Seed for Success | Empowering Women Entreprenuers

As this week wraps up the most challenging but rewarding time of my life, I don’t look at it as the end. No, this is just the beginning! Many thoughts and emotions have come across my mind as I think about this program ending. Here are just a few: sadness, relief, anxiety, worry, joy, peace and thankfulness. The one that sticks with me more than the others is THANKFULNESS. I began Head 2 Toe Publications right before the contest, but we were not a functioning company until we won the Seeds for Success grant. I know we would not be where we are today if it weren’t for the help of Yahoo! and fwm. I truly know of no other grant that actually helps businesses grow. I know Dana, Tamar and Abby also feel great appreciation for this grant. We all have accomplished great things because of this program, and I know all of us will continue to do great things because of what we have been given and taught.

The last couple of weeks have been a little stressful because of the voting, but all in all, I have learned to just focus on the business and not the polls. My brother called me recently and said, “Hey, don’t worry about the numbers, look at the great things that are before you.” I have received so many notes from old and new friends that have been faithful to vote every day. I believe what I have enjoyed the most from the voting process is the encouragement I have received. I have been given some great opportunities to keep moving forward after the program ends. I have been asked to be a member of the Early Head Start Advisory Council Board in Birmingham and I have been asked to write an article for a company called businessfromscratch.com. All 3 finalists will be on a podcast for Women Entrepreneur and Head 2 Toe will be featured in Southern Living magazine in February. We are excited about these opportunities to grow our business even more.

I would like to feature a company that I just learned about through the voting process. Someone forwarded their blog to me because they are recommending Head 2 Toe. In fact, they were supporting my company and what we stand for and asking their readers to vote for us. I had no idea who they were. Again, this was a great encouragement to me and Amy. After looking at their website, I was so impressed by who they are and what they are doing for babies through 5 years old. Their website is full of great information about products that are developmentally appropriate for ALL children including special needs children. I have already contacted them about working out a way to promote them at any of the conferences I attend and vice versa since we are not marketing to the same groups. I believe this will be the beginning of a great friendship. Please check out Wigglegigglelearn.com. I highly recommend them! The amazing thing is that they were also in the running for the Seeds for Success program. Unfortunately, they did not win, but I am so thankful that they encourage us to keep moving forward and I am encouraging them to keep moving forward also.

Here are few tips that I would give women and/or men on starting their own company:
1. Set goals-short and long term
2. Schedule your day
3. Work on your company every day
4. Focus on the small parts of the company (eg. marketing, accounting, legal, conferences, website, etc)
5. Surround yourself with those who are experts in the areas you need to make your business grow (attorney, accountant, marketing, etc)
6. Keep a 3 ring binder with tabs of all areas of company so that it is at your fingertips
7. Communicate, communicate, communicate

I hope this helps. These are just a few of the top bits of advice I received that helped me the most. I wish I could meet all of you who have voted for me. Even though the program ends, you can keep up with us long after. We will still have a blog and you should be seeing new things added to the website. Thanks again!! May God bless you and your endeavors!!

Blessings!
Karla and Amy

My church is currently going through a capital building campaign to raise money for new facilities for the children and youth areas. I am sure many people think, “Why do they get the new things? They are little. More kids can fit in their rooms than adults. Besides, the adults are paying for it.” All of this is true but I love the vision and passion that my pastor has for the “coming generation.” He believes in providing tools to help the next generation grow strong in their faith so they are ready to step up and take over when it is time. As I sat in the pew on Sunday, I couldn’t help but think of the mission for Head 2 Toe Publications. Head 2 Toe’s mission is to bring honor to God and help children with exceptional needs reach their full potential by providing developmentally appropriate learning tools that focus on skills in the following areas: communication, cognition and motor. It is all about the kids.

When I first started my career as a speech therapist, my mom, a children’s media specialist, introduced me to a book called “Miss Rumphius” by Barbara Cooney. The story is about a little girl that was challenged by her grandfather to figure out a way to make the world more beautiful, so she did. Everywhere she went, she scattered lupine seeds. Over the years the seeds grew into beautiful blooming plants. If you have ever seen a lupine, then you know how beautiful they are. As I was reading this story to some of my 5th grade language delayed students, I asked them, “How would you make the world more beautiful?” That question hit me hard. Even though I was the one asking, I had never thought how I would answer that. I remember sitting for a moment and before I even knew I was speaking, I told my students, “I would do something to help them.” They sat there and looked at me like I was crazy. I thought, maybe I should have said, ‘World Peace or fix world hunger.’ But that wasn’t my heart. Yes, I would love those things; however, I want to help these kids that I work with everyday have a chance to make it in this great world.

