It is imperative that, as a local business, we find a way to give back to our community.  This is a concept that has been handed down through my family by my own grandfather who grew up in a poor Kentucky farming community.  Grandpa worked hard for everything he's ever had and has always gone the extra mile to help others in need.

In my county newspaper there was a recent article profiling a humanitarian organization that helps provide families with food.  The article stated that the non-profit group only had enough canned goods to last half way through the summer.  This time of year, they typically have enough food to last them through the holidays.  The article offered information for contribution of canned goods to this local food bank.

Mom showed me the article to get me to gather people to collect cans.  Kr...Read More

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Rarely do I use this forum for plugging a product on the market but this is definitely noteworthy.

I spent some time today with the inventor of Your Breast Friends, an fellow Atlanta resident.  She showed me and my staff how the Your Breast Friends hot and cold therapy packs work.  I was blown away by both the simplicity of design and the "duh!" factor.  As a mom, I couldn't believe that I didn't think of this when I was nursing.

The packs are basic fabric-covered hot/cold gel packs but they are shaped to fit around the entire breast where the milk ducts are found.  Warm packs open the ducts and produce faster flow and thus allow for more efficient production.  When chilled, the same packs slow milk flow and can be used to wean a baby or dissuade milk production....Read More

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I've been researching the plastics that contain Bisphenol-A for a couple of weeks now.  It seems as though the more answers I find, the more questions and concerns that I have.  I started to lay out a plastics matrix, a categorization of different types of plastics and their attributes.  The further I dig into the chemical make-up and potential side-effects of exposure, the more concerned I become.

We've known for a while that PVC (Polyvinyl Carbonate) was not so great.  Many of us have heard of phthalates even if we don't know exactly what they are.  Well, I still don't know what they are but I do know that they're in pretty much anything that is vinyl and that exposure to phthalates is bad.  Guess what, vinyl is used to waterproof just about everything for babies.  Scared yet?

Let me pause a moment to assure you...Read More

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A video baby monitor is a product that parents purchase to increase their sense of security, right?  Well, buyer beware.  Many baby video monitors can be intercepted by the wireless cameras that are used in SUV's (for reversing).  Check out this story on Good Morning America.  No joke, Atlanta reporters captured video from private nurseries, houses of worship, gas stations, and even a "gentlemen's club".  

When you watch the video clip, pay very close attention.  The expert in the orange shirt who is standing in front of a room full of baby monitors is the one and only... Lindsay Nelson.  That's right, my very own baby sister.  Mine truly is a family dedicated to owning what we do.  Don't be surprised if you hear more from us now that m...Read More

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It only makes sense for me as a retailer to run sales and promotions geared toward gifts for mom this week before mother's day.  We are running specials on maternity clothing and revamping displays with maternal skin care products, nursing shawls, and other mom-specific items.  The "I Love Mommy" and "Mommy Loves Me" items have been carefully corralled into a mother's day display.  It's as if this holiday were designed with the juvenille products industry in mind.

With such said, I have to wonder why more manufacturers in this industry don't do special mother's day promotions.  I have one vendor who is giving us a kick-back on a certain stroller if sold between certain dates as a special "mother's day promotion."  Other companies could offer discounts, package deals, or freight breaks.  This seems to be su...Read More

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Many independent baby furniture stores also carry older children's furniture.  The advantage to this set up is that many of your previous customers will continue to shop with you (based on the service they receive with their infant furniture.)  The obvious disadvantage to youth furniture is that it takes up more floor space than infant furniture.  In order to display a large variety of twin beds, you either have to have massive amounts of floor space or be incredibly inovative.

Some stores carry racks with twin size head boards to show several styles or colors from a certain collection.  Other stores have such limited space that an item may be displayed in one color but stocked in several.  We don't have very many full groups displayed but are always happy to place orders.  What we do display we keep in stock. ...Read More

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While mine may not be a generation that is fiscally brilliant (see yesterday's blog), I can say that we are a generation with heart.  Our stores are currently holding a canned food drive for a local organization called the Quinn House.  Because this organization was in short supply for the year, we have opted to hold a competition to see which of our two stores can collect the most canned goods.  So far it's neck and neck with two weeks to go.  What it has done, though, is provided a sense of team spirit at each store, a unity among the staff.  This comes along with the warm and fuzzy feeling that inherits any act of giving.

As another way of giving back to the community, we play "Free Rice" during our lunch breaks.  This is a ...Read More

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According to an article on MSN.com, a recent Pew survey has shown that 68% of baby boomers who have children, have children who rely on them as a source of financial assistance.  With this in mind, is my generation really ready to run the family business?

Well, as a single mom, I owned my own home for over 4 years before I incurred so much debt that I had to sell.  My daughter and I moved into my mom's basement, a cozy living situation, but mom's basement, nonetheless.  I pay her plenty of rent and do not rely on her for financial assistance but I do live under her roof.  (The term boomerang generation comes from the fact that so many of us have had to run home to mom!)

As common as is my situation, is it really fores...Read More

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Casual Fridays are no longer casual Fridays at our store.  We have decided to enforce the uniform (work shirt and khaki pants) on Fridays.  Why?  Because Friday is one of our busiest days of the week.  We actually have casual Mondays instead.  So what is our casual Monday like?

On Mondays, our staff is allowed to wear blue jeans (nice looking, no holes or print) and either the standard work polo or a t-shirt from a manufacturer.  We often use the t-shirts as giveaways or incentives during staff meetings so most everyone has one.  We are, however, always looking for new manufacturer shirts for our staff to sport on these casual Mondays.

Many of you in the industry know my sister, Krystal.  She and her husband, James, actually own a t-shirt printing business.  If any of you manufacturers are interested in promotin...Read More

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My concern over Bisphenol-A in plastics has been minimal until recently.  By request of some of my customers, I have delved deeper into researching this chemical compound.  It has been difficult to find reasons why people are scared of BPA, only articles on the sheer panic that has been created.  With further research, though, I was able to find out what the FDA and other regulatory organizations may not want you to know.

In various studies, BPA has been linked (in rats, mostly) to breast cancer, prostate cancer, behavioral disorders, miscarriages, type II diabetes, obesity, reduced sperm-count, reproductive malformation of offspring, and premature sexual development.  This might lead you to ask, "What is BPA and why does it cause the same i...Read More

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Just about everyone in my generation and younger has, at some point, "Googled" themselves.  For those of you who do not know what it means to "Google" yourself, it means to search for your name online.  

Well, a customer of my youngest sister told Lindsay that she had "Googled" Teutonia in the U.S. and came up with my blog!  Indeed, I tried the same search (after hearing this fantastic news) and my blog came up as the top spot!  I decided, because my ego was now so bloated, to "Google" my name.  It has been quite a while since I have done so and I was never able to find myself in the millions of hits that rendered various Kelly Nelsons.  Body builders, swimmers, soccer players, artists, but never was Kelly Nelson, sales and service aficionado, made available by Google.

I am r...Read More

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Most baby stores offer some sort of discount for parents of multiples.  Some big box stores offer 10% off most items purchased for multiple children as long as they're purchased at the same time.  It is tougher for a specialty retailer to offer this "across the board" discount because of tighter margins and higher overhead.  We offer 10% off the second crib and the second mattress.  While we do not allow coupons to be combined with the multiples discount, most parents will find coupons to use on the other major items that they need for their babies.

I was just curious as to what sort of discounts or incentives you offer to parents of multiples.  Do you meet what the big box stores offer?  How can you?  I find that one of the many products that we offer more selection on...Read More

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