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.
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