Q & A with The Mogul Mom

Lois Whittaker, inventor of Cushie Pushie, "the cushion that pushes you up", asks a twofold question: "How do you know when to take that next step from small, "make at home" to larger production that may put you into debt and when should I spend the large sums needed to get into large publications?"  Well, Lois, your first question is easy to answer. You'll know when to start thinking about larger production options when the demand for your product far exceeds your supply. "Larger production" won't put you into debt if the demand is there. Or, if the "make at home" gig is becoming too much for you, that might be the point where you consider outsourcing production. You will find more information about overseas manufacturing in an article I wrote for one of my favorite sites, StartUp Princess. Now onto your next question, which is a little tougher to answer. It's never wise to assume that large sums + large publications = large sales. It doesn't always work like that. Trust me, I know. After spending about $17,000 on ads in Pregnancy Magazine, I sold about $1000 in product. Not a great investment. Bigger (budget) isn't always better. If your primary sales outlet is your online store, then I would try some ads on a handful of targeted websites that cater to your market (breastfeeding women), and see how that goes. Or, try some remnant advertising to keep your ad spending small while you test the waters. I hope this answers your questions. If any Mogul Moms out there have something else to add, I'd love to hear from you! Lois, thanks for your questions. Keep 'em coming. Together, we can do anything.