I didn’t know how to do it but I knew that I had to help these kids learn at their developmental level so that they can grow and feel successful so that they continue to learn. They aren’t always going to have Miss Duncan around to help them. I had to help them know how to figure out their learning strategies. I had to try to reach these kids where no one else had time or understanding. If you know a child with autism or any other disability or learning challenge, then you know how difficult it is to reach them right where they are. But they should be given a chance. After changing my career to become a product development specialist for a wonderful special needs company, I knew this was “How Karla Duncan was going to make the world more beautiful.”

As I listen to the presidential candidates talk about the economic crisis, I get frustrated because no one is really looking very far down the road. Sure you might hear that we need to provide a better place for our kids but do they really mean it? All I see is a “quick fix” and a continued attitude of how is this going to help ME. Yes, I think about how this might affect Head 2 Toe but my first concern is helping children grow up to be successful individuals. Honestly, what are we doing to help our kids grow into adults who can make logical decisions and continue the work that needs to be carried on? Are we going to be ready to pass the baton when it is time? Are we teaching the children to think how they can make the world more beautiful?

I wish I could see some of my former students like George, Ubshelah, Jarvis, Travis, and Samantha and see what they are doing to make the world more beautiful today. I see this process as a race that is continuously going on and Head 2 Toe is teaching and training kids to get ready for it. As their family and friends sit in the stands cheering for them, they are going to hear their names announced over the loud speaker to line up at the starting line. The gun is going to go off and they better be ready to take off running. I know Amy and I are committed to helping them get ready for the race. And we are going to cheer for them like everyone else to GO! I can’t wait to be at the finish line to say, “Well done. You did it. Now go and start training your team.” I love watching the former Olympian medalists come home and start working with children to get them ready for future Olympics. That is what this life should be about-passing on skills that help the coming generation succeed and they will pass their skills on to the one behind them, and so and so….

I encourage you to think how you can make the world more beautiful. Will it help the coming generation?

Karla

Head 2 Toe has been established as a business for almost 6 months and the one thing that is essential for any company that is new or established is learning how to communicate. Since I am a speech therapist, I understand the importance of communication and I usually have no problem talking. You can ask my family. However, it is sometimes more difficult communicating effectively when you are busy. I have found this true in my own life. If I don’t learn to communicate effectively in my business, it is going to be more difficult learning this skill as my company grows. I have been advised to be clear, honest, and tactful and do not assume anything. It is also important to have things written out so that all parties are clear about expectations, job descriptions, and work responsibilities. Even though I have had conversations with people about responsibilities, issues become cloudy if you don’t have it written down and agreed upon by all responsible parties. Now I am working on job descriptions for me and Amy and other positions as we get ready to hire future employees. Since Amy is not a business partner, it is important that both of us know exactly what her job’s responsibilities are. Thanks to Cathy Greenburg for her insight in this situation. Amy and I are such great friends but we need to agree on her role with Head 2 Toe. If a problem ever occurs, then we need to have a “charter” set and we can look at it and see where things are falling through. This is just as important for me as for Amy. No one likes to work without an idea of what is expected and I can not talk to an employee or author or distributor about their roles, if I don’t have an idea of what they are.

Since communication is so important in a relationship or business, goals should also be set so that the people involved know exactly what they are working toward. This can only help with communication. Tonight I was reminded of Zig Ziglar’s 7 steps of goal setting in my entrepreneur class. Dr. Dale Callahan, an associate professor at University of Alabama at Birmingham, is the leader of this class and I have learned so much since we started 6 weeks ago. Dr. Callahan is also an entrepreneur. He and and his wife developed a company for moms teaching their homeschool children high school math. They developed dvds teaching algebra and other maths. Check out askdrcallahan.com. I thought I would share some highlights of these 7 steps to goal setting.

