June 7: Michael says to use what you have to start your own business

In this busy, industrial, high tech world, reception is network coverage and signal strength. Your availability could make or break a business deal and create that edge for a promotion.

So on that dark summer night when you discover you've left your cell phone in the car, you zombie past the fire of the lightning bugs. The walk down your driveway is not speakered into the crickets as you unlock the car door.

You retrieve your device, check for missed calls as you walk to your front door; ignoring the concert and light show outside. You will, however, notice the mosquito bite on your ankle. How ironic that in our quest for success, prosperity and hopefully, happiness, we acknowledge the nuisance and ignore the beauty. Can you hear me now?

 

Technology is keen but reception is no replacement for perception. In the nine blog postings I've written for the Daily Press's Web site, starting in February, the majority of comments I've received have come from men and women with remarkable business ideas of their own. They long to start their own company but feel they have no means to do so. Whether it is the money, the time, the knowledge or faith to begin, they feel their dreams are unrealistic.

When I made the decision to pursue my own business, KEM Productions and Poom Poom, the one thing I had was blind faith. I had no money, no business degree, no true plan of how, yet somehow, I have gotten to this point.

A full tank of gas is awesome but you can get from point A to point Z with petroleum or cow manure. My point is, use what you have. A business degree is helpful but not necessary to start your own business. Planning can be overrated. Besides, when you're getting started, following your instincts takes less time than following a plan. William Arthur Ward wrote, "If you can imagine it, you can create it. If you can dream it, you can become it."

Just make sure that you have some other type of income coming in!

I'm not a successful businesswoman yet. I have yet to make money off of my Barry Privett Poom Pooms. In fact, I owe a very patient man lots of money. I've been at a standstill for the past three months. I've let doubt creep in. I can boot doubt out. Now is time to plan and plot. I will sell lots of pillows. I will sell lots of pillows. I will sell lots of pillows.

Somehow, my bloggage has strayed from the physical to philosophical steps I have taken with Poom Poom. That's because I believe that the state of your mind is the state you will live in.

Thank you for reading my blog. I hope you are getting something out of them. Please continue to leave feedback. I am happy to respond and take advice! See you in two weeks

 

April 26: Making the first sale ... and trying to sell more

Ever since I was a little girl, I had a clear image of what my future would hold. A vision shared by many girls who grew up believing in happy endings. So, in 2001, after a not-so-happy divorce, I was faced with the reality that my future had become a little blurry. That's when clarity hit.

For the next five years, I got busy working on my future. I planned and plotted, searched and scoured. I even paid people to make it happen. Then one day, the clouds parted and the wind changed direction.

There, in the warmth of the sun, came those three magic words: "You've got Cash!" After five busy years, I made my first sale. Yep, Sarah of Londonderry, NH, was the first to buy a Poom Poom! I had spent a lot of money over half a decade to start my own business. On that day, a little came back. My Paypal account actually had money in it!

 

On December 13, 2006, Barry Privett of Carbon Leaf, let his fans know about the "Barry Poom Poom" by posting a blog on the band's MySpace and Internet site. Check it out for yourself at Carbonleaf.com and www.myspace.com/carbonleaf.

December 13th, 2006, my first day of business, I received five orders. I was now an entrepreneur equipped with energy and enthusiasm. I envisioned my pillow encompassing the world!

With well over 18,500 fans on Carbon Leaf's MySpace alone, I foresaw no problem selling 1,000 pillows of their lead singer. The problem was that I didn't do my homework. I didn't research or plot a marketing strategy. I thought fans of the band would see this unique Barry Poom Poom and immediately buy one. I found out it didn't quite work that way. People are happy keeping their money safe in their wallet. Why aren't I more like that?

From December 2006 through February 2007, sales were pretty consistent. I sold about 25 pillows at $49.95 a piece. March came in like a lamb and crawled out like a baby lamb, unfortunately. I hit a wall.

I did not solidify my expectations to Barry regarding his effort in the selling process. Selling these pillows at Carbon Leaf's shows would have been the perfect opportunity for not only sales but exposure. Unfortunately, deals are made with merchandise companies......etc.

The link I had envisioned from the band's web page to PoomPoom.net was not the same as Carbon Leaf's webmaster's vision. However, Barry did write an awesome blog on their MySpace page about "Barry the Pillow."

Plan 9 Music in Richmond has my pillows for sale. I've reduced the cost $29.95. I need to come up with some alternative marketing plans so I can move the remainder. I must make room for Elias of The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus, whom will grace the cover of my next Poom Poom!

Some costly mistakes I've made, but I've learned valuable lessons. It's never too late to start making money!

Thank you for reading. I always appreciate your feedback and questions, which I will answer now:

Gweneth: We are currently searching for a manufacturer here in the United States. Unfortunately, it seems the size and design of my pillow are complicated and not many manufacturers, at least those we have spoken with, are able to produce them.

