Home: Message List - Event: From Stay at Home Mom to CEO

Event: From Stay at Home Mom to CEO

CommunityTeam — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 02:07:28 GMT

Have you ever wanted to take your home based business and turn it into a profitable and growing business? Michelle Buelow will be sharing her story and lessons learned on how she put a twist on traditional baby items to create a fast-growing line of fancy, fresh and fun children's accessories. Four years ago she was a stay at home mom looking to fulfill creative voids and hoping to work with drug and alcohol rehabilitation programs. With a little time on her hands and an unyielding commitment to philanthropy, a product line was launched in July of 2005.

Michelle began ‘raising' her company, Bella Tunno....using many of the same principles she used to raise her children - love unconditionally, communicate creatively, set expectations, realize your own limitations, grow with them, and lastly, raise them with morals and values. Bella Tunno is now sold in over 4,000 boutiques and nationally at retailers like Baby Gap and Nordstrom.

ABOUT BELLA TUNNO
Founded in 2005, Bella Tunno is a fashionably functional and philanthropic baby and children's accessory line. Proving that fashion, function and philanthropy can co-exist; Bella Tunno has created highly coveted designs for trendy tots and charity-conscious moms. With benevolence at the core of their brand, Bella Tunno donates a portion of all proceeds to drug-rehabilitation related organizations in memory of Matt Tunno, founder's Michelle Tunno Buelow's late brother. Trend-setting tots can now flaunt funky and fun baby basics - including bibs, burp cloths, diaper changing pads, binkers, play smocks, headscarfs and designer diners - while parents can feel good about purchasing items that contribute to a larger cause. Bella Tunno products can be found in BabyGap, Nordstrom, and more than 4,000 upscale boutiques and department stores internationally, as well as online at http://www.bellatunno.com/.

The fashion-forward tot accessory line has been included in the Oscar Gift Baskets, Golden Globe Awards baby gift bags and the MTV Style Lounge. Bella Tunno has been featured in People Magazines Holiday Gift Guide (2008), The TVGN Gifts and Gadgets Segment, Everyday with Rachael Ray, ABC, NBC, Fox, Parenting, Kids Today, Gifts and Decorative Accessories, Daily Candy, American Baby, babytalk, Pregnancy Magazine, and Earnshaw's.

The line of fancy, fresh and fun ‘NECCESSITIES' has generated a celebrity following including: Courteney Cox & Baby Coco; Nicole Richie, Joel Madden & Baby Harlow; Gavin Rossdale, Gwen Stefani, Kingston & Zuma; Elisabeth Hasselback, Grace & Taylor; Spice Girl Mel B & Baby Angel Murphy Brown; Marcia Cross & Babies Eden & Savannah; Adam & Jackie Sandler; Dustin & Lisa Hoffman; Robert Downey Jr.; Nancy O'Dell & Baby Ashby

The Founder, Michelle Tunno Buelow, lives in Charlotte, NC with her husband, Todd and two sweet girls - Riley Rose (4) and Ella Grace (1).

Post a question now, and then join us on May 12 at 2:00 p.m. EST for a response. Or join us during the event and post a question. Michelle will try to answer as many questions as possible, but may not get to all of them. Note, you do not need to register for the event. You simply need to be a member of SBOC to post a question. If you don't have a user ID, join now, it's free.

Re: Event May 12: From Stay at Home Mom to CEO

CommunityTeam — Tue, 12 May 2009 18:55:46 GMT

Michelle: Thanks so much for your time today. We appreciate you taking the time to share your story with SBOC and all the valuable advice you provided!

Community: If you are interested in learning more about Michelle's line of fancy, fresh, and fun children accessories, please visit Bella Tunno at http://www.bellatunno.com.

Re: Event May 12: From Stay at Home Mom to CEO

babyboom — Tue, 12 May 2009 19:01:11 GMT

I would LOVE to tell you more - this is the heart of why we do what we do!!!

First and foremost, Bella Tunno exists to give back. We have never sold a product without donating a portion of the sale to drug and alcohol prevention, rehabilitation and education programs, or programs that support struggling mothers and children. Some of the initiatives we support locally are the Charlotte Rescue Mission, Thompson Family Focus and Safe Journey.

In 2003 my brother passed away after a long struggle with drug and alcohol addiction. This was a catalyst for Bella Tunno to focused its energy on helping others who struggle with drug and alcohol addiction.

Bella Tunno supports the Charlotte Rescue Mission as their key philanthropic focus. The Charlotte Rescue Mission (www.charlotterescuemission.org) is a program with a heart committed to meeting the needs; mind, body and soul; of those battling against addiction and homelessness. They want to break the cycle of destructive behavior that is passed from generation to generation. In doing so, they want to make our community a healthier, safer, happier place. It is a self-referring program, completely voluntary and privately funded.

