The actress Jessica Alba has just launched The Honest Company, a new e-commerce eco-friendly and non-toxic baby product company. Her inspiration? Her kids.
After learning that toxic chemicals are used in many everyday products, Alba wanted better for her young children (ages 4 years and 5 months). When looking for green baby-friendly products like diapers, home cleaners and body washes she found it “challenging” to put together a safe assortment of goods, leading her to start Honest.com.
Alba is not alone in finding business inspiration through her children. Women’s maternal instincts have led to a number of creative and profitable businesses, and we scanned Your Story Exchange – where women submit their personal start-up stories – to find kid- inspired businesses.
Here’s a sampling from our site:
KIDzOUT
If you’re a parent whose ever been out with little ones when they’ve needed a restroom or are having a tantrum, you’ll appreciate the new iPhone app, KIDzOUT. “After a diaper emergency on a family vacation left my husband and I frustrated and driving back to our hotel room, we knew that other parents must be having the same experience,” co-founder Jen Sieve-Hicks told The Story Exchange. The KIDzOUT app helps families on the go to locate diaper changing stations, kid-friendly restaurants, places to play, and medical services and has over 65,000 relevant points of interest.
Kids So Positive
When LaBrita Andrews saw the pain her children endured when teased and bullied at school, she knew something had to change. “As a mother, I know first hand the importance of building confident, loving, humble and sensitive children,” Andrews told The Story Exchange. She created Kids So Positive, which offers workshops to motivate and inspire children, and prevent further loss of young and innocent life.
FamiliesGo!
What busy mother doesn’t dream of a nice and relaxing family vacation? But often families remain engulfed in their busy daily lives and time for vacation planning is limited. “Parents tell me that sometimes it’s easier to just stay home; and I’ve felt that way, too,” says Eileen Gunn founder of FamiliesGo! Her company offers products and services to make vacation planning easier.
Cheeky Monkey Party
Every parent wants to throw a fun birthday party for their children. But who has time to plan, decorate and come up with games? One Brooklyn stay-at-home mom lives for that. “My friends started to ask me to do their parties and then their friends. When they started giving me money, I thought here is a business.” says founder Joanna. Cheeky Monkey Party allows Joanna to plan and market her business from the comfort of her home, so she can spend time with her children.
See all these stories and many more on Your Story Exchange and share your story with us.