Seed for Success | Empowering Women Entreprenuers

Today is an exciting day for Head 2 Toe Publications! The website is up and running. You can now click through all the pages and see our first products. We will be creating all types of products for children with special needs of all ages. Our next product is possibly going to be for school age children. Make sure you sign up for email updates on the website so you can stay up to date on the latest news at H2T. If you need a website and you want the best, contact Eric Yonge and his team at EY Studios. They are fabulous to work with and you will love their work! I guarantee it. Please check out www.head2toepub.com and spread the word. Our company’s mission is to provide the most effective games and toys and therapy products that will help child reach their full potential. Now it’s time for me to put my full attention on marketing.

It’s worth the wait!
Karla

I have tried many home remedies for hiccups like drinking warm water slowly, holding my breath, and having someone scare me, but none of those ever seemed to work. The only solution for me was relaxing and waiting patiently for the hiccups to pass. Believe me, I always tried one of those remedies first because I wanted it over fast. My hiccups actually hurt me so I didn’t want to be in any discomfort any longer. That’s how we are, isn’t it? We want the quick solution. We don’t want to wait patiently even though it is the best remedy to the problem. This is a lesson I am learning over and over again.

I have had a few hiccups the past few weeks. Some were a little painful but every one of them was resolved, because I waited patiently on the solution instead of rushing ahead and prolonging the problem.

Some of the hiccups had to deal with my shipments from China. I was wiring the last of the payment so my manufacturer would release the shipment to UPS, so that it would be placed on a vessel (ship). The ships run weekly but time is of essence when you have customers that want to see your products. Well, something happened to the wire. The 2 banks could not coordinate the delivery and receipt. All of this to say, my shipment was delayed a week. Then my other manufacturers were having difficulty coordinating with the UPS in China, but the products were finally sent and everything is on a vessel headed to the US. Actually, one of shipments have arrived in Los Angeles and clearing customs now. I should have everything at my home office ready to ship out to customers by mid October.

In the meantime, I received an email from an editor at Southern Living telling me that they would like to feature Head 2 Toe in their February edition of the Interesting People, Places, Businesses around Alabama. It is published only 5 times and year and I am thrilled to be in one of those. They start taking photos of my products in October, so the timing is perfect. I’ll keep you updated on the release of the article.

The last two weeks have been very busy. I am finally feeling the stress and/or pressure of working out of my home and working a full-time job. There is no place for me to escape. I have decided that I must find a place or do an activity that allows me to walk away from my jobs for a little bit of time a week. I hope I can find it soon.

A couple of weeks ago, Eric Yonge’s staff finished designing my website and they were ready to hand it over to me to complete the pages. At first, I thought, “No problem.” Ha, that was a joke. I was typing away and uploading pictures but quickly realized that my pages were looking very different from the ones Eric did. I kept trying and trying to fix it but nothing worked. Just another aggravating hiccup. It wasn’t Eric’s fault, he did his work and what a great job he did!!! I just didn’t know anything about website programming. How did I solve it? I completed the text that I needed to do and then waited until I could talk to someone at EY Studios to help me. And they did! They were so helpful to walk me through it and then they completed my pages so they look much better now. The website is going live on Sept. 25 and I can’t wait to hear what you think, and I can’t wait until that first order comes through. www.head2toepub.com Check it out!

Now it is time to focus on marketing. Scott Smigler gave me a list of things to complete last weekend before we talked again on Monday. His advise regarding online marketing is priceless. He suggested that I contact professional bloggers that target my audience. For example, I searched for Autism bloggers and found hundreds. The reason to reach out to bloggers is they usually have a larger audience who listens to them, than if I tried to purchase mailing lists and email these potential customers myself. The key is getting my product in the hands of bloggers or any influential person and have them review my product. In return they send out their review to everyone on their mailing list. This is not an endorsement. This is just passing information on from one person to others. I have some great leads of persons willing to do this. Laura Lum Corby of Autism Solution Center is one of those persons. She has a large network around the world and her organization is receiving funding from Knights of Columbus. Another great opportunity I have is be including as a resource at Autism Speaks. They are a great foundation that is reaching millions around the world to raise the awareness of autism. I am so fortunate to be included in their foundation even though they can not endorse my company, they are allowing my products to be listed for parents and/or professionals to purchase from. The partnerships I have formed with Easter Seals of North Georgia and United Cerebral Palsy of Greater Birmingham are other great ways for me to reach larger audiences. There are many other great marketing opportunities I have in front of me that I have even tapped yet. I am so excited about them because this is giving me momentum to move forward.

