Meet Busy Baby: 2020 Takeoff Baby Cohort Company

This content is the first installment in an interview series with the 2020 Target Takeoff Baby cohort. Participating companies are sharing, in their own words, details about their innovative products. All interviews have been conducted by the Target Takeoff Program Management team. 

Meet Busy Baby.

Takeoff: When meeting someone new, how do you explain what Busy Baby does? 

Beth: The Busy Baby Mat stops the ‘toddler toss’ and keeps baby toys within reach and off the floor! 

 Takeoff: What inspired you to start Busy Baby? 

Beth: I always wanted to have my own business, but I never knew what it would be until my son was born and I found a solution for a problem I and EVERY new parent had. I made prototypes for myself and a close friend who also had a baby.  When she told me that she forgot it one night and it was miserable… I knew I was on to something!   

 Takeoff: What makes you most excited about working with Target Takeoff? 

Beth: Every aspect of the program makes me excited.  I have envisioned the Busy Baby Mat on a Target shelf from the beginning but was overwhelmed by the complexities involved in getting into ‘big-box’ retail stores.  I did not have the experience or the contacts to even get my foot in the door.  Now I get a chance to learn from the experts first-hand! It is an incredible opportunity! 

 Takeoff: Who has been instrumental in supporting your idea and why?  

Beth: My fiancé and father of our two boys has been a constant and steady rock in this journey.  He holds down the fort and keeps me sane when business gets busy or overwhelming.   

 Takeoff: As a founder, how are you functioning today that is different than how you were functioning at the beginning of 2020?  What keeps you motivated? 

 Beth: Expos were my way of getting in front of new parents, demonstrating the product, and spreading the word around the country that this new solution for an age-old problem finally exists!  When the pandemic happened, all of my expos were all canceled or pivoted to virtual platforms and my daily orders dropped to zero! I decided to change my marketing strategy to social media advertising.  Things started to pick up!  Then business really got going.  More and more reviews came in about how the Busy Baby Mat was helping parents at home as they worked to find a new normal.  I love reading the reviews and getting notes of appreciation from customers!  I even started developing a new product based on the feedback from parents who already love the mat and want more genius products to help with their babies! 

 Takeoff: What advice would you give to other entrepreneurs who are navigating the impact of COVID-19 to their business?   

 Beth: Be flexible. Be open to change. Be open to different opportunities.  Being able to adapt and overcome issues that arise is something I learned when I was in the military and has really helped me navigate this new world, we live in.  There are a lot more things that are out of our control these days.  It’s how we respond to these things that define our future more than the things themselves! 

 Takeoff: What makes you most excited about the future of your brand?   

Beth: So much! I am excited to get the Busy Baby Mats in more and more hands every day.  I am excited when people tell me that the Busy Baby Mat is their new go-to baby shower gift! I am excited about the potential of being in the same league as the Boppy Pillow and Sophie the Giraffe! Mostly I am excited to find more ways to make life easier with babies for all caregivers! 

Learn more about Busy Baby by visiting busybabymat.com