Herb-filled pillows generate more than a million dollars
Lauren Rosenstadt was a single mother who worked at an herbal company in Bethesda, Maryland. An herb (pronounced “erb”) is a plant that has medicinal, savory, or aromatic qualities. One day, while she was having lunch with a friend whose daughter suffered from insomnia, Lauren thought, “If I could fill a pillow with herbs, it would be soothing and help my friend’s daughter sleep.”
A few days later, Sydney Greensheep, a pillow shaped like a sheep and filled with dried herbs, was completed. Lauren gave Sydney to her friend to try out with her daughter. The next morning, her friend reported, “That’s amazing, she slept like a baby!”
Insomnia is an epidemic in our fast-paced American lifestyle. 40-50% of Americans complain of occasional bouts of insomnia. 10-15 percent of the US population suffers from chronic insomnia. Each year, up to 10 million Americans seek medical help for sleep disorders. As many as 10,000 car accident deaths each year are the result of someone falling asleep at the wheel.
Lauren introduced Sydney to her boss, who was impressed enough to provide her with a space on the company’s booth at a trade show. Many fairgoers liked the idea of the herb-filled pillow, and by the end of the fair, Lauren had orders for over 100 pillows.
Lauren hired a seamstress to sew the sheep-shaped pillows. Then she filled them in herself. Buyers at the fair displayed the pillows in their stores, and within days, they all sold for between $18.00 and $22.00 each.
Encouraged by these results, Lauren sent samples to department stores and specialty stores. The orders began to arrive. To sew the pillows, she listed small home sewer companies. It was hard work delivering 40-pound rolls of fabric and bags of stuffing to her homes. In the first year, she raised more than half a million dollars.
Now, Lauren’s Herbal Animals can be found in over 750 body care, gift and natural life stores worldwide. Lauren’s company employs 13 people and has revenues of more than a million dollars a year.
It is interesting to note that Lauren Rosenstadt did not start out as a hobby seamstress or craftswoman. She was a person who used her insight to help a friend comfort her daughter. Recognizing an opportunity, Lauren didn’t give up. She did the thought and work necessary to achieve success.
Visit Lauren’s website www.herbal-animals.com
Copyright(C)2004 Bucaro TecHelp.
To learn how to maintain your computer and use it more effectively to design a website and make money on the Web, visit bucarotechhelp.com To subscribe to the Bucaro TecHelp newsletter Send a blank email to [email protected]
Permission is granted for the following article to forward, reprint, distribute, use for ezine, newsletter, website, offer as a free bonus, or part of a product for sale, provided no changes are made and the signature, rights by author and the resource box below is included.