Amanda: We will be selling Poom Pooms at the Chesapeake Jubilee on May 15 . Carbon Leaf will be performing! Come out and let's make a deal! See you there and stay tuned.

 

April 12: Experimenting with size and image quality/getting Poom Poom pillows made

The photo shoot took place in Richmond at Kent Eanes' studio. Welcome Mr. Pajamas Barry Privett. Barry looks awesome clad in plaid, by the way. Finally, I was feeling tangible progress. I secured my first musician's image for my very first Poom Poom. What more could a girl ask for?

How about someone to enlarge and transfer it onto fabric?

Finding a manufacturer was slightly more difficult than I had expected. I couldn't find a company that had the technology to mass-produce the pillows. I searched the Internet - I posted on forums, Googled, Wikied - and talked to business owners. I got nothing. Why is size always an issue?!

 

Roadblocks happen. It's inevitable. But you can control how you react to those things. You can be stopped in your tracks or you can turn around, take another direction. Find another way.

Fortunately, I have no problem with pulling over and asking for directions.

Jeff Swartz of Powerhouse Advertising had many contacts and, together, we found a company that could turn my photo into a 34-by-12-inch pillow. Because our manufacturer was overseas, it was a lengthy process. We were sent three separate prototypes over the course of a year. The shape and print clarity were different on each pillow. Although they were using the same digital photograph, the transfer technique varied and each prototype took about three to four months to produce and ship out to us. Finally, we agreed on what would be the final product.

Originally, I envisioned my pillow to be made of 100 percent cotton. Again, the size of the photo was an issue in the reproduction onto the fabric. The clarity and color were not as true when printed directly onto the cotton fabric. We had to make a decision whether to sacrifice the clarity or the cotton. Although the pillow is 100 percent cotton, for clarity's sake, we chose to go with a vinyl-based photo imprinted onto the fabric. Barry Privett is far too handsome!

This is the scary part. Once we agreed on the shape, size, photographic transfer, and box, it was time to sign on the dotted line. The box that the pillow comes in, by the way, is awesome. It's shiny black with my "Poom Poom Sleep Famously" logo imprinted on all sides. I had to come up with a down payment of $5,000. The minimum amount they would produce in one order is 1,000 pillows. The order was signed and placed and in December, a big freight ship sailed into a port in California, carrying 1,000 Poom Pooms. (A minimum of 1,000 pillows per order.) Yep, I've got a little over 900 Barry Privett Poom Pooms in a warehouse waiting to find homes.

Check out my Web site and have a look for yourself! PoomPoom.net. I've reduced the price of my first pillow as we make plans for our second celebrity/musician, Elias, of The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus. Please leave a comment or suggestion and please tell all of your Carbon Leaf fan friends about my pillow!

Next edition, I'll share the excitement of receiving my first sales and how I went about promoting my product. Thanks for reading.

 

 

March 15: Finding a manufacturer and distributer

Onward to New York City did my Poom Poom prototype go. Included with the pillow was a confidentiality agreement my lawyer had drawn up to protect my trade secret information. Basically, it's an agreement that prevents other people from using the idea or passing it on to someone else, once they've seen my trademarked product. A letter of intent was also included explaining my marketing and distribution strategy.

On July 7, 2004, a Poom Poom was delivered to John Mayer's manager, Mr. Michael Solomon. Our previous e-mails and telephone conversations had been positive, leaving me encouraged about Mr. Solomon's interest in my celebrity pillow. Hopefully, upon receiving it, he would allow me the use of John Mayer's image.

Approximately two weeks later, I received a very nice rejection e-mail from Mr. Solomon. Both he and John Mayer agreed the idea was clever, but that John was not "pillow" material. John's musical direction was taking a turn from a love-song-sweetheart pop singer to a more serious rhythm-and-blues musician. Creating a pillow in his image may prolong the past stereotype.

That was a very bad day for me. I had put all my eggs into that basket and had not prepared or thought about rejection. Unfortunately, I became very discouraged. For two months, I could not find the energy to devote to my business. My original plan, the driving force behind my whole idea of a celebrity pillow, had crumbled. I had to take a hiatus.

In October of 2004, I realized that I still had a good idea; I just needed to find an artist who was willing to become a pillow. I needed a bigger picture of the future. I needed a real game plan.

My lawyers advised me to say little about my idea until I had something solid in the works. We knew this concept had the potential to become a huge moneymaker. It was odd, though, that those times I perhaps disclosed too much information, were those moments that gave me the greatest direction.

One day while at work, I was casually lamenting to my friend and co-worker, Eric Worden, about the state of my business. He mentioned Jeff Swartz, who is president of Powerhouse Advertising. Eric did not really know him, but had heard about him through a friend.

