Contestant's Case to Win

It’s said all dreams for great success start with a sign. I never knew something as simple as a piece of cardboard would kick-start mine at 66 years of age.

A few years ago I received a laptop for Christmas. Upon opening it up, I said, “This is how I’m going to make my million.” At the time, I thought I was going to write children’s books.

Each night as I sat down to work on my future best-sellers, I struggled to keep my laptop and its accessories altogether. The mouse, mouse pad, cords, pen and pad always slipped off and fell to the floor.

A few weeks later, my daughter (who is an interior designer) received a shipment in the mail and had a tri-fold piece of cardboard she was about to throw away. I saved it from the recycle bin, applied my MacGuyver-type skills, and turned it into a lap desk for my laptop.

As I carried my cardboard creation from room-to-room, my kids would poke fun and say, “There she goes with her cardboard.” The teasing led me to the store where I bought some fancy leopard print fabric. I took it home, wrapped my cardboard and created the first prototype for what is now known as the Designer Lap Topper (affectionately called The DLT). Everyone loved it and wanted one of their own.

I made several and test marketed them on friends and family in six states and received more rave reviews. I applied for a patent, took the DLT to an inventor's show and found the inspiration to create my business.

I now have two versions that I make by hand and sell online. Both have risers that provide proper ventilation, a slip guard that grips and keeps your laptop in place, a bundling strap that keeps power cords out of the way, and the larger version has an affixed mouse pad that doubles as a pocket.

I believe I should be considered as a winner of this year's Home-Based 100 Competition because I am an inspiration to everyone who has ever thought they are too old to pursue their dreams.