From Nursing Needs To Big Business
The Go! Pillow is quickly becoming a well known product amongst many parents. Made by a mom who was just looking to solve her own needs, she soon found that their was a market out there for her nursing pillow and got the help she needed to become the business she is today. Sold under Simply Necessary, Incorporated – the Go! Pillow has caught it’s fair share of positive press at the end of last year and is still going strong. Tangela is the founder and creator of this great product. A very innovative mom, I was very lucky to get the chance to do an interview with her.
What is the Go! Pillow? What uses does your product have?
The patented GoPillow! is a portable pillow that consists of an inner core of soft, pliable cushion/foam and an outer fabric covering. The product has the appearance of an elongated tube that fits around the mid-wrist, elbow, and mid/upper arm. The GoPillow! uses stretchable elastic bands to secure it onto the user’s arm. A retractable built-in blanket tucks neatly inside of an almost invisible compartment inside of the GoPillow! The unique hidden blanket feature allows for mother and baby privacy during public breast feedings. The GoPillow! also serves as a changing surface for caregivers on the go. On flat surfaces, infants can be propped up safely on the pillow while lying on the blanket. The blanket can be wrapped around a baby’s body and legs while his or her head rests on the pillow. Toddlers can use the GoPillow! for napping as well. It also makes a great arm warmer for children during cold weather months. The GoPillow! is washable and is available in various fabric colors. The GoPillow! is ideal for use in restaurants, on public transportation, in movie theaters, for outdoor activities, or wherever larger pillows cannot go.
It uses include but are not limited to:
Breast feeding pillow with built-in privacy cover-up
Pillow and body wrap for babies
Portable toddler pillow and blanket
Portable diaper changing surface
Sun and wind shield for babies and toddlers
Napping wedge
Arm cushion for carrying babies and toddlers
Extra hand during diaper changes etc.
Arm warmer during cold weather (especially during outdoor activities)
Travel Pillow for all ages
What was your inspiration behind it?
My daughter was born with a head full of black silky hair. Each time I would breastfeed her, the back of her neck along the hairline would perspire and my arm would be damp. I decided that I needed an arm cover of some kind – not just for breastfeeding, but for cradling my baby. I was watching a child product segment on ABC’s talk show, The View. They plugged a website and explained that the company bought ideas from parent inventors. I emailed the site and asked for submission requirements. I then sent in my idea. The owner contacted me that same week. She loved the idea. After finding out that I was a stay-at-home mother trying to replace my previous teaching salary she asked me if I could come up with my own “startup funds”. She said that she would mentor me through the process if I wanted to take the product to market.
The original intent of the pillow was for cradling babies for breast or bottle feedings. We knew it would be an excellent travel pillow. The idea for adding the privacy blanket came later. It was added after I was caught in a crowded area during a rainstorm at Disney World in Orlando, FL. My husband had to hide me with his shirt so that I could nurse my daughter. We realized that a privacy blanket or cover would separate our pillow from any other nursing pillow on the market. The blanket turned the pillow into a multi-purpose wonder! The GoPillow! solved several problems that mothers often run into when away from home with a baby or toddler.
How long has it been since you came up with the idea? What steps did it
take for you to become the business you are today?
I had the original idea for the GoPillow! in 2002 (after giving birth to my daughter). I filed for a business license in 2004. I consulted with the local chapter of SCORE for general advice. We later went through the steps necessary incorporate. Simultaneously we went through prototyping, fabric sampling, package selection, etc. and finally got the GoPillow! ready for market.
Have you learned anything after creating Simple Necessity, Inc. that you
wish you’d known before you started?
I wish I had not invested so much money with a PR firm, at least not initially. One of our worst decisions was to spend our entire advertising budget for the first year with one PR firm. They failed to deliver good results, we suffered from lack of proper advertising funds afterward. I later realized that the terms of our contract with that PR firm should have been more specific.
What kind of steps did you need to go through to become incorporated?
Incorporating requires documenting exactly what type of business you have. Articles of Incorporation must be drafted. You must decide how your company’s stock will be divided/distributed. Company officers must be selected. A corporate kit containing all important company information must be maintained. The corporate kit allows potential investors or any party to view all relevant business information at a glance. A fees must be paid to incorporate a business in any given state. There is an annual fee that must be paid each year in order for your company to be recognized as a corporation.
Do you have any advice for other moms out there that might be thinking
about creating a business of their own?
I recommend that anyone starting a business do as much research into that particular industry before beginning. They should be prepared to work harder than they have ever worked for someone else. Consult with people that are in the same or similar business. The should also know that there is plenty of paper work and record keeping involved. There is a big differance between a business and a hobby. Another very important rule to follow is never make quick decisions about things that will have a lasting effect on the business. People will often make offers and promises that are too good to be true.
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