Powerhouse is a local agency that specializes in custom, imprinted merchandise. It supplies products, provides service and promotional ideas for small and large businesses. I looked up the number and made an appointment to meet with Jeff. That was probably the real beginning for Poom Poom. I had the trademark but I did not have a way to manufacture and distribute. After our first discussion, I knew I had found a very important ally in Jeff Swartz. He advised and found contacts that I never knew existed. Being new in this business world, insight from the experienced is priceless.

The foundation of Poom Poom was becoming stronger. With Powerhouse Advertising behind me, I had a clearer sense of direction.

Which direction did I go? In two more weeks, check out my next entry.

Across the pond we go to search for a manufacturer of the Poom Poom. Barry Privett of Carbon leaf lends a hand. Actually, Barry Privett of Carbon Leaf lends a body. Meetings, photo shoots, and sleeping famously will be covered in the next edition!

I hope you keep reading and please send me your comments, questions and opinions. Check out my web site at PoomPoom.net. We are having a Spring Close-Out. The Barry Poom Poom price has dropped. I'm clearing inventory to prepare for my second musician. Details coming soon!

Also, come down to the Shamrock Sports Festival at the Oceanfront Friday night to see Carbon Leaf performing live! I'll have my very own Poom Poom booth. I'd love to meet you.

March 2: Getting a prototype made

In less than a year, Poom Poom evolved from a whimsical thought to a trademarked product. John Mayer was the first artist I wanted to pursue. The tricky part would be convincing his management company to allow me to use his image.

Starting by phoning his record label, Sony Music, I managed to retrieve a few contact names from the receptionist. I found that e-mailing was the most reliable way to get the answers I needed. After about a week or two of following phone-call and e-mail trails, I found the decision-maker, the direct link to John Mayer. The interest was generated; now, I needed to come up with a prototype, quickly!

I became my prototype. I started by contacting my friend and professional photographer, Lyle Trenchard. After several photo sessions in his Shadowlawn backyard, we came up with the right pictures; full-bodied front and back images of me. Since the pillow actually resembles a real person's body, posture and position of my stance, feet, head and hands were very important. The front had to match the back.

Next stop: the fabric store to pick the perfect cotton fabric and stuffing for my pillow. I had to figure out how I was going enlarge 5 by 7 pictures to approximately 34 inches in height and then transfer them to my fabric. Starting at Kinko's, I blew up the photograph myself, but, because of the photograph's size, Kinko's copiers weren't big enough to transfer the image onto fabric. I called every t-shirt manufacturer, digital design company, and advertising agency, in the book. No one had the capabilities to take a 12 inch image, expand it to 24 inches, and then, enlarge it another 10 inches. Someone needs to invent a humongous copy machine!

Finally, I found a little air-brush store inside Pembroke Mall, called Airworx. They said they could help. Since their machine, that applied the transfers, wasn't as large the photos, they needed to be dissected in order to apply them to the fabric. They succeeded, but unfortunately, since then, Airworx went out of business. With the photos on fabric, on I went to a local tailor who stuffed and sewed me my first prototype Poom Poom!

Keep on reading! In two more weeks, I'll tell you about my Poom Poom's first flight to NYC and what John Mayer's people had to say

Thank you for your feedback. I will try and answer all your questions.

In response to my last blog, Amanda asked me if Carbon Leaf would be selling the Barry Privett Poom Poom at their shows. I thought they would but when I talked to Barry, he said it was not likely because of licensing rights and interference with Carbon Leaf's own merchandise sales. That definitely throws a wrench into my plans. However, I will be selling them at The Shamrock Festival at the Oceanfront, St. Patrick's Day Weekend, where Carbon Leaf is scheduled to play. Look for our table and buy a Poom Poom.

Sales have been very slow the last two weeks. I've sold a total of twenty so far. There are 980 more in the warehouse. Please check out my web-site at Poompoom.net. You can purchase one there as well. The first of many Poom Pooms to come! Who knows, my first one may become a collector's item one day. Once I sell enough Barry Privett's, I'll be on to my second celebrity. He's a big one! See you in 2 weeks.

Feb. 15: Having a lawyer to guide you through paperwork is helpful

The thought of actually starting my own business was a little overwhelming, if not frightening. For four months, I throttled. Working at The Coast and 96X, doing voice-overs for Studio Center and tending to my three children were good defenses to my Poom Poom progress.

But slowly, I continued to plot and plan. I confided in my good friends, who agreed that this was something I needed to pursue and secure before somebody else stole my idea. A lawyer friend suggested I contact Kaufman & Canoles, a full-service law firm with a practice area dedicated to clients trying to start new business ventures. People like me who need to be guided through the necessary steps.