Step 1: Identify the goal
Step 2: Set a Deadline–If you can not measure then you can not manage.
Step 3: Identify the obstacles
Step 4: Know what people you need to work with
Step 5: Identify what skills you need
Step 6: Develop a written plan of action
Step 7: Know why you want to achieve this goal

Do you know that only 3% of the population sets goals? That means 97% doesn’t. That 3% achieves far more than anyone who does not set goals. Wow!! When I heard this tonight, I was excited because I do have goals for Head 2 Toe. If I work on these 7 steps, then I am far ahead of the other 97%. The way I have to think of it is, “Every ship has a captain and that captain has to have a chart of where he is steering the ship. He knows he needs certain people to help him get there but it is clear where they are going before they leave the dock.” Head 2 Toe has left the dock and we are on the move to our first goal-make 50 sales by Dec. 31, 2008.

This week the organizations that agreed to test our products will be receiving them. One of the companies, Autism Solutions Center, sent me a message today that they loved the kit and they can’t wait to start using it. I was thrilled at their initial response. I can’t wait to share what the others are saying. Go to our website www.head2toepub.com for updates on customer feedback.

Take time and write your goals for your life, business, finances, etc. Then go to Step 2. Before you know it, you are on your way to accomplishing your goals. Goals will help make your message clear for you and everyone involved.

Get out your pen and paper or iPhone or Blackberry or a paper napkin and start writing. You’ll be glad you did.

Karla

It has been one week since Head 2 Toe opened for business and it has been a great week. We have made our first few sales and we are getting a lot of interest. When selling to therapists, teachers and parents, it is all about seeing the product or knowing someone who has seen it or used themselves before they feel comfortable about buying from a “new” company. This is why I have been concentrating on networking with the right people to get the word out. As I mentioned in my previous blog, I have reached out to organizations that have a mailing list that would help drive business to my website. I have found a few groups that will be testing my products and they will be sending out their feedback to their contacts. I had a great accomplishment this week, I contacted the Dan Marino Center in Miami, FL about testing my products. Dan Marino, the great former Miami Dolphin quarterback, founded the center after his son was diagnosed with autism. The Dan Marino Center has a great reputation around the country for the therapy services children receive there. They have agreed to work with Head 2 Toe Publications! I am thrilled to be working with them.

This weekend I have concentrated on my marketing campaigns to drive more business to my website. I have created campaigns using Yahoo! Adwords and Google Adwords. The greatest website to help create email marketing campaigns has been Constant Contact. it stores your email address list and makes it so easy to send out your campaigns and it gives you reports of how many people visited your site through the email. Great information! I am glad Scott Smigler sent me to that website.

Tomorrow morning I am speaking with Cathy Greenburg as a follow up conversation about how to have a happy company. I can’t wait to hear what she says about my inventory I took. My goal is that I keep calm and focused every day so that Head 2 Toe grows and moves in the right direction. It is so important for me to work well with Amy so that she continues to feel a part of the company even though she lives far away from the action. Good communication is essential for Amy and I to work together. I have to be clear about my expectations from her as well as she has to be honest about her responsibilities. Thankfully Amy and I are friends but we are also committed to make this company grow. As I told Amy, Head 2 Toe is not about me or Amy. It is about serving God first by providing products that will help children reach their full potential. Our happiness is true joy because we are helping others.

The last two weeks I have been using Head 2 Toe’s first product, Vocab U Grab Farm Kit. I thought it was bad to brag on myself but others have told me that I should share my results since I am still a practicing speech therapist. I work with children ages 0-3 years through the week and I thought this was a great time for me to see how our first product actually worked. I must say that I have been shocked by the great results. I had a Down’s Syndrome little boy, imitate his first words and an autistic boy imitate his first words. I am not saying that this is a miracle product, but Vocab U Grab provides components that start where the child’s developmental skills start. I have also had almost 2 year olds say the names of animals and the animal sounds, while the parents sit in shock that they spoke. Children are matching the animals to the pictures and then they recognize the animals in the book. It is so great to see the progression they make. The best thing is that I have 2 year old that sit for 45 minutes playing with all components of Vocab U Grab. Yes, they are playing but they are learning! If you would like to read more about Vocab U Grab, check out www.head2toepub.com. We are offering 15% off and free shipping until Oct.15. Coupon code is h2t15.

I don’t like bragging on my company but I am a believer in how the product works. There is so much you can do with it. I told Amy a few months ago when we were deciding which product to develop, I said, “Amy, I believe in what it teaches and it will be a product that will reach more children than just focusing on a certain skill.” The great idea goes to Amy and together we were able to create a fun learning tool for children with and without special needs. We hope you like it!!

