Huggies MomInsipred Grant Program Taps into Moms’ Entrepreneurial Spirit
By Guest Blogger, Donna DeClemente, Donna’s Promo Talk
The diaper brand Huggies launched a very interesting program last month that embraces social-media and taps into the entrepreneurial spirit of today’s moms. This is not your normal “submit a cute baby photo contest” by any means!
The MomInspired Grant Program has been developed to help women get their child-care business ideas off the ground. Kimberly Clark, Huggies’ parent company, is offering a total of $250,000 in grant money, with up to $15,000 for each individual idea. In order to be considered for a grant, mothers must submit an application online outlining “a unique baby or child care product idea that addresses an unmet parenting need,” according to the company’s press release. A dedicated microsite accepts all the applications and explains the program which is being spread through social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter.
Kimberly Clark first tapped into research from Babson College that showed that although women in the United States have been credited with starting businesses at nearly twice the rate of men, only about three percent of these women-run businesses attract investments from venture capital. Also they commissioned their own survey of moms that told them that the top-ranked challenge for those considering starting their own business is access to capital and financial resources (65%). These moms agree that the most helpful resource to starting their own business would be smaller grants for seed/start-up money, in addition to advice from other mom inventors or entrepreneurs like themselves.
So the MomInspired Grant website contains a wealth of knowledge for really anyone considering starting a business. There are articles on how to write a business plan, getting financing for your business as well as how to set up a home office.The site also includes inspirational success stories of four businesses that were all started by women that are focused on the child care industry.
Maria Bailey, mother of four, founder of BlueSuitMom.com and author of The Ultimate Mom Book, provided insights to the Huggies brand in the development of the program, including what would be the most meaningful type of resource support for mom inventors.
“Moms are some of the most inventive types of people and are naturally the perfect entrepreneur – they are creative problem-solvers that are constantly working to juggle busy, multi-tasking lives,” said Bailey. “I interact with thousands of moms, and have seen them come up with great business ideas on a daily basis, but access to tangible educational and financial resources that can help these women shape their ideas have been barriers to success. Programs like Huggies MomInspired are a perfect solution.”
So check it out. If you have an idea that’s been brewing you better get on it fast since the deadline to submit an application is today. The grants will be awarded late summer and its only open to moms in the U.S.
I just think it’s great to see a diaper brand communicating and interacting with moms on a business level, not just about how to keep their baby’s butts dry! Don’t you?
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