Eggo in the Oven: Profile of a Small Business Owner

Kim Wells and her son Colby in her home office.

Kim Wells, a stay-at-home mom from Lake Stevens, Washington, has always been crafty. After her son Colby was born last fall, she started her at-home business, Eggo in the Oven, creating and selling custom baby clothes and accessories. Since her business launched on January 1, she has fulfilled more than 200 orders, and has more than 1,400 followers on her company's Facebook page. 
I chatted with Kim recently about what it takes to make an at-home business work. (And, read to the bottom of this post for a giveaway!)

How did you get the idea for starting Eggo in the Oven?

"I have always loved crafting.  Scrapbooking, photography, sewing, and more.  A few years back when my friends started having babies, I decided to make blankets and burp cloths for them as gifts.  I continued to make more handmade gifts, and started branching out - creating onesies and nursing covers.  People kept telling me that I should look into selling the items that I make.  I shrugged it off.  When I found out I was pregnant with Colby, I joined an online group for women due in September 2010.  We did a few gift exchanges with that group, and again, people kept saying I should sell the items.  So I started to look into it!  Around October 2010, I really got serious.  I applied for my business license, and started working on ideas, products, and my Facebook page.  I was still hesitant to open, but friends, family, and strangers continued to suggest I open a shop.... so I finally did!

The name came about due to a nickname my husband Jimmy came up with for my son when I was pregnant -- Eggo the Embryo (just because of the alliteration, not because of the waffles!)."  

How do you get the word out about your business? How did you get so many facebook followers so quickly?

Onesie and 'L'eggo' (baby legwarmers) set.

"The girls I met online through the group for gals due in September 2010 has provided AMAZING support and have done tons of marketing for me! I have also participated in many giveaways through other businesses on Facebook.  I have found that many of them very helpful - I have networked with other great businesses, and gained a bunch of fans and new customers.  Getting more people to come and take a look at the items I sell eventually turns into more sales!"

What advice do you have for other people who want to start their own business? 

"Be prepared for it to take over your life! Since opening Eggo in the Oven, I've probably worked an average of 10 hours or more a day, 7 days a week.  Keep in mind I have a little one to take care of during the day, too, but I tend to work from when I wake up until when I go to bed! I now spend my "free time" shopping for fabric online and creating new applique designs,

I would recommend looking into the rules and regulations about starting a business in your area.  Many people who sell online choose to do it "under the table".  This works for some, but I went into this with the mindset that I wanted to try my hardest to do it by the books so that if I was successful, I wouldn't have to go back and re-learn how to run my business!  I'm so glad I did that.

Also, I found a few blogs of people who own companies that started out small and have grown immensely.  They had great advice about pricing, marketing, expectations, etc.  I found them to be very helpful, and continue to reference back to them on occasion.

Keep in mind it's not likely going to be cheap to start up your own company.  You'll need to pay for your business license and any other fees, materials, possibly new equipment (I bought a new sewing machine one week after my grand opening!), shipping supplies, and so many more things you aren't even thinking of!  I read one blog that said you likely won't actually start turning a profit or paying yourself a paycheck until about six months in.  I would agree with that.  At this point, I'm seeing a small profit, but I think that Eggo in the Oven has taken off much quicker than many companies do and it's still slow going!

Don't expect instant success - it will likely take a good amount of time, money, energy, and many failures before you hit your stride! 

Be proud of what you do, and decide what is important to you - it may be pricing your items as low as possible to give people a deal or maybe you want to create high-quality items and need to charge more,  or you may want to focus on increasing your customer base.  Whatever it is, develop a plan and stick to it... and don't let others talk you out of it!

Finally.... try it!  Start small, and see what happens.  You'll never know until you try, and it could turn into something HUGE!"

Kim's short term goals include finding a better work-life balance, and selling her products in local craft bazaars. She hopes her business will be successful enough that she can continue to stay home with her son, and eventually, she would like to launch her own website to sell her creations. In the meantime, you can find her on Facebook here. Best of luck, Kim! 

Giveaway from Eggo in the Oven!

Giveaway!! Kim from Eggo in the Oven is giving away one of her great creations! Become a follower of my blog, and comment on this post to enter. We're giving away a custom onesie or toddler tee, with either the ladybug or necktie print, and you get to choose the fabric from anything she has in stock! Enter to win today! These make great gifts too if you don't have any little ones of your own. I'll announce the winner here on the blog on Sunday night!