In 2007 Bella Tunno led an initiative for the Charlotte Rescue Mission called "Let's Make a Miracle" with the end goal of giving each individual client ‘Christmas.'

In 2008 - 2009, Bella Tunno headed an initiative called EXTREME MISSION MAKEOVER at the Charlotte Rescue Mission. In just one day, from 8 AM to 5 PM, Bella Tunno joined 16 other companies (including the Gap, Lowes and Outback Steakhouse) and over 65 volunteers to aid in much needed renovations and improvements at the Charlotte Rescue Mission. The key goal at the end of the day was to turn an unused basement area into six dorm rooms and a bathroom area. Building these six new rooms will allow 32-40 more clients a year go through the program that may have not otherwise had the chance. Over the years, this in turn will offer hundreds of individuals the opportunity to participate in the program and start a new life for themselves. Volunteers also painted several rooms at the various Mission buildings, renovated the gymnasium, built a sand volleyball and horseshoe pit, organized and cleaned the food pantry, and landscaped and beautified the property.

Bella Tunno also sponsored a Family Fun Fest at the Thompsons Family Focus residential children's home this spring with music, arts and crafts, a puppet show and a day of fun for the kids.

Bella Tunno is the vehicle that funds our philanthropy work. The children's accessory business is great market to play in, but the Bella Tunno line is more a means to a charitable end.

Re: Event May 12: From Stay at Home Mom to CEO

Tori — Tue, 12 May 2009 18:37:19 GMT

I read about how your business is tied to a philanthropic cause. Can you tell us more?

Re: Event May 12: From Stay at Home Mom to CEO

babyboom — Tue, 12 May 2009 18:51:43 GMT

There are really two types of testing
1. market research to determine if the product is needed, relevant, compelling and sustainable
2. safety testing to ensure that the product is safe for the age-grade.

The first type of testing (market readiness) is the fun part - at our company this is very unscientific. I'm a mom and most of our team and friends are, so by default, we're experts in this world. The product ideas either come from seeing a good product that we know we can make better (our laminated bibs, for example) or seeing a gap in the market that think it's important to fill (our binkers and designer diners). I'll make a few prototypes, hand them out, use them on my kids and gauge the response, make some changes and off we go!

The second type of testing, safety testing, has ALWAYS been so very important to us! Just recently in the US, new CPSIA 2008 laws were instated limiting the level of lead and phthalates in children's products. These new laws also made once voluntary laws mandatory (the ASTM 963 laws). We outsource our testing to an accredited 3rd party and do not release our products until they are safety certified. The same safety testing process happens for each country we distribute to - we work with that country to understand thier laws (it's different everywhere) and ensure products are tested to meet the geographic standards.

Re: Event May 12: From Stay at Home Mom to CEO

Bluesuit — Tue, 12 May 2009 18:13:53 GMT

Michelle - Can you tell us how you test or experiment with new designs/fabrics/colors? What type of research/testing do you do before deciding to manufacture a large volume?

Re: Event May 12: From Stay at Home Mom to CEO

babyboom — Tue, 12 May 2009 18:39:12 GMT

Good Question - it doesn't seem to make sense, does it?
We learned early on that it's important to diversify where we manufacture. State-side manufacturing is, unfortunately, a struggling industry. If you put all your eggs in one basket and that manufacturer either goes under or takes on a more 'important' client, you could essentially lose your business. It's important to build a few manufacturing relationships so that you can get competitive quotes, cross-train on products for times when you need extra manufacturing and just to keep yourself 'safe' in the event of a shut-down. In order to keep sourcing and raw material overhead costs manageable, we have one manufacturer make all our cotton goods, one make all our laminated goods, one make all our diaper bags, etc. but when possible (depending on thier machinery limitations) they have been cross-trained on other products and have filled in when we've needed them.

Re: Event May 12: From Stay at Home Mom to CEO

Howard — Tue, 12 May 2009 18:23:18 GMT

Why do you work with multiple manufacturers vs. having one manufacturer do everything?

Re: Event May 12: From Stay at Home Mom to CEO

babyboom — Tue, 12 May 2009 18:30:49 GMT

We work through permanent showrooms in key areas of the country (Atlanta, LA, Dallas, Chicago, etc) where wholesale customers and department stores can view the product line at their convenience. We have worked with some independent representatives in the past as well. We also work with international distribution partners that represent our line and show it to potential buyers in their geographic territories.

Re: Event May 12: From Stay at Home Mom to CEO

antiques4me — Tue, 12 May 2009 18:15:42 GMT

How do you market your products to boutiques? Do you have salespeople that solicit for you?