Marketing Profs

It's a whole new world out there in baby land.

I wandered into a friend's nursery the other day expecting a basic crib and some cute stuffed toys. Forget about it. The room was filled with sleek new contraptions, inspired designs and all kinds of clever things to distract, comfort and soothe her little one.

My friend showed me how the Diaper Genie creates a sealed chain of used nappies. There was a rocker with programmable nature noises, a sleek spinning mobile, state-of-the-art furnishings and a range of eco-friendly materials. Parked in the garage were the strollers—not one, but three different baby vehicles, including one for off-road trips.

It was amazing to see the problem solving, innovation and Zen-like simplicity of these products. What's most exciting is that many of the toys and tools for this new generation were designed by an emerging group of business mavens—mompreneurs.

What does mompreneurialism look like? Here's just one great example from a raft of inspiring stories.

In 1994, Sandra Wilson lost her airline job due to industry downsizing. With more time on her hands, she created a pair of bright, soft-soled leather shoes for her 18-month-old son, Robert. The shoes helped him to "feel" the floor, while simultaneously protecting his feet and boosting his emerging sense of balance. She named the shoes "Robeez" (www.robeez.com) and took 20 pairs to the Vancouver Gift Show trade exhibition. The response was overwhelming. Sandra signed up 15 retailers to sell her products, transformed her basement into corporate headquarters and never looked back.

Today, sales consistently top $15 million Canadian, and Sandra's company has nearly 400 employees. Her colorful, comfy leather shoes sell in over 4,500 stores across North America, Europe, Australia and Asia. Sandra has also established the Robeez Heart & Sole program, which donates children's footwear to nonprofit societies and charities worldwide.

Mompreneurs are more than just a great tale of free enterprise. They're a market phenomenon that has emerged for several key reasons:

We're all thinking like marketers

The days have passed when we'd identify a gap in the market, a perfect product idea or a service upgrade and wait for the experts to take action. Now, more often than not, we see the opportunity and dive in headfirst.