Meet the Moms Behind 2 Funky Mums!
Who is 2 Funky Mums? Where are you located?
2 Funky Mums is co-owned by two moms- Melissa Underwood and Patricia Moffitt- in Stillwater, Minnesota. Right now we work out of our homes, with manufacturing taking place at Patricia’s house.
How did you come up with your business name?
We came up with the name one evening while sitting at Melissa’s kitchen table. We had a yellow pad and were writing down different ideas. Patricia wrote down both of their names and realized that their initials put together made Mum. (Plus, Patricia always liked the idea of being called a mum!) One thing led to another and before they knew it, the name 2 Funky Mums was born.
When and why did you decide to start your own business?
In 2005, we decided to organize a t-shirt party to make MOMS ROCK t-shirts for our friends to wear to an upcoming Christian Women’s Conference. Each woman brought her own shirt and we had a fun girl’s night out creating the product using an ironing board in the living room. At the time we thought it was just a fun project so that we would all have cute shirts to wear.
The response to our shirts at the conference was overwhelming. People were stopping us left and right asking us where we got the shirts and if we were selling them. We knew you couldn’t do better market research. By the end of the two day conference, with lots of encouragement from our friends, and realizing we shared a strong passion for fashion, we created “2 Funky Mums.”
How did you get started?
We started by gathering as much information possible on shirts, rhinestone transfers, and how to apply them to a variety of fabrics. We were so excited whenever a new catalog came in the mail and quickly filled them with tags and post-it notes identifying our favorite items. After we felt like we had done enough initial research we started ordering samples, and more samples, and even more samples. If our name was going to be on the product we wanted to make sure it was a good one. We purchased a commercial heat press so that we could ensure the transfers were applied well. Even before we officially opened for business people were asking how soon they could get the shirts.
Both of our husbands are graduates of the University of Minnesota Carlson School Of Business. We consult them when we have business questions and they have enjoyed watching us work through the issues of starting a new small business.
2 Funky Mums officially opened for business on April 3, 2006.
What motivates you to keep your business going?
We love what we do and really enjoy the time we spend on 2 Funky Mums. We are excited about the growth we have had and the growth we know we will have in the future. When we started 2 Funky Mums we expected to spend longer gearing up, using the slow period as a chance to learn how to work together and how we wanted to develop the business; but the demand has been so great that we are just trying to keep up. It is exciting to know that there are lots of possibilities on the horizon. And each custom order is a great opportunity to be creative and try new things.
We like being able to support organizations such as LADC, ECFE, Moms Club, and local schools with donations for fundraising events.
Do you have a particular product that's a best seller on your site?
MOMS ROCK is the shirt that started it all and continues to be a best seller. GRANDMAS ROCK is also a tremendous hit. When Mother’s Day rolls around the shirts fly off the shelves. They are a great gift for the mother, grandmother, sister or friend who seems to have everything.
How do you advertise your business? Which methods proved successful/effective?
Much of our success has been due to word of mouth and the incredible support of friends. Several women carry our business cards around in their purses so that when they are wearing our shirt and someone comments on it, they can give them one of our cards.
The cards have been very effective. We have received calls from people sitting in coffee shops that saw our business cards on local message boards.
One friend has gone out on her own to talk to local businesses about carrying our shirts.
We also participate in the Minneapolis Temporary Gift Mart. Twice a year this puts us in front of all of the retail buyers in the area. We use this as an opportunity to sell our stock designs and as a chance to promote our ability to do custom work.
How do you juggle family and work at home?
We both have very supportive families. But the biggest help is that all of our kids get along, so when we have to put in a few hours of work, all five kids play together and have lots of fun.
What advice would you give to moms seeking to become a WAHM?
Make sure you know why you want to start a business and what your goals are. As businesses are successful and grow, the demands on you will increase. If you know why you started out in the first place, it will help you react to the changes and decide how much of yourself you are going to invest each step along the way.
Visit 2 Funky Mums at: www.2funkymums.com
Current promotions/specials at 2 Funky Mums:
Use code: moms08 – Free Shipping through Mother’s Day
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