Karla and Jack

Roberta Wagner’s daughter loved her American Girl Doll and wanted to bring her along on outings. The popular American Girl Doll is 18″ tall and can become cumbersome for a child to carry. Roberta often ended up being the one to carry the doll. To solve this problem, Roberta searched the internet for a light-weight backpack for 18″ dolls. Not finding one, she created one herself. It was a hit with her daughter and solved the problem. Then something else happened. Other moms began approaching Roberta when they saw her daughter’s doll backpack, wanting to know where she got it. They wanted one for their daughter’s too.

Roberta’s story.

What was your “Aha” moment?:

My “aha” moment came the day my daughter (9) and I visited NYC with the backpack I created for her. We were stopped all day by people wanting to know where we purchased the doll carrier. I didn’t start off planning on turning this into a business. We came home and told my husband, we may have created the next big thing.

What steps did you take to ensure that your product was marketable, if any?:

My husband and I made the first Carry-Her backpacks. We worked day and night at our kitchen table creating doll backpacks. We decided to try and sell at a local doll tea. The day of the tea, I woke up thinking this would be a great day, or a really bad one. I was so nervous to see the results. Our booth was only open ten minutes and we sold our first Carry-Her. Ten minutes later our first customer was back to purchase three more bags. I began to cry tears of joy. We ended up selling out. At this time, we decided we were going to move forward and mass produce.

What steps did you take to prototype and perfect your product design?:

My daughter was the inspector and helper in making our first prototypes. Emily tested about twenty different bags before she decided on the final product.

How did you find your manufacturer?

We searched online for USA manufacturers. We finally found a manufacturer in NJ.

What were the biggest challenges you had to overcome to develop your product?:

Our first sample from the manufacturer was not up to our standards. We were in contact back and forth with the manufacturer. We decided it would be easier to meet and talk in person. We drove four hours and met. We solved all of the samples problems in less than an hour. It also allowed us to get to know the owner, we know have a great relationship.

What would you do differently in prototyping and finding a manufacturer, if anything, if you could start again? :

Absolutely nothing. We have been very fortunate.

How are you marketing your product?:

In less than a year, Carry-Her is selling worldwide. Our biggest sales are on Amazon. We also sell to a few doll shops, And we have our own website. I also sell doll clothing and accessories at local trade shows. It brings girls and moms to our booth, where I can introduce Carry-Her. Additionally, I am very active in social networking.

What have you learned about marketing that you wish you would have known at the beginning?:

I have learned that I can do a lot of my own marketing and it is a lot of work.

How did you finance your business?:

We used money from our savings. We are researching a business loan, so that we can take Carry-Her to the next level.

How much have you personally invested your business?:

Less than $20,000

How do you feel about your investment and the potential of your return on investment?:

I feel like this is a dream. I love seeing little girls getting excited about my product. I also love all the rewarding comments and reviews from moms. Carry-Her is the only lightweight doll carrier on the market. I feel like it is just a matter of time before my investment takes off. We have our seat belts buckled.

What has been the best part about this experience?:

The best part is sharing all this with my daughter. She inspires me to be my best. Emily is always playing and coming up with our next invention. I love the fact that she sees first hand that she can do anything. We received our patent last week, and she was so thrilled to bring it to school and show her class.

What has been the worst part?:

The hours invested. I am constantly struggling to keep up on every day chores

Based on your experience, what advice would you give other new inventors?:

Start out small. Do not invest a heavy fortune until you know you have a product that will sell. It will not happen over night. Take your time. Slow and steady wins the race.