Business Opportunities Weblog

January 30, 2008 by Angela Shupe | 0 Comments

The East Valley Tribune:

For Scottsdale’s Brandi Slaybaugh, business was a matter of getting out.

“It’s amazing to be a mom, but I wasn’t really good at staying home,” the former escrow officer says. “A lot of new moms aren’t prepared for that. I would go on errands with my boys, and my 2-year-old would be curious about what they do at the bank or at the cleaners.”

Some women enjoy the challenges of modern motherhood. Others simply endure them. But a resourceful few find ways to spin them into business opportunities.

Her son’s curiosity led Slaybaugh, 30, to form Busy Bees Adventures. “It’s a series of one-hour adventures that mothers and their children can go on,” she explains. Parents sign up for a six-week series of kid-friendly, behind-the-scenes tours.

“We do a variety of places like firehouses, pizza parlors and hardware stores,” she says. The proprietors answer questions, and often throw extras into the mix. “Last session, we went to a smoothie place and got to make smoothies. We do fun things you wouldn’t normally be able to do.”

Busy Bees Adventures aims for shared experiences beyond the park or playground. “That’s one of the reasons I did it, so (mothers and children) would have something to do together beyond going to the gym — which is fun, but you can’t just do it over and over.”

The toddler day trips resonated with moms, too.

“It’s a very worthwhile program,” says Kristen Will, who attended last year’s outings with her 4- and 3-year-old daughters. “You learn a little something, kids get to meet other kids. Young moms get to meet other young moms. Everybody wins.”

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