Mompreneurs Fill Market Gaps In Baby And Mother Products

Reuters:

When former art director Ellen Diamant had a baby in 2000, there were few diaper bags on the market that were both utilitarian and good-looking. So she designed one and built a business around it.

“The selection left much to be desired,” recalls Diamant, who runs New York-based Skip Hop with her husband Michael and a team of 22 employees. “I thought the bags were horrendous. They didn’t do anything. None hung on the stroller.”

Today the company pulls in some $10 million in yearly revenue, offers products ranging from crib bedding to bottle dryers, and recently had a new line of its colorful diaper bags in Target stores.

Throughout the country, “mompreneurs” are tapping similar gaps in the market for products for babies and parenting. They are redesigning everything from toys to car seats and clothing, in response to heightened awareness about product safety issues and mothers’ demands for fuller and more fashionable lifestyles.

“Their personal experiences help them to form business decisions,” says Stephanie Azzarone, who runs Child’s Play Communications, a New York-based public relations agency that represents products and services targeted to moms and kids, including toys, apparel, home furnishings and food.