Belevation Maternity Underwear has evolved from being a twinkle in our eyes in late 2007, to the status of a savvy preschooler – in 2013.

Having worked as a B2B service for the textile industry for many years, we had a lot to learn about the best way to reach 21st century consumers. It’s been a very slow process, but we haven’t quit yet.

Along the way, I’ve held several dumb second jobs to help pay the bills, but my low pay and under appreciation in those positions has just driven me harder toward Belevation’s business success.

So here it is; my best advice for mompreneurs, women who can envision working incredibly hard, but doing it on your own terms. This list is for you:

1. Make sure someone in your house has a day job so you’re not putting all eggs in one basket. The Small Business Administration says most businesses fail in the first 5 years. Know that upfront and protect yourself accordingly.

2. Do as much as possible yourself to keep costs low, then reach out to students who are highly skilled at things like websites, but have lower overheads than pros.

3. Make a website right away and get lots of help with SEO. Word Press content management sites are great since they are easy to self-maintain.

4. Network, network, network. We can’t be an island when it comes to anything.

5. Know the competition and be better in your niche. Evaluate what your niche is.

6. Set up your personal and business Facebook and Twitter accounts separately. Potential clients needn’t know who you’re voting for, or if you’re in a bad mood.

7. Even though personal should remain personal, keep friends and family up to date online about your business news. Hopefully they will help spread the word.

8. Use advertising selectively. Ads are really expensive and can bust a budget.

9. Send out press releases to news orgs and try to get free mentions. Give back to the community right away since good deeds are newsworthy, so it’s a win win.

10. Giveaways are king with bloggers – so be prepared to give away products and services often to get free publicity. Well worth it compared to buying print ads.

11. Read a good newspaper like the NYT daily. Savvy biz owners need to stay abreast of what’s happening in the world. Read on a tablet on the treadmill, so you can fit in some exercise. Busy people need to kill two birds with one stone.

12. Enjoy your successes, nothing feels better than knowing you’ve accomplished something yourself. You’ll have the best stories to tell on the school bus stop too.

The development of Belevation’s maternity support garments is a mom and pop effort, but it was stunning to see the hundreds of mom innovators presenting their creations at ABC.

Necessity is the mother of invention and the buck stops with mom, so she’s on the front lines in the problem solving department daily.

“Mom invented-and mom tested”, from Atlanta, GA, was the Highchair Organizer, a cleverly stitched pouch that secures to the back of your child’s highchair to hold all of those meal time essentials. Imagine knowing where everything is? Revolutionary!

Across the aisle from Belevation was BG Birthing Gowns by Cindy Lintel, a labor and delivery nurse from New York State. Inspired to make a more feminine version of the dreaded hospital gown, Cindy used her knowledge of the delivery process to create a graceful, versatile alternative for women.

During the course of the four days at the KY Expo Center, Belevation bonded with our other neighbor Kemi, the designer of a new line of diaper bags inspired by African textiles, called House of Botori, based in Maryland.

Kemi discovered that “although functional“, existing baby products “always seemed to lack individuality.” House of Botori is her response to that quest, as it honors her Nigerian heritage.

Judging from the visitors at ABC, Kemi’s colorful diaper bags will take their place among the most coveted baby shower gifts.

Then there was Dr. Jane of Tortle, mother of 4, who makes adorable baby hats in the most fashionable colors, but in her role as a neonatal pediatrician she educates parents about Flat Head Syndrome.

Positional Plagiocephaly, will effect “a staggering 40% of babies before age six months. Beyond the cosmetic issues, there can be trouble with binocular vision and long-term developmental issues.”

According to Dr. Jane: “Positional plagiocephaly increased 600% in the last 20 yrs. due to 2 changes:”

“1) In 1992 The American Academy of Pediatrics began its “Back to Sleep” program to reduce Sudden Infant Death Syndrome .(Incidence of SIDS have plummeted by almost 40%.)”

“2) Infants are being placed in reclining carrying devices more than ever. Families on the go keep their babies in carriers, car seats, and swings for an extended time—frequently up to 20 hours per day.”

Explore the Tortle site and google Plagiocephaly. Boy, this sure makes a case for more baby wearing; slings etc … in your child’s early months.

Four amazing innovative mothers, each clearly with a lot to share for the benefit of others. If you want to fix a problem, definitely go ask a mom!

“As the jeans capital of Africa, Lesotho produces 26 million pairs of denim jeans
and 70 million knitted garments a year, mainly cotton, at 25 factories.”

The Economic Policy Institute notes that “the growing US trade deficit with China cost 2.8 million jobs between 2001 – 2011, with 1.9 million in manufacturing.”

Those numbers don’t even count Central and South America, NAFTA or any of those places like Lesotho that you need to Google to figure out where they are.

Much of that production used to take place here in the Carolinas, where country roads are littered with shuttered textile mills and the unemployment rate has improved to a still unsavory 10%.

With this trend repeated around
the country, regions which relied heavily on their manufacturing bases are equally hurt.

Legendary Eastman Kodak finally declared bankruptcy today, citing foreign competition as a cause.

But tune into How it’s Made, on the Science Channel and you will get a glimmer of imagination in your eyes that comes from the creative process of making something.

Family legend has it that my first childhood factory tour was to Chocolate World in Hershey, PA. The Hershey Chocolate World now takes you through a simulated experience, but back then you went through the real factory. Imagine the smell of that much chocolate!

Ironically, I chose my career based on a factory tour. Located at the corner of 54th St. and 6th Ave. from 1970 – 1980, the Burlington Mill was intended to showcase Burlington’s products. It totally mesmerized me from my first glimpse.

“Visitors were invited to step onto a 155-ft long moving belt called a “rideway” for an 8 ½ minute ride through the amazing world of textiles.”

Accommodating 500,000 a year, The Mill hosted more guests at the time than the New York Stock Exchange or The United Nations. Few seem to remember The Mill now, but it changed the course of my life.

Craving more factory tours, I’ve since been through the Crayola Factory in Easton PA, the Celestial Seasonings Tea plant in CO, The Pendelton Woolen Mills in OR, and most recently a local craft brewery in Charlotte, NC. And then – there was Stoke-on-Trent in the UK, where my husband got to see so many plates that he almost lost his appetite for dinner. I was in Spode heaven though.

Intended as a fun peek at our Belevation maternity underwear facility, contact us if you’re in the neighborhood and you’d like to see more. As I said, I do love factory tours.