Mischelle (Schelly) Weedman-Davis left her 15-year high-tech career to become a stay-at-home mom but later became the founder of Sprouts Baby Food, Inc. She now uses her talents to support her husband's Seattle law firm, the Davis Law Group so she can spend more time with her family. http://www.InjuryTrialLawyer.com . But she remains committed to infant nutrition and helping others that want to start their own baby food business.
Understanding your market is critical. As early as possible, before you launch your business, I encourage you to survey moms in your area to learn about their values, buying habits, and infant feeding rituals. An easy way to do this is to use an online survey tool (there are dozens out there) to create your survey. Then send an email to all the moms you know, post a notice on a local mommy message board, or send an email to an online Yahoo! Groups community that is targeted to parents.
Not only will this help you learn about your target market but it will give you valuable data that you can use when discussing your business with the local media.
Here are some of the questions and answer options that we used for the first Sprouts Baby Food survey years ago.
How old is your baby?
Which of the following best describes you?
Stay-at-home mom
Working mom
If you are a working mom, which of the following best describes your childcare support?
n/a
in-home childcare/nanny
daycare center
family member
Are you concerned about food allergies?
Yes
No
Does your baby have any food allergies?
Yes
No
FEEDING YOUR BABY
Did you breastfeed your baby?
Yes
No
How long did/do you plan to breast feed your baby?
0-3 months
4-6 months
7-9 months
10-12 months
13-18 months
19-24 months
2+ years
How old was your baby when you began feeding him/her solid foods?
3 months
4 months
5 months
6 months
7 months
8 months
9 months
10 months
11 months
12 months
Older
Why did you begin your baby on solids?
Advice from doctor
Advice from book
Advise from website/web forum
Advice from family member
Advice from another mom
Baby seemed ready
Other
Which of the following is most often your source for feeding and childcare information?
doctor
book
website/web forum
family member
other moms
Did your doctor give you enough information to help you feel confident about making feeding decisions for your baby?
Yes
No
What is the most frustrating thing about introducing new foods to your baby?
WHAT YOU FEED YOUR BABY
Which best describes the food that you most frequently give your baby?
Home-made baby food
Traditional store-bought baby food (jarred)
Organic store-bought baby food (jarred)
Organic store-bought baby food (frozen)
Pureed table foods
Catered baby food (such as Sprouts)
Do you regularly give your baby formula?
Yes
No
Never
Which of the following baby food brands do you most frequently use (please check all that apply).
n/a ' I don't give my baby commercial baby food
Gerber Baby Food
Heinz Baby Food
Beech Nut Baby Food
Earth's Best
Gerber Organic
Organic Baby
Homemade Baby
Bohemian Baby
Happy Baby
TotPots
Mom Made
Evie's Organic Edibles
Plum Organics
Healthy Times
Bright Beginnings
If you DO NOT make your own baby food, please give us the reasons why. (check all that apply)
n/a ' I make my own baby food.
I think store-bought food is as good as what I could make at home.
I would like to make my own baby food but I don't have the time.
If you DO make your own baby food, please give us the reasons why. (check all that apply)
I think that fresh is the best.
I like to choose my own ingredients.
I think that store-bought baby food contains a lot of sugars, starches, and fillers.
I don't like that store-bought food is made to sit on store shelves for 2+ years.
Store-bought food lacks variety.
Is price a factor when feeding your baby?
No ' I want the best for my baby, no matter what the cost.
Not really ' I'll pay more for better quality foods.
Kind of ' It depends. Sometimes.
Yes ' We are on a budget and can't afford to spend a great deal of baby food.
Yes ' I just don't believe in paying a lot for baby food.
Do you read the ingredient labels on baby food in the store?
n/a ' I make my own baby food.
No
Yes, always
Yes, but only for baby food
If yes, what are you looking for on the labels?
On average, how much do you pay for baby food (per jar)?
$.10 - $.49
$.50 - $.99
$1.00 - $1.49
$1.50 - $1.99
$2.00 - $2.49
$2.50 - $2.99
$3.00 ' more
How much would you pay for quality, freshly-made, organic baby food?
$.10 - $.49
$.50 - $.99
$1.00 - $1.49
$1.50 - $1.99
$2.00 - $2.49
$2.50 - $2.99
$3.00 ' more
On average, how many jars of baby food do you purchase each week?
0-5
6-10
11-15
16-20
21-25
More
RESTURANTS
Before having a baby, how many times did you eat out per month?
3-5 times per month
1-2 times per month
Once every 2 months
Other
After having a baby, how many times do you eat out per month?
3-5 times per month
1-2 times per month
Once every 2 months
Other
Since having a baby, is "kid friendliness" (kid menu, high chars, toys, etc. ) a key factor when choosing a restaurant?
Yes
No
Would you be more likely to frequent a good restaurant that had healthy, organic menu selections for your baby?
Yes
No
When dining out at a restaurant do you.....?
Bring baby food along
Feed the baby off of your plate (mashing something up)
Order something off the menu for the baby (then mash it up)
Other
Additional comments on dining out with your baby.
