News and events
Child's Play: Enterprising moms take matters into their own hands
September 7, 2005
By Ottawa Business Journal Staff
When Nancy Elias and Alison Foley Howard became new moms, they realized the importance of having an all-in-one guide for parents to find about all the children's needs and services available in the city. The problem was, no such guide existed.
They noticed how difficult it was to find out about activities, services and stores for children in the Ottawa area. The phone book didn't list everything and online searching was time consuming.
While researching the market, Ms Foley Howard says they spoke with representatives from the Parent Resource Centre in Ottawa. It had published a directory in the past, but the non-profit organization has no plans for an annual guide.
Armed with this knowledge, the two friends decided to bring their idea to fruition and pool their individual talents and resources. They started their own company, The Great Little Directory Co., and have just published the first issue of their Kids Ottawa and Gatineau directory.
"We saw a need in the marketplace for an annually updated resource directory that has all the information you need in one place," says Ms Elias. "Once we started to talk about the concept, the response we received was tremendous. Other parents and all the moms in our play groups were very excited and said, 'Wow, when can we buy it?'"
After more than a year of research, development and marketing, the first annual edition of Kids Ottawa and Gatineau goes on sale Sept. 9. It lists more than 1,700 activities, programs, services and products for kids aged newborn to 16 and also includes a coupon section.
With 27 different categories, including after-school activities, birthday parties, day camps, family outings, parenting support and clothing, furniture and toy retailers, the business partners feel they have created an effective resource for parents, grandparents and caregivers.
Ms Elias says the guide also provides businesses and organizations with a convenient vehicle to reach the children's marketplace.
"Everything listed in the book is included as a free listing and if businesses want more exposure then they upgrade their listing with a longer description and larger heading," she says. "They can also place advertisements and/or coupons in the book with quarter and half page ads. Part of our marketing plan is to keep expanding the advertising and coupon section with each year's updated guide because it provides a year-round opportunity instead of the flyers and newspapers which come and go."
Since some of the services and activities listed in the guide are seasonal, Ms Elias says they gave many companies the option of including their website information for consumers to find the most current information.
While the reality of starting up their own business has been challenging, both women say they have enjoyed the experience and were ready for its demands.
"We were aware of the pros and cons of running our own show, but there's always the downside of trying to schedule work around family life," says Ms Elias, who has a 16-month-old daughter. "I would often work while she was napping or in the evenings."
Ms Elias has a background in marketing and book publishing and she also ran her own home-based business for nine years. Her line of rubber stamps is sold through many large retailers in the U.S., including Pottery Barn Kids.
Ms Foley Howard has a wide range of work experience in fashion marketing, securities and software sales, but as the mother of two daughters - a two-and-a-half-year-old and a seven-month-old - she was interested in finding a venture that would allow her to work from home.
"The setup experience has been a very positive one and our skills have nicely complemented each other," she says. "We have great ideas and energy for the ongoing development of the business, but will keep it at a manageable pace, so that we can balance our work life and family life, which is key."
One of the difficulties of creating such a detailed resource guide was sticking to their information deadline. Many of their listings came from word-of-mouth or from bulletin boards around town, including the one at the Bridgehead coffeehouse near Ms Elias's house.
"We were constantly finding interesting things to add, especially while searching on the web, but we finally had to cut it off," says Ms Foley Howard, a Gatineau resident who says the Quebec listings will help Ottawa parents find out about many stores and activities they might not have known about in the past.
They say the process of fitting all the listings into the guide was similar to "assembling a big puzzle." In order to achieve a fun and easy-to-read, yet professional, look and flow for the guide, they hired local freelance graphic designer Valentina Reid. An illustrator was also used to achieve the front cover's colourful and child-like drawing.
The business partners say they have plans to keep their guide updated annually with the latest changes in children's retailers, activities, festivals and services.
"We want everyone to know how wonderful Ottawa and Gatineau is," says Ms Elias. "The guide has really confirmed what we already thought about the area - there is so much to do."
Kids Ottawa and Gatineau sells for $11.95 and is sold through local bookstores and children's stores. It is also available at www.kidsottawa.com
By Kristin Harold, [email protected]
Editor's Note: Child's Play is a limited series that will explore the children's sports and entertainment industry in Ottawa, including game developers, publishers, animation houses and multimedia firms.
Copyright 2005 Ottawa Business Journal. Reprinted with permission.