Crib Sheet #25: Sign Babies’ Nancy Cadjan.

This momtrepreneur saw a sign…and knew she was meant to help moms & children everywhere learn how to use American Sign Language.  What could be better than encouraging parents everywhere how to facilitate communication well with their babies?

What business did you start up?

Sign Babies.  (I had started a business before this as well).

What motivated you to do facilitate communication? 

I had researched using American Sign Language with my son to help facilitate communication before he could speak and found it to be so useful. My friends all wanted to learn from me and I started teaching classes. However, there was only 1 good book and no good tools to use so I created my own flash cards. A friend of mine said, “I would buy a set of those cards. If there are not any cards like that out there, you have a product.” I got the message and started publishing flash cards. Today, lots of moms sign with their hearing babies, but when I started, it was a different situation. I used to get asked if my son was Deaf because we were signing. Now, I see moms in the stores signing all the time.

Also, my son really needed me to be home with him so starting the business facilitate communication quitting my full-time job and working from home.

How many children do you have, and how old are they?

7 and 2.

How long have you been running your business?

6 years.

How long did it take you to start becoming profitable and/or successful, however you chose to measure success?

I was profitable from the very beginning because I was very conservative and printed a limited amount and knew my market. Within the first month, I had recouped my costs and was heading forward. I have never been in the red because I watch every penny (it has always been my money so I am not willing to risk it). That does not mean that it hasn’t been hard and sometimes it is very lean, but I have always kept it profitable by tweaking and changing my plans.

How did your family react to you starting your own business?

My family was very supportive.

Easiest part of your job?

Talking to moms who are signing with their kids and feel like I have helped them be successful in  facilitate communication.

Hardest part of your job?

Dealing with accounting and marketing. Neither of these are my forte, but as an entrepreneur in a small business with 3 employees, you have to wear lots of hats.

What skill would you most like to improve?

Marketing my products.

What, if any, tools or advice do you wish you knew then that you know now?

I learned this as I went along: You might have the best product in the world, but if you don’t have a way to distribute it, you won’t be successful. So, before you create thousands of your product, figure out how you plan to get it distributed.

The second thing I would tell other women is quickly figure out what you are good at and what you are not good at and find people to help you with what you are not good at (or get good at it fast).

Can you recommend 3 essential websites for moms in, or going into, business?

StartUpPrincess.com (this is a GREAT organization for women starting businesses)
your local Small Business Association website
LinkedIn.com

What is the accomplishment you are most proud of?

Helping families facilitate communication with their children early so they create incredible bonds.

Favorite part of a typical day?

Naptime! When my daughter takes a nap, I get a few hours of really focused work.

Anything else I should have asked you that you should answer?

Don’t know but I would give one other piece of advice: Create the type of business you would want to work at. I wanted one that supported stay-at-home moms who wanted to work part time. So I created it and use a flexible staff that all work from home. It has issues because you can’t contact someone while she is changing a diaper, but it has benefits because no one has ever quit since we work around her life schedule.

A few more questions, just because American Express should be featuring more momtrepreneurs…

Childhood ambition….to be a writer.
Indulgence….taking extra time in bed in the morning to just be still before the rush of the day starts.
Last purchase…..groceries (I am planning on purchasing a Mac, but it hasn’t happened yet).
Favorite magazine…..don’t have time for magazines now.
Inspiration…..my mom who was a single mom and worked several jobs to make ends meet.