On June 15, 2005, I retained Kaufman & Canoles to serve as counsel for KEM Productions LLC. My initial consultation with Stephen Noona, a principal of the firm's litigation section, was free of charge. He spent about an hour listening to my ideas and offering suggestions about what steps needed to be taken first. He seemed to like my idea.

Next stop: trademark! The first step in the trademark process is to do a search to confirm that the name and logo, or similar ones, are not already in use. In our case, because Poom Poom was so distinctive, my lawyers were able to confirm the availability of my trademark quite quickly.

Next, a formal application for registration of the trademark with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office is filed. In many cases, this part of the process can be drawn out and expensive. My trademark was registered in less than 4 months.

It seems like a complicated procedure and that's exactly why you get a lawyer. Believe me, it's worth the money. Kaufman & Canoles took care of everything. Basically, they become part of your business when you employ them to represent you. It's a nice feeling to know that you have professionals filing applications and informing you of what steps must be taken next. They know what needs to be done is done right and on time.

From the moment "Poom Poom Sleep Famously" became officially trademarked, I knew this was no longer a concept, it was my future.

Whether spontaneous or meticulously planned, clever ideas and inventions are born every single day. They also die every day. We've all have had moneymaking schemes. But ideas locked in your head won't take you to the bank. Initial risk and investment is not that much. Dedicating your time and thoughts is the hard part.

In my next entry, I'll tell you about the steps I took to get a prototype of Poom Poom. I figured it would probably be easier convincing John Mayer to let me use his image for my first celebrity pillow if I had an actual prototype to show his management. In order to acquire my first Poom Poom artist, I decided I must become one myself.

Check out my Web site, www.poompoom.net. As you will see, John Mayer is not a Poom Poom--yet! Richmond-based band Carbon Leaf's lead singer, Barry Privett, is my first. Keep reading and feel free to ask me any questions. I appreciate all your comments. We could all use each other's help.

Feb. 1: How Poom Poom got its start

If, while talking to me, you think I'm not paying attention, it's not on purpose. I'm just somewhere else at the moment. The past five years of my life have been a non-stop, crazy whirlwind. Exciting as it has been exhausting.

I am a single mom with three children who, at the time of my divorce in January 2002, were 7, 5 and 2 years old. I am slightly outnumbered and incredibly busy. I work from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on 96X WROX and from 7 p.m. to midnight on 93.7 Bob FM, formerly The Coast. I also freelance as a voice-talent for Studio Center, an International Production Studio, headquartered in Virginia Beach.

As life got busier, it seemed each day became shorter.

Right about the time I was getting a picture of what my wits end would look like, John Mayer's album, "Heavier Things," was released. I found myself listening to it constantly. His romantic, caring, compassionate lyrics spoke to me. Alone and Fairy Godmother-less, I swept and cleaned and washed late into each night. Cinderella had the handsome prince. I had John Mayer. "Now there," I thought, "was a man who knew how to treat a woman." Enter infatuation. I wanted romance. I wasn't getting romance--so I listened to it.

What could a girl do?

Invent a pillow, perhaps.

I'll never forget the moment. It was Thanksgiving Day 2003, at my sister's house in Fairfax, Va. I was irritated that John Mayer wasn't there to spend the holiday with me. As I walked into the shower, I thought, "I should just make a pillow of the man. That way, he'd be with me wherever I went." Just a fleeting thought, of course. But the more I thought about it, the more I thought about how brilliant it was. There wasn't a real-life picture pillow out there in the market, as far as I knew.

Without much effort, idea after idea flowed out like an uncorked bottle of champagne just waiting for a celebration. A pillow shaped like a person. A real picture of John Mayer imprinted on cotton and stuffed with cotton.

I'll make it even more realistic by including not only the front image, but the back as well.

Tastefully done, of course, and we'll have him pose in his pajamas. What should I call this pillow? Poom Poom! It came to me, just like that. Poom Poom was a pet name my dad used to call me and my two sisters, when we were kids. In the days and weeks that followed, I thought about this idea. I talked to my best friends about it. I knew that I was absolutely onto something. I came up with the slogan, "Sleep Famously." Just brilliant! I couldn't let it be a thought that went away. I started taking tiny steps. I Googled just about anything that had to do with pillows, celebrities, musicians and images. The Internet was void of a similar product.

The door was open. I knew that if I walked through that door, things would happen. Poom Poom could no longer be just an idea that I kept in my head. I had to keep walking.

We all think about goals. But, you can't score points with a thought. You have to move. Action is the first step.

I have not taken any business courses in college. So with every day and with each step, I learn. I would love to hear from you. Your input is more than welcome, as well as your questions. This could turn out to be a forum for all aspiring entrepreneurs.

There is much ground to cover, so watch for my next post. I'll show you how Poom Poom got its color and how I became a Poom Poom.