Let me know your thoughts.

Karla

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

I waited a little longer than usual to post a new blog, because I wanted to be able to give you a complete update on the latest happenings with Head 2 Toe. Last week I received an email from all 4 manufacturers in China, who are printing and making all of my products, telling me that they had started production on my first products. I can’t believe this day has finally arrived. While I am waiting on the completion of the production, I am working with UPS to schedule the shipping from China to my home in Birmingham, Alabama. Since I have never imported anything from a manufacturer outside of the USA, Rosemary Coates suggested that I let UPS handle the shipping, the customs brokerage, all the paperwork, and the shipping to my home. If I had chosen to do it myself, I would have had to find and pay a customs broker, choose a shipping agent in China and then go pick up my shipments at some port here in America. I was very willing to do all of that, but when I found out that I could hire a company that I trust to do all of that for me, I couldn’t pass it up.

Here are 10 tips I have learned so far about dealing with China(manufacturing):
1. Be concise and exact in your emails. Include quantity, sizes, payment, materials requested and send pictures to back up your description. Be clear if you use metric system measurements or not. I always spell out Inches. Don’t risk using symbols. You never know how that translates.
2. Be clear about requesting samples. Do not pay for samples but pay for shipping samples to you.
3. Ask for pictures of the samples. If you do not need a sample sent, you should always have them send a picture of the sample.
4. Always have 2-3 manufacturers quoting on the same job. This helps in negotiations. It is a time saver!
5. Negotiate, Negotiate, Negotiate. Don’t be afraid to tell them you offer a much lower price. They see it as a game. If they will not negotiate or change prices, then be silent for a few days and see if they contact you or move on to plan B.
6. Be clear about payment. Bank wire or T/T is the best. Do not pay more than 50% prepayment at time of order. They will not start production until they get the bank wire. It only takes 1-2 days. Pay the remaining 50% after you have documentation from the shipping agent at the port. You should get a tracking number. Again, this is why I chose UPS.
7. Get shipping terms clear. I chose to get my quotes FOB instead of CIF(CIF is usually a little higher). Your contracts with your manufacturers should state FOB Shanghai or nearest port. This means that the manufacturer is paying for shipping to that specified port and then I am responsible for payment of shipping to my home. MAKE SURE YOU ARE CLEAR ABOUT THIS!
8. Stay in contact with your manufacturer during production. Ask for pictures along the way. My book printer just sent me pictures of the pages after printing before the binding occurs.
9. Ask your manufacturers to send dimensions of the shipment including weight, size and quantity. You need this to give to your shipper so they can determine best way to ship.
10. Make sure you find out when they are shipping to the port. If you choose ocean freight, the ships only leave on certain days. Unless you have materials that weigh over 1000 lbs, air would most likely be the best and fastest mode of transportation.

That is my Top 10 tips for dealing with manufacturers in China. Having Rosemary Coates coach me through the entire process has been the biggest help. I don’t think I could have done it effectively or efficiently without her.

I also have other exciting news.
1. www.head2toepub.com will be ready to launch in less than 2 weeks. It will have our first products featured and we will be taking “pre sales” until the products are ready to ship. We will be offering FREE SHIPPING to ALL 50 states also.

2. Head 2 Toe Publications will be selling at The American Speech and Hearing Association (ASHA) annual conference in November in Chicago.

3. I will be going to China to meet with current and new manufacturers in October.

4. Lastly, H2T has partnered with United Cerebral Palsy of Greater Birmingham and Easter Seals of North Georgia. We are so excited to have this partnership with such great organizations.

Now you know why I waited to tell you my great news. We have come a long way since April and there is so much more to do. Next time I’ll tell you about the great tips I learned from Peggy Klaus, Evan Carmichael, Dr. Lois Frankel and Cathy Greenberg. I wish you could see my notes from our conversations. They are all great resources!

Enjoy the closing ceremonies in Beijing!

Karla

Last weekend, I drove 7.5 hours to attend my 20th high school reunion in Ocala, FL, which gave me plenty of time to think about my company, my work as a speech therapist, and what I hope to accomplish in the next 20 years. I wish I had a tape recorder, because I did some great brainstorming during my journey and now I can only remember the two adjectives that I want to describe me as a speech therapist and a businesswoman. Of course there are a few more like honest, respectful, friendly, but I hope that whatever work I am doing that I am always effective and efficient.

