Working Mom Summer Hours

All I want to do this summer is play with my children in the beautiful weather. The reality of owning your own small company is that although you may have provide yourself with flexibility, you still need to get the work done. Your company will not grow if no one is moving it forward. I should say MY company will not grow if I am not moving it forward. I have to learn to be easier on myself about providing the girls with a fantastic summer & also what I am able to accomplish with RoSK while my girls are at home with me. I can get myself into trouble by continuously setting my goals higher & higher without taking a moment to enjoy the goals already met.

RoSK is getting into our busy season. This will be the first time we start the season with the new brand & so far the response has been wonderful. Protective, fun, functional, spirited, & urban is what RoSK is all about and our attachable stroller gear will be a wonderful addition to any stores product lines this fall. As we have grown we have also been able to reduce our cost of manufacturing, & in doing so lower the cost of our WooBee blankets - now $62 & $64, from $70. Good stuff. Our unique silkscreened CityScapes will be $70 & are AWESOME!

Steal of the Day

The RoSK new organic UPF 30+ Sun Cover is on BabySteals.com today as their 'Steal of the Day'. Great product for those who have infants & babies and prefer to stay away or limit sun block.

You might be wondering why would I put my brand new product on a website that sells it at half price? I have good reasons. The first being that Baby Steals receives over 75,000 hits to their site within the first 2 hours of launching their 'Steal'! It is impossible to get that many people in your target market to see & read a full page about just your product any other way. It is by far the best way for me to introduce this new item to a large audience and still make a sliver of a profit. I have also been having a nightmare shipping experience bringing this product in. The Sun Covers should have been on shelves in March, but we have met one delay after another and here it is mid-June and we JUST got the product in our warehouse. Not optimal (understatement). Baby Steals can help me move large amounts of product so I don't sit on inventory and again, I don't take a loss.

The Baby Steals women are amazing and professional. I love to support mom owned companies.

Check out the new Sun Cover and did I already mention my new awesome website by the talented Sarah Strachan? www.roskbaby.com - check it.

Rain or Shine Kids Annual Sale!!

It's that time of year again people, the RoSK 'Annual Sale'. All WooBee products are 20%-65% off. Bibs for $9 (from $15), Burps for $5 (from $14), WooBee blankets $40-$49 (from $70) & the new CityScape WooBee's for $55 (from $70).

Head on over to RoSK web site and check out the cool new look and pick up a few kick butt shower gifts, and a little something for yourself. You'll also find the new organic UPF 30+ Sun Cover. Sun protection without chemical sunblocks, perfect of infants.

Sale lasts until June 7th (or until stock lasts).

Import/Export Discussion

Just got back from the Seattle SBA where I was a panel speaker on a discussion about Import/Export and manufacturing. This is a topic I like to talk about with new businesses in the soft goods industry. Whether or not to produce your product in the US should not be taken lightly. It's good to remember that after you pay all the sampling fees, shipping, duties, etc. your product may not actually be that much cheaper than producing in the US. Explore ALL the costs...and I mean ALL before you decide where to manufacture. You do not want to get stuck with a large amount of inventory just to save a few bucks. Sometimes paying a little more and moving all your product is a better deal. Weigh it all out.

stroller blankets, strollers, stroller blanket, stroller...

The title of this post has to do with my recent dive into SEO for the new site. The Rain or Shine Kids brand make-over will be released soon, which includes a long overdue new look for our site. Although we are just re-modeling the old dog (baby steps) I have been rewriting the text so that the search engines can find us better. The number one piece of information I have found most valuable, you can have to many keywords on a page. Try to choose a few to reiterate in the text so that the search engines can detect a pattern. It is these patterns that they pick up on. I am new to the wonders of SEO so be sure to research it yourself.

Here is a seek peek at my new logo.

You know what's great about this logo? It supports growth in the company, it has iconic design, and it just looks very cool. CorHouse consulting did a great job. We will be using the icons in some fun ways which will help our customers find the RoSK product that best fits their needs. Loads of possibilities.

Rain or Shine Kids 20% off Coupon Code

I just released a coupon code the blog fivedollarshake.com. Use SHAKE20 at checkout to recieve 20% off your total order at www.rainorshinekids.com. Offer expires Feb 5th!

Keep an eye out for good things to come this spring from RoSK!

Branding in 2010!

To say that I am excited about RoSK in 2010 barely scrapes the surface. I started to think about this year and how I need to make a huge change to my brand. My excitement was fading as Rain or Shine Kids started to move into this very comfortable, safe branding position that wasn't my vision, but what I have been financially able to manage. Well I said ENOUGH! I decide to kick down the money for a kick ass branding company that would catapult my company to the next level of serious business. I needed someone that would help set RoSK apart from the competition in a way that would set us up for ridiculous success...branding that allows & encourages growth. I contacted CorHouse (I worked with co-owner Cor at BabyLegs and know her brilliance) and I cant wait to share with you what they have done for RoSK...which is what my 'urban gear' company will be referred to as...RoSK (Rain or Shine Kids). The logo is BRILLIANT! The possibilities it gives us for future products is amazing, and they have given me back what I was starting to miss in my brand - a smidgen of attitude. Moms like me are my customers. We are urban, educated, start companies, travel the world, have children and like products that make our lives easier. We are not shrinking violets, wall flowers, or debbie downers. We appreciate a good sense of humor with just a hint of sass. That's my new brand, and I can't wait to show you. Expect good things from RoSK in 2010!