Well, Tamara Monosoff may just have your answer. Becoming a ‘mom’ can sprout the entrepreneur within us all. When you are a mom you pretty much ‘invent’ something that you need just about every day. I think I personally have had to come up with ‘make shift’ inventions on a daily basis out-and-about or at home, some silly but some I think, hmmm this is ingenious, would someone actually buy this?
Well, like I said, there is an answer and a means to getting your answer with Tamara Monosoff from MomInvented.com.
Mom Invented® is a dynamic company and online community with the mission “To inspire, inform, and boldly promote courageous women in business” and, “To celebrate the creativity of women by distributing innovative Mom Invented® products around the world.”
After going through the product development process herself when inventing the award-winning TP Saver™, while simultaneously juggling small children, Tamara found the support and guidance of other entrepreneurs to be invaluable. This inspired her to create a web-based community for women entrepreneurs & small business owners (http://www.mominvented.com/).
Some women approached Tamara asking how to create a product business themselves and this is what inspired Tamara to write her books. Other women told her that they had great ideas that they wanted to see on store shelves but didn’t want to go into business themselves. This inspired Tamara to create the internationally trademarked Mom Invented® brand of products (http://www.mominventors.com/products) that are sold in stores worldwide. During open product searches, women have the opportunity to submit their ideas. Products that are selected are placed under the Mom Invented® brand and Mom Invented® designs, manufactures and distributes them and pays the inventor a royalty.
Let’s Meet Tamara Monosoff
M.O.M Katie ~ So, back in the day of taking idea and vision to producing your product, were you then a ‘stay at home mom’ and did you struggle with the idea of how to balance it all?
M.O.M Tamara ~When I first conceived of my product idea, the TP Saver (Toilet Paper Saver) that prevents kids from pulling the toilet paper and clogging the toilet, I was a ‘stay at home mom’ and my first daughter Sophia was 10 months old (and the inspiration for the product). I launched my business 11 months later and then I had my second daughter shortly thereafter. As you can imagine the first years of MomInvented.com was the ultimate juggling act.
My goal was to love my kids and knock action items off my business to-do list every day. Some days I was able to accomplish a lot and other days nothing at all. This can be very discouraging. The most important thing is to be kind to yourself if you have small children at home. Just do the best you can and little by little you will accomplish your goal.
One of the most important things I did at this early stage was to write a One Page Business Plan. At that point, I would have rather had a root canal than write a business plan. But I forced myself to attend a workshop with Jim Horan, Founder of the One Page Business Plan Company. After learning about this process, I knew that I could write one page! In a very short time I wrote my plan and gained clarity and focus as to my next steps. This laid the foundation for my business today.
M.O.M Katie ~ Can you tell us what exactly is an inventor? How do Mom Inventors go from idea to product? Is this something your Mom Invented services can help with?
M.O.M Tamara ~An inventor is someone that comes up with a product idea and follows the appropriate steps to see if the product can be turned into a viable business. The most important step is to make sure that people will actually buy your product before you spend a lot of money. I can’t tell you how many times I hear, “Everyone in America will want my product.” Everyone in America will NOT want your product. The question becomes who will actually want it and is that a large enough group to make enough money to run and grow your business?
People often make the mistake of thinking that a patent is the first step in the process but it is not the first step. Market research should be done first to see if the product already exists, what the competition is on the market, and getting first-hand feedback from buyers and consumers as to whether or not they will buy your product (beyond friends and family), and how many you would need to sell to justify making the product. All of these steps are spelled out in my first book The Mom Inventors Handbook.
M.O.M Katie ~ How does one become a Mominventors.com member? Tell us about the resources available.
M.O.M Tamara ~ It’s simple to become a Mom Invented Member and it’s FREE. On the homepage there is a box asking if you would like to receive “Weekly Inspiration In Your Inbox” simply add your email & basic information. It takes about a minute. This will sign you up to be a member and to receive inspirational stories about other women in business as well as product search announcements, business information and advice, and upcoming events.
We have a Product Evaluation Program that tells it like it is. If you need to accelerate your progress and hear the truth from our experienced team about whether your product has a chance in the U.S. market than this affordable program is for you. Get honest feedback about the opportunities and challenges associated with your product including: marketability, patentability, production and competition. The program offers clear input and suggestions on your next steps.M.O.M Katie ~ What is the one piece of advice you offer and live by yourself?
M.O.M Tamara ~Work smart. You may have a fabulous idea but before you mortgage the house and go into debt to pay for it, it makes sense for the well-being of both your family and your business to make sure that the idea is solid and that you’ve done your homework (market research) FIRST before you spend your hard earned money. The road can be marvelous and it can be treacherous so thoughtful planning is essential. Believe me…you will thank me for this.
Thanks so much for helping inspire and guide our mutual community of M.O.Ms!
Follow Tamara
http://www.mominvented.com/
http://www.twitter.com/mominventors
http://www.facebook.com/mominvented
Tamara also offers a free community at http://members.mominventors.com/ where women actively share resources and information.
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