Last Friday, I received some samples boxes of my products from my manufacturers in China. I thought I was going to cry. Not because I was upset but because I was amazed by the final product. It was better than I even imagined. I had to go through some challenges with my vendors to get the products I wanted but in the end, it was WORTH it! The printing company who printed the book did an absolutely amazing job. I would recommend them to anyone. The other company who printed my photo cards and static clings also did an outstanding job. Lastly, the company who made the clear PVC bags for the toy animals did a perfect job and they even sent extra bags than what i paid for.

I do believe that there is a cure of hiccups. Take a deep breath, relax and wait. You will be surprised how fast the hiccups go away. Make sure you check out the new website today. Can’t wait to hear your thoughts.

Big day tomorrow so off to bed for a few hours.
Good night.

Karla

I am so happy to announce that my products are finished and the products will be in the air and on the ocean in the next few days. Everything will be in the USA by the end of September. 5 months after being named a finalist in Seeds for Success, we have our first product and its components created and printed and ready to sell. I will be busy in October setting up my kitting area to put everything together in my garage. My family has been gracious to offer to help me with this process. When I spoke to Bobbi Brown this week, she shared that I should do everything I can to save money. Luckily I have a great network of friends and family who are willing to help Head 2 Toe Publications.

So what’s the next step? Now it is time to finish the marketing promotions. Getting my website up is first priority. It looks fabulous! The site will be launched any day now. Next, I have a wonderful friend, Tara, who has offered to help me with website copy and creating marketing pieces for FREE. Speaking of marketing, I have taken the advise of Dr. Pam Dodd to promote Head 2 Toe on social networking websites. I created a page on Facebook and with the help of Suzanne Wright, I will be listed as a resource with Autism Speaks. Bobbi Brown also gave me great advice on how to create press kits and my friend and board member, Jennifer Leak, Director of Marketing for Easter Seals of North Georgia, has also offered to help me create these. So things will be busy to get our name out there and get people to our website to purchase Vocab U Grab.

Southern Living magazine contacted me last week to tell me that they want to feature me in their February edition about Alabama businesses. They will be doing photo shoots of my products in mid October. What a great way to reach a wide audience. Now is the time to practice all that Peggy Klaus taught me about promoting my company in an exciting way. She suggested that I use “grabbers” or “headliners” to get people’s attention. For example, ‘1 out of 150 children are diagnosed with autism, Head 2 Toe Publications creates and publishes games, toys, and books to help children with special needs reach their full potential by teaching developmentally appropriate skills. Head 2 Toe meets children where they are and helps them grow.’ When you grow up in the South, a lady is taught to not brag about themselves. I am learning how to promote without bragging. Peggy also suggested that I ask family and friends to describe my company so I can hear how they promote it. From them I might hear some headliners or it might help me learn that I am not getting my message across the way I want. I have learned that I should NEVER be afraid of feedback. Don’t be afraid to ask.

Let me share a few tips from some of my advisors. These are highlights from the last few months of talking to these great advisors.
1. Carolyn Kepcher said, “If you need funding, start with friends and family.” Ask for a loan or an investment. As my company grows, I could apply for funds from groups like Goldenseeds.com. It provides funding for women business owners.
2. Cathie Black, Bobbi Brown, and Pam Dodd suggested that I get involved in women network groups as well as other social network groups. I have joined a few special education network groups online and global social network groups also like Facebook. I also joined a Bible Study group at my church for entrepreneurs.
3. Peggy Klaus advised that I find facts about early intervention or special education like 1 out of 150 children have autism. Get people’s attention. Make people want to listen to what you offer.
4. Evan Carmichael said that I should ask for feedback from customers in my targeted audience. Find out what they want. Go where the money is and go after it.
5. Rosemary Coates has offered great advice weekly for me. One thing recently she shared is make sure you have it spelled out clearly how your manufacturers want payment and what they are willing to pay for when it is time to ship.
6. Dr. Lois Frankel helped me get my message clear and concise so listeners know exactly how I am and who my company is and what we are doing.
7. Eric Yonge says, “Make it POP!” Make your website, your products, your marketing pieces stand out from everyone else.

Hope these tidbits help you like they have helped me. It’s all about making your company different from your competition. You don’t have to recreate the wheel, but you have to make the wheel better and different and convince your audience that they must have it. Head 2 Toe Publications might look like some of the competition, but there is no other company that makes products that focuses on age appropriate skills and increases with complexity. We are about the WHOLE child.

The next announcement will be about the website. Amy and I will be announcing our next product soon, and I am headed to China in October for a Toy Fair. Head 2 Toe is not slowing down.

Time to get back to work.
Karla