The first thing that any child just starting solids will do is smear the food in their hair. It is inevitable. No matter how clean your child starts, the moment they finish supper you will most likely find that their food has been smeared on their clothing and made its way into their hair creating yet another sticky, or crummy, situation.
While you can just as easily pick up a bib from any store to use on your child when you want to avoid messing up their clothing, previously there wasn’t a product that would keep it out of their hair. That was until Sue Yellowtail, the creator of the Crumb Cap, came along. She’s created a washable, easy-to-use cap that your child can wear that will help protect their hair from fingers covered in food.
Tell us a little about the Crumb Cap.
A few years ago, my toddler daughter loved to put her gooey, sticky hands in her hair at every meal. The only way to get the food out of her hair was to bathe her, which was sometimes difficult to do, since her little sister was a newborn at the time. Then one day during an incredibly messy lunch, I spotted her winter hat nearby and put it on her head. It worked like a charm, no messy hair, and she didn’t mind having it on! I searched the internet looking for hair bibs for babies and toddlers, and was astonished when I couldn’t find anything. So I developed my own, finding a comfy, waterproof fabric that could be wiped off or thrown in the washer. The Crumb Cap was born, out of necessity.
When did it officially launch?
My website officially launched March 2010 to sell directly to end users of my product, which are parents, daycares, and other caregivers of messy eaters.
How long did it take for you to bring the Crumb Cap from idea to market?
It has taken 3 years. Initially, it took about 6 months to complete market research and have prototypes and samples made. Since my kids were so young at the time, I turned the development and marketing over to a large company to secure a potential licensing agreement. However, after a lengthy process, I was unsatisfied with the result and level of commitment so I decided to take my product to market myself, and was able to get my website up and going in just a few months.
What was the process like for you?
It was actually a lot of fun doing the research and developing prototypes and ultimately transforming my idea into an actual product and getting that first sale. But some things have been hard, like trying to find fabric suppliers and contract sewers that don’t require huge minimum orders, which can be costly for a startup. The greatest challenge by far though has been balancing life as a stay at home mom and spending time with my three kids while bringing my product to market.
How many colors/designs do you currently have?
Right now I have two colors, pink and blue, but I’m in the process of adding at least three cute print designs and two more colors.
Any new patterns we can expect in the near future? If so, what are they?
I’m working on new patterns, but can’t reveal them just yet.
What makes your product unique?
There are many baby bibs on the market, but the Crumb Cap is the only bib that covers the head and hair, preventing babies and toddlers from squishing food in their hair during eating.
What are some of the lessons your business has taught you?
I’ve learned that you shouldn’t trust a middleman to develop the market interest. You’ve got to be prepared to develop the market interest yourself first. No one will know my product better or be more passionate about my product than me.
Any advice you’d like to offer fellow mompreneurs that are just getting their start?
If you have a new product idea, make sure you do tons of internet research for existing products, patents, and target markets before spending any money. The U.S. Patent Office www.uspto.gov also has a search tool for patents and trademarks and has a list of licensed patent agents and attorneys in each state. Websites are a must now, and can be a great way to do a market test. Just make sure you don’t spend a lot of money on a website. There are many online companies that offer free or low-cost templates along with low-cost web hosting services that will work for selling your product online. Once you have a website up and going, do some research on “mommy bloggers”. Many will try products, write reviews and host giveaways. These are great opportunities for low-cost PR.
