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Jan 31, 2006 11:11 am US/Eastern
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Hey Mom, You Too Can Be An Inventor
by Cindy Hsu
NEW YORK (CBS) ―
If you've ever had a great idea for an invention but never went through the process of really trying it out. You might get some insight from mom inventor Grace Welch, who turned annoying diaper changes into big business. Grace has designed a round diaper changing pad called the Patemm Pad.
How did you come up with the idea for your invention?In 2000 my first child Patrick was born, and as a new mom, I had a rectangular diaper changing pad. Patrick was quite the wriggly baby, so he constantly rolled off my pad. While aligning Patrick and keeping on a rectangular pad was frustrating, even more annoying was the design of the folding/rolling pad with ties, buttons, or even Velcro®. I wanted something simple that could fold easily —especially with one hand.
A few years later, my second child Emma was born, I, like most parents today, was always on the go. By then, I was a bit more adept at motherhood, but with two kids I often found my diaper bag overwhelming. Conventional diaper bags overstuffed with diapers, wipes, bibs, changing pad, etc. was just too much for quick trips to the grocery store or a visit to the park. For these short jaunts, I only needed to carry a few diapers, wipes, perhaps a change of clothes and a changing pad. I also wanted something small and compact that I could throw in my car, handbag, or even at the bottom of my stroller.
By 2004 I had been out for the workforce for a few years, and I wanted to return but on my own terms—with my own business. I discussed various possibilities with my eldest sister, Hanna, a researcher and consultant, who advised me that developing solutions to problems was a useful way to think of new businesses. During our conversation, I was changing Emma's diaper on the ever-so-popular rectangular changing pad. As always I was struggling with her squirming and asking for Hanna's assistance in untying and refolding the pad. Out of that frustration, an idea immediately hit me! A ROUND changing pad with handles would work so much better.
How hard was it to get to market?Prior to motherhood, I worked in public relations, marketing, and branding, and that experience made getting my product to market less challenging. At the outset, I felt I invented a much needed and practical product. I had faith in my product and I had the skills to promote it.
Please talk about the inspiration to include your children and culture in the design.When I developed my invention and began to think about my new "baby," my business, I wanted to include my values—my family—in the product and business. Not only did my children play a pivotal role in the invention, they, with my husband Marty, inspire me daily. Of course, my family extends beyond my children and husband to others especially my parents who taught me the importance of family. My parents are from the Philippines and incorporating aspects of that culture into my business seemed only natural as its integral my family's identity. These aspects drive many parts of my business. For example, my product name—patemm™ pad—is a combination of my 2 children's names—patRICK and emmA. In addition, the names of the various prints refer to various family members to honor their role in my family. I also incorporate many Bicol and Tagalog words to honor my Filipino heritage.
What were the biggest do's and don'ts in the process?Do's:
Do your homework and do your research
Hire a patent attorney
Budget your time and money
Surround yourself with smart, trustworthy, and supportive people
Be flexible
Have a sense of humor
Don'ts:
Don't stress
Don't put all of your eggs in one basket
How much did it cost to get things off the ground, and how long did it take you to start making a profit?As this was a new venture with an untested product, my business began in my living room. With a sewing machine given to me by my mother, I started making prototypes from construction paper patterns. With a homemade sample in hand, I sought a local professional seamstress to improve the model and ascertain potential production costs. I wanted to keep the production in San Francisco so that I could monitor quality. During this beginning stage, everything except the production happened in my living room with materials and inventory stuffed and stored in various closets of our apartment. Soon, the business was too big for our apartment.
For the invention, I started with $10K, which disappeared quickly after I hired a patent attorney, but that was money well spent as its afforded my product protection from competition. Of course, I had to invest in initial materials for the product; however, in the early phase of the business, I was producing just-in-time inventory, which kept my cost of goods sold closely aligned with net sales. I also made a strategic decision to keep the business online and not pursue a retail channel. This forced me to invest in building and maintaining a web site, not a trivial expense. After my first year in business, I had gross sales in excess of $250, 000 mostly resulting from the "word of mouth" of my product.
Is this the first time you tried an invention?Yes.
As a wife and the mother of 3 children, how do you balance everything?I'm always striving for balance in my life! I think the key for finding balance is to be flexible and to try to keep things simple—a lesson my parents emphasize with me to this day! I cherish the time I spend with my family and always take time out for myself. At the end of the day, I look deeply into my children's eyes and know that they are the priority regardless of how crazy the business can get.
Do you work from home, and if so.. how do you break up your day between family and business?Part of the strategy in going online was to give myself the flexibility I wanted so that I could spend time with my children and be home when they needed me. With a husband and 3 children, you never know what your day will be like! As with everything, family is first, then business. I created a business that can be mostly executed online especially at home. Obviously, with three kids, I, like most moms, have become a great multi-tasker. As the business grew too big for my home, I established offices near the production facility, so now I have an office that I go to 1-2 times a week when I have meetings, etc. Everyday is different and first dependent upon my family's needs—doctor's appointments, teacher meetings, dance classes, etc. Then, working around those demands, I fit the needs of my business.
Did you work outside the home before you became a mom inventor?Prior to my children, I was a Public Relations/Marketing/Branding Specialist with a San Francisco architectural firm, RMW architecture & interiors.
What advice do you have for other parents with invention ideas?If you think you have a great invention, go for it! Do your homework and consider the viability of making money from the invention. Consider what kind of business you're willing to do. Finally, seek some advice from a variety of sources.
What questions should they ask themselves about their idea?
Does this idea exist elsewhere? If so, how different is your idea?
Does this idea help solve a problem? What exactly is the problem? Whose problem is it?
Who are the potential customers? What are their needs? What is their willingness to pay for this product or this solution?
Do I want to start a business around this idea? How big a business do I want this to be? Is this an invention you are passionate about? If so, why?
How do I get it to market? What is the market? How do I communicate to this market?
How much professional services will I need? Do I hire a patent attorney? If so, how much will it be?
What types of resources do you suggest for future inventors? Alas, the beauty of the internet! Do your research online and visit your local library. Visit the Patent and Trademark website: http://www.uspto.gov. You can save yourself a lot of money in patent attorney fees if you do the research yourself. While saving money, you will also learn about products that could be similar to yours and this will help you refine your idea.
(© MMVI, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)