如果您跟我一樣, 身為第一型糖尿病童的家長, 我們是否可能把對孩子的愛, 以及日常生活中的不方便, 轉化為新商機, 甚至創造一番新事業?
華爾街日報 (The Wall Street Journal) 報導, 紐約一位一型病童母親 Ms. DeFruscio, 因幼女配帶胰島素幫浦, 卻找不到合適的童裝, 讓女兒可以將醜陋的幫浦藏起來, 又能隨時輕鬆的使用幫浦, 所以決定自己設計多款可愛的童裝, 除了滿足自己的需求, 更對第一型病童家庭推廣行銷.
她在2000年創立新公司, 剛開始非常辛苦, 除了照顧女兒, 更要忙著設計產品, 找工廠生產, 推廣行銷, 甚至一度懷疑這樣的小眾市場是否真的存在.
始終以糖尿病友照護需求為出發點, 由童裝產品開始, 經過10幾年的努力, 她逐漸發展出多樣化的產品, 也讓公司逐漸站穩腳步. 這位今年(2011)51歲的媽媽創業家, 雖然不肯透露公司的營業額, 但是她說這家公司已經足夠取代她原本擔任會計經理的收入. 她還歸功給女兒, 說都是女兒給她的靈感.
台灣的一型家長以及相關廠商們, 誰能用多一點點的貼心, 再加上獨到的眼光, 勇氣, 以及創業精神, 來服務這個第一型糖尿病小眾市場, 下一個成功者, 可能就是您喔!
報導原文如下 (可使用右上角程式翻譯功能)
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Passion Pays Off
Julie DeFruscio had always wanted to run a business with her best friend. But it took some heartbreaking news to make those plans a reality.
It was June 2000. Ms. DeFruscio was a busy mom in Cohoes, N.Y., working a full-time job as an accounting manager while raising her two-year-old daughter, Nikki, and two sons. Then Nikki was diagnosed with Type I diabetes—her body wasn't producing insulin, which could lead to dangerously high blood-sugar levels. "It was a nightmare," Ms. DeFruscio says. "That was the day that our lives changed forever. Nothing would ever be the same."
The condition would mean monitoring her daughter's diet and facing years of potential medical problems. In addition, Nikki would need to wear an insulin pump to help stabilize her blood sugar.
The pump was ugly and tough to hide, says Ms. DeFruscio. She asked a friend's mother to make a shirt that would hide the pump, something that would let Nikki have easy access to the gadget while making her feel more comfortable wearing it. The shirt turned out great, but Ms. DeFruscio didn't want to ask the woman to sew a whole wardrobe. And after searching online, she couldn't find anything else that came close.
"It was awful to see such ugly medical-looking items that were our only choices for a little girl," says the 51-year-old Ms. DeFruscio. "As parents, you want your children to have the fun and cute things."
The opportunity for a business was obvious. Ms. DeFruscio brought her longtime friend Dawn Juneau, who was working as a secretary, on board as a partner. Neither had any experience in business, but they plowed ahead, offering T-shirts as well as accessories, such as insulin-pump cases, that kids can customize.
Launching Pump Wear Inc. meant Ms. DeFruscio had to rearrange her life, working from home late into the night and handing off many of the everyday household duties to her husband, Mark. Navigating the unfamiliar difficulties of the business world was also a struggle at first, such as finding a manufacturer that was affordable but still reliable.
Once the company's website was up and running, the partners started pitching their products to diabetes groups and educators, which got orders rolling in. From there, they came to rely on recommendations from the diabetes groups, as well as medical offices, insulin-pump sales reps and satisfied customers—many of whom also thanked the company for their work.
The knowledge that she was helping people helped keep Ms. DeFruscio on course. "The best compliment we've received is when a child who doesn't have diabetes wants one of our cases," she says. "I think that says it all. It's all about making our kids feel good about themselves and look great."
More than 10 years later, the company is still "holding its own," Ms. DeFruscio says. She won't disclose her revenue, but says it has been strong enough to allow her to leave her job and keep Pump Wear afloat in a rough economy. She and Ms. Juneau have also been diversifying, offering products such as diabetes-awareness items and medical-alert products; they've also been doing more charity work.
Nikki, meanwhile, "is a thriving 13-year-old girl" who's active in cheerleading and sports and helps out with the company, Ms. DeFruscio says. "Nikki has not let her diabetes stop her from doing everything she loves to do, and is a true inspiration to me."
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704457604576011760710579274.html?mod=googlenews_wsj
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