- Related Videos
- Related Articles
- Ask / Related Q&A
- How to Start your Own Baby Food Business Part #4: Understanding your Market
- How to Start your Own Baby Food Business Part#3: Naming, Taglines, & Logo Creation
- How to Start your Own Baby Food Business Part #1: Introduction
- How to Start your Own Baby Food Business Part #6: Manufacturing Vs. Catering
- How to Start your Own Baby Food Business Part #5: Fresh, Organic, and Local
- How to Start your Own Baby Food Business Part #7: Marketing & Promotion
A Spare Bedroom Could Bring You a Nice Profit
By: Stirling Gardner | 26/12/2009With the country the way it is, many individuals are choosing to convert extra space into a rentable apartment, be it a bedroom, an office, a basement or an loft. So, how might you as a property owner, attract anyone to rent your dwelling? Having anyone sign a lease agreement with you might bring you extra revenue and give a tenant a quality place to reside.
New MLM Company Lists
By: Jesse Miller | 26/12/2009Putting together a list of the best multi-level marketing companies is easy enough, but the difficult part is finding the right ones that fit your needs. You need to put together a list of MLM companies that are the best fit to what you need from an MLM scheme, what products you believe in, and what strategies you can use to best sell those products.
Where Can I Find Police Records Online To Lookup Peoples Criminal Past
By: James Nash | 26/12/2009In order to find someone’s criminal past you had to deal with regulations and fees, well not anymore. You see, you can easily access police records on the internet and save your precious money and time that way.
Can I Locate Arrest Records Online To Retrieve Peoples Past
By: James Nash | 26/12/2009When you’re hiring someone new to work with you must make sure that this person doesn’t have a criminal record of any kind because it can damage your company’s reputation. Therefore, you need to check arrest records of your employees, and the simplest and fastest way to do it is to do it online.
Professional Translation Services: Removing the Language Barrier between You and Your Clients
By: Robin Richard | 26/12/2009One of the striking features of the twenty-first century market economy is the open global market. And a product of globalization is multinational companies whose offices are dotted across the globe. Operating in a globalized market means businesses have to deal with the issues of language gap and communication barriers. You may have come to terms with customers, clients, and partners whose language you cannot comprehend.
A Career in Human Resources
By: Louise G | 26/12/2009For those who are looking to pursue a career in human resource and are trying to go about finding a job there are a few different routes you can take to ensure that you will get employment. Here is a look at some of the ways you can go about finding the perfect human resource job for you
Power Aggregators: Securing the Most Favorable Power Purchase Rates for You
By: Robin Richard | 26/12/2009The energy market in the state was officially deregulated in January 2002. Since then consumers in Texas have been enjoying the freedom to choose their energy suppliers. But this freedom has to be exercised most judiciously. Currently there are over hundred power retailers in the state and making a decision on which one you should choose as your service provider is rather difficult. Sometimes the process of choosing a power supplier is not only complex but also a risky. You may be confronted wit
How to Get Paid Twice For Your Work
By: Paul Hoyt | 26/12/2009In an ideal world virtually everyone would build a business...at least if they're interested in getting paid twice for their hard work. For a number of reasons building a business is a good decision. Three are the most obvious and popular. Of those, two, namely making more money and having...
Caring for your Prom Dress
By: Mischelle Weedman Davis | 11/01/2008 | Home & FamilyYou want to keep your prom dress or ball gown in good condition especially if you want to resell it later for the best price.
Train Travel: a Family Vacation Adventure
By: Mischelle Weedman Davis | 05/01/2008 | TravelThis past Christmas my husband and I took our kids on a ski vacation. But rather than drive through the snow and ice to someplace close or brave the airport to go someplace farther away, we chose to take book an overnight train trip on Amtrak's Empire Builder from Seattle, WA to Whitefish, MT. The skiing was great but I think that the train trip to and from Whitefish was the best part for the kids.
The Perfect Family Ski Vacation
By: Mischelle Weedman Davis | 04/01/2008 | TravelIn December 2007 our family enjoyed an amazing holiday ski vacation. The trip included an overnight Amtrak train ride from Seattle to Whitefish, MT (just over 13 hours) and five days of skiing at the Whitefish Mountain Resort (formerly known as Big Mountain Resort---not to be confused with Big Sky Resort).
2008 Holiday Season: the Beginning of the End of Wrapping Paper & Holiday Cards
By: Mischelle Weedman Davis | 24/12/2007 | Home & FamilyFor years our family has been diligent about recycling. But in 2008 we are kicking it up notch. We are eliminating gift wrap and holidays. Yes, I have wrapped my last Christmas gift and sent my last card. Even though we always put used gift wrap and holiday cards in the recycle bin and carefully save bows for future use, it just doesn't seem like enough.
Ten Habits of Highly Famous Thin People
By: Mischelle Weedman Davis | 13/12/2007 | HealthThe term "celebrity diet" is used to describe a diet that is supposedly used by or is highly recommended by Hollywood stars, singers, or other celebrities.
How to Start your Own Baby Food Business Part #4: Understanding your Market
By: Mischelle Weedman Davis | 28/11/2007 | BusinessUnderstanding your market is critical. As early as possible, before you launch your business, I encourage you to survey moms in your area to learn about their values, buying habits, and infant feeding rituals.
How to Start your Own Baby Food Business Part #7: Marketing & Promotion
By: Mischelle Weedman Davis | 27/11/2007 | BusinessMarketing is critical to the success of your baby food business. Here are some of the highpoints of the various marketing programs that we used during the initial launch of Sprouts Baby Food Inc. back in early 2006.
How to Start your Own Baby Food Business Part #5: Fresh, Organic, and Local
By: Mischelle Weedman Davis | 26/11/2007 | BusinessOf course, you don't have to make fresh, organic, and local underlining values of your baby food business. You may loose potential customers if your food doesn't have at least one of these attributes.