When a parent has a new child, they want to hold that child close as much as possible. The problem is we need our hands to do other things as well. That is what makes baby carriers so great. As parents we also want to make sure we’re comfortable with the carrier, how we wear it and how long it can be worn without creating any discomfort.
Amber Stevens runs a baby-wearing online store which sells baby carriers. With a variety to choose from, parents can find the style they like best to purchase.
With her online store, Heavenly Hold, Amber recently shared with me her story on how she was inspired to start her own business.
What is Heavenly Hold?
Heavenly Hold Baby Carriers is an online babywearing store. Follow up: What is babywearing? According to wikipedia: Babywearing is the practice of wearing or carrying a baby or child in a sling or other form of carrier. Babywearing is far from new and has been practised for many years around the world. In the industrialized world babywearing has gained popularity, partly under influence of advocates of attachment parenting, however, not all parents who babywear consider themselves attachment parents. Babywearing is a form of baby transport.When did you launch your online store? February 2008What was your inspiration for your store? The inspiration for the store was my daughter, Kaelin. I got a DVT (blood clot) in my leg 9 days after she was born and had another hospital stay. When I got home, I couldn’t walk and was in bed for a month. Kaelin was in bed next to me the whole time. She got really used to being so close to me. When I was able to get some mobility, she constantly wanted me to hold and carry her. I quickly got a sore neck and back from doing this. A friend shared her carrier with me and my fussy daughter was instantly soothed and quiet and my back and neck were instantly relieved! For the name? The name heavenly hold describes how I felt when I tried on my first carrier with my daughter.
What sorts of things did you need to do before you could launch Heavenly Hold?
I researched other babywearing shops and talked to other women who had online businesses. I went to my local Women’s Business Center for a free consultation with an advisor and got some help.
How do you decide on what you will and will not sell within your store?
I talk to the product designers about their product, I try out different carriers, and I try to see what the buzz is about the particular product, online.
Have you learned anything since you’ve launched that you wish you’d known before?
TONS! Where can I start? I have learned A LOT about the technical side of managing a website. I have learned how many HOURS a day it takes to promote your website.
What piece of advice did you receive that has been invaluable in starting or running your store?
Participate in online forums to network with other business owners. Share your knowledge. There are tons of other people out there willing to help.
Do you have any previous experience or education that you were able to apply to the running of your store?
I do have a business degree, but I am a public elementary school teacher. I also watched my Dad while I was growing up (he owns a home improvement center in my hometown).
How does parenthood affect you life as a mompreneur?
She inspires me to work all the more harder so that I can be with her. She also helps me showcase and demonstrate my product…she’s a happy model!
How does running an online store affect your life as a parent?
Work during naps and after bedtime…no more ‘me’ time!How do you manage your time between the two? It is extremely difficult. I try not to turn on the computer while she is awake (she actually makes it extremely hard to do any work anyway because she loves to bang on the laptop). I try not to put anything off, because it just piles up and gets me really stressed. I try to get to a stopping point each night and not feel like I’m leaving things ‘undone.’
Do you have any advice for other moms who would like to start their own online store?
Research, research, research. Start participating in online business forums now. Network!
Dana Keith on May 9th, 2008 at 11:32 pm
This really helps a lot, mostly on moms who suffers from several kind of body aches.. Through this you can do other things using your two own hands aside from just carrying your baby.
What more will you ask for? This like having two jobs at the same time..:)