Forums: Discussions for entrepreneurs and small business.

Ok

Here it is. I have an incredibly niche product. A healing scrapbook/craft kit for those grieving early pregnancy and infant loss. We are also a support website offering numerous ways to memorialize babies that left too soon. I am ready to advertise and i am working with a marketing consultant, but would like a second opinion, or 3 or 4. I am well aware that I need to piggy back on already established businesses, selling at wholesale. I have thought of advertising to florist shops that create sympathy baskets, hospital gifts shops, christian bookstores, national newspaper classifieds, ob/gyn clinics, funeral homes. Where should i start? Budget is not great, but i intend on 600 dollars per month

any ideas are very welcome

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www.justacloudaway.com Mother of Angels Diana

The first step is to educate yourself on public relations. Go to the library and check out a few books on public relations. This will give you a good foundation as well as a lot of ideas. The thing about public relations is that it`s low cost if you can do at least some of it yourself, and since you have a unique concept [ at least I`ve never heard of it before ] you might have a good chance of getting decent press coverage.

I`m not really sure if you have a formal business plan or just some minor documentation. Write something formal - at least a set of objectives - not necessarily lengthy, so can evaluate your progress. You do have a unique product and you have some tactical plans... do you have a strategy to get the product into market, keep it there, and grow? If not ... write some more objectives. Objectives are a great substitute for strategy in the short term, but for long term success you need competitive strategy, clear objectives, and the means to execute toward these objectives.

I wonder how much competition there is in this particular niche. It sounds unique to me.

That being said, my sister was remarking on the lack of available cards to send to someone who`s dying. Not sympathy cards. Likewise, I`ve never heard of this type of product, but I think it`s a brilliant concept.

I`d suspect that you may want to have some interviews with any funeral home directors who`d be willing to sit down and chat. They`re going to have lots of advice as to how to approach such an emotional situation with tact, elegance, grace, and also a business sense.

Your strategy, I think, is going to have to figure a way to approach those left-behind in such a way that doesn`t immediately remind them of their recent tragedy. So I`d rule out hospital gift shops and that venue. It would also be good to somehow keep this all very private. Online sales would be great, given the anonymous nature.

You might also consider setting up some sort of a support group. If there is one, then look into whether there`s a national organization. You might be able to offer your product to the overall organization, who could distribute it downward to local chapter.

Another option would be to get involved with grief counselors and psychologists. There too, perhaps through national organizations you could provide the therapeutic aspect of coming to terms with a seemingly insurmountable loss.

I see two basic strategies for setting up this product:

• The therapeutic aspect of working through the emotions,
• The cathartic aspect of having to begin to consciously articulate what happened.

I`m not a psychologist, but I believe the biggest problem is denial. So to even accept the idea that a couple lost a baby would be important. How do they think about it? This "kit" could be developed in partnership with a psychiatrist as to the components. Each part of the kit might help a couple or woman take small steps, one by one, and when ready, move to the next step.

Hi .. as a father who has felt the loss of this, I see the benefit.

My service is to produce photo printed Tshirt Tributes to the dearly departed.

We are marketing to funeral homes, florists and piggy backing with online memorial sites. Creating your own line of sympathy cards for this is a great idea too. Best wishes!

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Jeff Atwood
DearlyDepartedTshirts.com
New York/ Atlanta

"Always Remember"

I think the main thing to consider is that no matter how traumatic is any experience, we DO get past it, over it, and live again. Yes, some people just commit suicide and that`s the end of it. But the overwhelming majority of people look back after some period of time (it may take years) and realize the immediate pain has mitigated.

What then?

If there aren`t any visual memories, reminders, and so forth, that`s a real loss and tragedy. The big marketing problem, in my opinion, is that *you* know that this time of healed remembering will come. But for the person suffering the loss at that time, it seems impossible.

Excellent idea.  Art therapy can save lives.  There is an organization for people who have lost their children in this way, the name escapes me.  Maybe Compassionate Friends?When you find them, that will be an excellent way to get the word out about your product.  Also, contacting your local hospices may yield some good information.  Also consigment for kits to your local scrapbooking stores may be a thought.

I know you will be successful, because when you marry the right idea with the right intentions nothing can stand in your way.

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Dale
www.ourbestidea.com
www.maskerinsurance.com
www.maskercreations.net

I read just a little while back about a photography group that was doing this as a non-profit type thing - www.nowilaymedowntosleep.org, no connection. You could easily hook up with an established group like that and offer a continuation of their services. I was very impressed with their sensitivity.