school, my daughter is always with me. One of my goals when starting my own business was to be able to spend more time with her rather than dropping her off at 7am and picking her up at 6pm, as life used to be when I worked in the corporate world. So now she's always running around with me doing business errands and she loves it - she knows all my suppliers and vendors and is now interested in starting some kind of business of her own. Through what markets are you selling? I primarily sell wholesale (selling to retail stores). You started out with Gal-Pal Garment Deodorant Remover. How have things progressed with that product/business since we last talked to you? Gal Pal, now in our 4th year, is growing larger than our expectations. We are patented & trademarked in four countries, we're seeing great success on QVC, and we've expanded our marketing efforts in areas that we might not have, say, a year or two ago. Is Gal-Pal profitable? Can you give any specific numbers on growth over those years? We've been fortunate to have been profitable since our first year in business and our sales have consistently doubled each year. How many times have you been on QVC? How successful were your efforts there? The Gal Pal product has aired twice on QVC and we're anticipating a third airing this September. We're having some nice success there and I just hope it lasts as long as possible with them. Is Blue No. 7 part of the Gal-Pal company...or is this a solo effort? Blue No.7 is a family effort and not affiliated with Gal Pal, Inc. If it is a solo effort, was this a difficult decision to make? Doing something that you truly believe in is never a difficult decision for me. I love to be creative and I truly love to work hard. There is not much time that I sit idle - it actually makes me feel uncomfortable to not keep my brain constantly active. 
How did you come up with your product, Blue No. 7?
Back in 2003 I came across what would be our first product in the Blue No.7 line, the old-fashioned ice bag. It's a favorite of mine and I thought it would be great to bring it back with a fun modern flair. It's really nostalgic, and people love nostalgia. I also knew that I wanted to include health related products, as I have suffered with severe migraines for over a decade and unfortunately they're such big part of my life. How did launching Gal-Pal help with the development and launch of Blue No. 7? Did it remove the learning curve, or were there new lessons/ challenges? Yes, it did help - although even before I co-founded Gal Pal I had had many years of experience in the retail apparel industry and the apparel manufacturing industry in Los Angeles. I had also graduated from The Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising with a major in Merchandise Marketing and emphasis in Product Development. Where did you get financing for Blue No. 7? Initially with my savings, and then through several small loans from family members. Once I got the first large orders I financed & factored them with a factoring service. Factoring is something very common in the apparel manufacturing industry and some people outside of that may not realize that it can possibly be a resource for them too. What is factoring? How would you explain it to someone who's never heard of it before? Factoring is when a business sells their accounts receivable to an outside company to create immediate cash flow. A factoring company acts as the principal, not an agent. In very simple terms, when I get a purchase order from a retailer (usually high dollar amounts - in the thousands, tens or hundreds of thousands) I can sell that receivable/invoice to a factoring company. Then, instead of waiting for 30, 60 or 90 days to get paid direct from the retailer, the factoring company will pay me the invoice amount - usually within a day or two of shipping the order - and take a fee/percentage of the invoice amount for themselves. They then assume the responsibility of getting paid by the retailer. Their fee is based on the amount of the invoice and how many days it takes to finally get paid from the retailer. It creates immediate cash flow, which can be used to pay suppliers, etc. for the order that just shipped. What has been your biggest challenge with Blue No. 7? I would say financing has been my biggest obstacle. I find it interesting that even once you're getting the big orders and dealing with high dollars, it can still be a challenge to get conventional institutions to give you a loan. Why do think it's so difficult to get financing from conventional sources? Is it because you're a small business, a woman...any insights? Yes to both; small business & being a woman. Most banks will not loan money if you've been in business under three years. In addition, many banks require your credit score to be above 700. Which leads to the question: how does one get start-up capital? I haven't found a great solution yet, although I've heard that the SBA has some different loan programs available - plus they look at a wider variety of "positives" that the banks don't even consider such as your industry/work experience, collateral, your business plan, etc. And their minimum required credit score is a bit lower, I believe. If you could go back and change one mistake you've made in the process of launching and/or growing your business, what would it be? Not sure if I would change anything, per se. I think I made due with the resources I had at the time I was ready to "make it happen." What lessons would you like to share - from your experience with both products? Research, research, research! Whether it be in product sourcing, financing options, marketing, learning about freight forwarding, etc. Spending the time to do your homework before you dive into something is well worth it, in my opinion. How have you dealt with marketing and publicity? A number of years ago we came across Orca Communications. It took us several years before we had a budget for public relations, but we have been grateful for the success they have brought us since - for both Gal Pal & Blue No.7. Specifically, what type of successes did they bring? Orca has gotten the Gal Pal product placed in over 50+ national magazines (People, Glamour, etc) over the course of three different PR campaigns. While most PR firms have a minimum contract term of one year, with a monthly minimum fee of anything from $2,000- $10,000, Orca offers a series of very affordable 3-month campaigns, so it was the right fit. Plus they are great to work with! How did you find a manufacturer? A packager? Through hours and hours of research and correspondence, ordering samples, relentlessly asking questions, and trying to meet with each company. Do you manufacture domestically or overseas? Blue No.7 manufactures half our products in the U.S. and half overseas. What is the biggest secret to your success to date? If there is a secret to success I'm not sure I know of it yet - but I truly believe in working hard, both mentally and physically. I don't believe in short cuts or trying to make an easy buck - I'm not sure how long you would last with that mentality. By maintaining and nurturing the business relationships I have, I can create mutually beneficial scenarios. One successful pattern that I have seen is that business has everything to do with relationships - from your banker to your supplier to the delivery guys you deal with everyday. | ||||||