As I drove, I thought about the children that I am diligently trying to help increase their communication skills so that they will not be delayed as they reach school, but so many days I come home and feel like I have not been an effective therapist that day. I usually call Amy and ask if she ever feels like she is not performing “miracles” and she always agrees wholeheartedly. If you are a therapist or parent or teacher, do you ever have those days? We believe that most therapists have moments when they don’t feel like they are helping their client and that is why we want Head 2 Toe be a resource to not only provide materials to help children succeed but also help therapists and parents be successful facilitators or teachers. It’s great to have products that are attractive, fun to use, and well written, but if it does not allow the “teacher” to be efficient then they will not be effective. So many times we only have a short amount of time to work with someone so it is essential that we are efficient. In Amy’s case and mine we serve children until they reach the age of 3 years and then they move on to either a private or school-based therapist, so we put great expectations on ourselves to make sure that child has improved. This is why it is so important to me that Head 2 Toe helps therapists be effective and efficient with the right products.

After speaking to Carol Frohlinger regarding negotiations, these two words kept popping up as my key terms when I am negotiating. Carol gave me such great tips on how to be a better negotiator as I deal with manufacturers in China, new authors, freelance artists and future employees. I am quickly learning that I don’t have a lot of time to draw out negotiations when I have deadlines to meet. This is where I am learning to be efficient so that I can be effective. Carol and I discussed that as individuals approach me and Amy about creating products for Head 2 Toe, I need to have a nondisclosure agreement signed by the authors if we decide to talk further with them about their ideas. Next, she suggested that I create a “How Head 2 Toe does business with authors” term sheet. This is just an explanation of what the procedure is to publish with Head 2 Toe in layman’s terms so that everyone understands what is going to take place before any royalty agreement is signed. Then if the author chooses to work with H2T based on the terms sheet, then the legal royalty agreement is presented and signed. This keeps Head 2 Toe in the driver seat and in control of the negotiation. There’s no going back and forth and that’s how to keep your company going forward as efficient and effective.

I spend most of my time negotiating with manufacturers in China. These are my Goliaths (as Carol referred to them in her blog). I am in the midst of negotiating pricing with my printer and bag maker. It is NOT easy! I don’t like chewing people down on prices because I am use paying what people tell me to pay. However, that is NOT how you do business in China. Rosemary Coates has graciously helped and encouraged me to “stay strong” and don’t give in. She says that they see it as a game and that they will respect me more for not being easy. Well, it’s hard when you find the company that makes the products you like but they won’t cooperate on the price. In fact, after a couple of weeks of working with these different manufacturers, they have chosen to go silent on me. The communication gap has been a big barrier for me. I feel like they are mad at me because I want a lower price. It’s been a few days and I have not heard from either company. I am feeling sick because they are making the essential parts for my first product. This is where Carol helped me. She advised that I always have a “B” and a “C” plan to fall back on. Thank goodness I have done that but it is still not easy to start over after you get this far down the road. My deadline is August 7 to have everything in place so that I can have all products in the US ready to sell by the first of September. I feel very confident that I will meet this goal. Rosemary advised me to go ahead and tell them my final price and that I am ready to wire the money to them. We’ll see if they take the bait. You will be able to see it on our new website in the next couple of weeks. Don’t forget to sign up for our email updates at www.head2toepub.com.

As frustrating or stressful as all of this sounds, it is so rewarding to me. Everything I am doing now for Head 2 Toe is the structure of how things will run for years to come. It is crucial for me to concentrate on the all details so that I have an efficient and effective company. When I return to my 40th high school reunion, I want to proudly say that Head 2 Toe Publications is thriving on the same core beliefs it started with in 2008, which is “Enable therapists, educators and parents to be efficient and effective teachers who help special needs children succeed while using the developmentally appropriate materials created by Head 2 Toe Publications.”

Keep striving for efficiency and effectiveness!

Karla

In case you haven’t heard, Head 2 Toe’s website is live. It’s not exactly the website, at least you gives you something to see besides “We’re Under Construction.” It is called a “landing page.” Check out www.head2toepub.com and you can see our great logo and H2T’s mascots. I encourage you to sign up for email updates and mailings. You don’t want to miss the BIG announcement when the website is completed and when our first product is unveiled. You never know what surprises we have planned.

Pass the word!

Karla