The Biz

There’s a reason Bob Barker is always telling us to spay and neuter our pets. Pet overpopulation is no joke, and as people become more aware, fostering and rescuing dogs has become more popular. Carianne Burnley launched Petsapalooza LLC in 2009 to create high-quality fun toys for pet lovers that also teach about the importance of pet adoption. The idea for Petsapalooza came from Carianne’s love of animals, and also from years of volunteering at a local shelter and being on their Board of Directors. She knew kids loved animals and pretend play, so why not combine the two?

Making wise use of our resources is a necessity, and necessity is the mother of invention. The green trend seems to be reviving grass roots entrepreneurship and small, local businesses because handmade, unique products are gaining ground over mass-produced items. You no longer need a big factory to produce a best-selling children’s toy or clothing item; all you need are starting resources, natural materials, and a great idea. The following companies have all the right components: Miracle Mittens, Skylar Luna, Zodiac Baby and Squooshi.

So you’ve managed to get your fashion business started, formed an entity, developed a business concept or product that has promise, established relationships with accountants, attorneys, suppliers, sales and PR contacts, and perhaps even lined up some customers. All very promising, but now your company needs to pay suppliers, as well as distribution and sales costs to get your product in the hands of customers. The real question then, particularly for an emerging fashion company, is how does your business plan to address its financing needs?

Any place there are a lot of kids, there’s usually a ton of fun. There’s also a lot of chaos. Think of the last kids’ party you were at: The hostess hands out bottles of water. Kids drink deeply, toss the container on the table, and run off to play. They come back throughout playtime to grab a drink, but it doesn’t always end up in the same place on the table. Some kids solve this by just drinking whatever is nearest, creating a hazmat situation right in some unsuspecting parent’s backyard. Of course, one way to solve this kind of problem is by having the labeling products from Kidaroo Crew on hand to help each child identify his or her own beverage.