Semi-finalist:
Alison Cromie
Company:
Heartland Parenting
Website:
State:
MN
City:
Farmington
Share with Friends:
Heartland Parenting
What does your business do?Heartland Parenting is a website dedicated to connecting parents in the Twin Cities with their local birth and parenting resources. The Twin Cities has an amazingly large birth and baby community which can make it very hard to navigate. I want to provide businesses a new way to connect with the community and people they serve. By providing a first of its kind directory in my area, I will be able to help parents find the resources they need, and help grow local business at the same time. Once established, I would like to fill a need in our community for a better selection of nursing bras. I am a breastfeeding advocate, soon to be counselor, and feel that the availability of nursing bras in my area is woefully inadequate. The next step would be to expand into that market as either a brick and mortar store, or more likely, a mobile boutique.
How would you use the grant money?The grant money would be used for basic start up expenses. A new computer and accounting software will be necessary to help with revenue generation. Expanding advertising efforts to bring more people to the site. Also, I am looking into creating a short run of Gift Packs (in various themes) featuring products my husband and I found helpful after the birth of my son.
What would the grant enable you to do that you can't now?The grant money will allow me to pursue the necessary expenses that my family cannot afford to set aside for my business. I am a Mom working hard to follow my dream. I work 40 hours each week at an office job, sell children's books on the weekends, and spend my evenings making sure that Heartland Parenting is the best resource it can be. I want to expand into the markets that will start generating revenue, but just cannot afford the initial costs at this time.
If Idea Cafe's Grant helps your biz reach greater success, how will you "pay it forward" to help others in some way?Part of Heartland Parenting's mission is to support other businesses. By creating a directory, I am allowing for local parents to find the resources they might not have already been aware of. In addition, when I do reach greater success, I would love to help coach other business owners (especially Moms), on how to successfully launch a business with almost nothing.
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