| Sylvia Acevedo needed a break from her
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| | in the first focus group had such a huge
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| technology job so she bought an old
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| | need to solve the communication problem
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| Victorian house to remodel into a bed and
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| | that he approached her about investing in
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| breakfast. "Being an engineer working in
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| | the company. She accepted, and for a
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| technology, I really felt I didn't do a
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| | stake in the company, he paid for the
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| lot of tangible work. But with the bed
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| | initial production of the cards.The
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| and breakfast, at the end of the day, I
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| | company is now in the middle of its
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| felt like I had actually done
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| | second year and sales are increasing. So
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| something."And, of course, she
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| | far, they've sold thousands of the cards,
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| had-because as she renovated the house,
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| | but it's slow going. Sylvia originally
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| she transformed it into a beautiful B&B.
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| | thought the product would be sold through
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| She had no problem communicating with the
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| | retail stores, but she found that her
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| construction crew, who were mostly
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| | previous distribution experience was no
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| Hispanic, because she grew up speaking
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| | longer valid."My experience was dated. It
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| both Spanish and English. "My mother was
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| | was years before Wal-Mart had taken over
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| from Mexico and all of my grandparents
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| | and many of the people that I went to
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| lived there," she says."People would see
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| | call on in the industry were no longer
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| me talking to a crew of workers and I
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| | there. In fact, the businesses were
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| literally would have contractors stop and
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| | gone."Finding a roadblock in the path to
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| hand me the phone, asking me to translate
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| | retail distribution was a big
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| for them," she says. That's how she
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| | disappointment, but the company simply
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| realized communication between Hispanic
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| | adjusted its thinking and found another
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| construction workers and
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| | way. Now, instead of selling through
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| non-Spanish-speaking supervisors was
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| | national retail chains as she had hoped,
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| really a problem.Being a software
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| | CommuniCard products are sold through
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| engineer, Sylvia's mind immediately went
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| | trade associations and the company's
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| to solving the problem. "I think it's
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| | website, as well as through a few local
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| because I've always been an innovator and
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| | retail stores.To promote the innovative
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| I see things maybe in a way that provides
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| | product, Sylvia doesn't use traditional
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| a side-door solution. I don't just look
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| | advertising. She has found that public
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| at the situation and say, 'Okay, it's a
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| | relations works best because it's such a
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| bottleneck'. I try to look at new ways to
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| | new product that requires too much
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| solve the problem. And in this particular
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| | education and explaining.It's a
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| situation, the problem was
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| | low-price-point item, with the
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| communication." But she didn't follow
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| | housekeeping cards selling for $15.95 and
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| through on her ideas for a few more
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| | all the others selling for less than $10,
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| years.After two years of renovating and
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| | so Sylvia has found that tradeshows are
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| running the B&B, Sylvia was ready to get
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| | not particularly effective, either.
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| back into the technology field, so she
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| | "You're competing with so many giveaways
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| hired a manager for the bed and
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| | at tradeshows that I found it really
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| breakfast, and started a software
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| | diminished the value of our brand. People
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| development company with three others. A
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| | would say, 'Gosh, they just gave me this
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| few years later, Sylvia and her partners
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| | really cool saw that's worth 30 bucks and
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| later sold the software company."That was
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| | you're not going to give me this for
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| really interesting," she says, "because
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| | $10?' So I found it to be very expensive
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| we sold it for stock and then the stock
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| | and unproductive," she says.Nevertheless,
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| market crashed. But that was an important
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| | in its first year of business CommuniCard
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| learning lesson because I learned a lot
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| | -- found at -- sold well over 5,000
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| about creating a company that supported
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| | units of the housekeeping cards, and
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| intellectual property and taking it from
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| | somewhat less of the others, generating
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| literally concept to actually building a
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| | just under a $100,000 in sales.The
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| company."By this time she had also sold
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| | company has branched out into consulting
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| the B&B for a tidy little sum and was
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| | as well as product sales because there's
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| ready to solve the communication problem
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| | a need for the expertise Sylvia has
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| she saw a few years before. She realized
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| | acquired through all her research. "Most
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| there were a lot of non-Spanish-speaking
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| | marketing firms focus on selling consumer
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| people in the United States who were
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| | products to Hispanics," she says.
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| hiring people who only spoke Spanish for
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| | Instead, she focuses on solving problems.
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| service jobs. "And you have a challenge
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| | For instance, the bus company hired her
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| because how do you direct the work that
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| | to find out why so few Hispanics ride the
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| needs to be done?" she says.The solution?
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| | bus.Sylvia was also recognized in 2004 as
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| The CommuniCard, easy-to-use Spanish
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| | the National Businesswoman of the Year by
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| English communication cards. There's a
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| | the U.S. Hispanic Chamber of
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| deck of housekeeping cards with pictures
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| | Commerce.CommuniCard recently introduced
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| of the tasks and English/Spanish
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| | a new set of cards for law enforcement,
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| translations, and several
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| | and police departments have had great
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| accordion-folded, laminated pocket cards
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| | interest in them. Sylvia offers to
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| for the construction industry showing
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| | customize the cards with the police
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| tools, tasks and translations, and a
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| | department's badge, and this requires an
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| similar pocket card for the lawncare
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| | order of hundreds, which customers are
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| industry. This allows the supervisor to
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| | readily doing.The company has also been
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| merely show the card to the worker to
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| | researching other languages to see what
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| communicate. For instance, one of the
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| | new products might be developed, but so
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| cards shows a person cleaning a big
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| | far they haven't found the right match.
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| window with a spray bottle in one hand
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| | "When we tested the (original) cards in
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| while using a squeegee in the other. The
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| | Chicago, people wanted cleaning cards in
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| wording below the illustration says,
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| | Polish. But that's such a small market.
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| "Clean the windows. Limpia las ventanas."
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| | We'd only be able to sell those in New
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| So if the worker cannot speak English, or
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| | York, Chicago and maybe Boston. Whereas
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| even read, it is clear what is being
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| | the housekeeping cards in Spanish/English
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| asked.Before putting it into production
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| | are selling across the country," she
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| she tested it extensively, first in
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| | says.One of the things that Sylvia made
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| Texas, and then across the United States.
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| | sure to do was protect her idea. She has
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| "I went to Northern California, Southern
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| | a patent pending and, of course,
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| California, New Mexico, Colorado and
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| | everything is copyrighted and
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| across the South and Texas. I found the
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| | trademarked. As a result of her software
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| biggest needs were in construction and
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| | engineering background, she knew how
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| housekeeping," she says. She began by
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| | important this was. She says she often
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| interviewing the people who hired these
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| | urges other women inventors to protect
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| workers-everyone from Junior Leaguers, to
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| | their assets, and she has helped several
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| people in office settings who hired
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| | either copyright or trademark their
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| workers, to companies and construction
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| | ideas.One of the things that has
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| firms. She also began to go to day-labor
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| | surprised her is people need these
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| sites and construction sites to interview
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| | products so urgently they are willing to
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| the workers. But the supervisors weren't
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| | pay FedEx delivery charges to get them
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| appreciative of her being on jobsites,
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| | overnight. "I bet we get no less than
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| even if she only spoke to workers while
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| | three orders per week where people want
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| they were on their breaks."So I would
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| | the product so fast that they're willing
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| approach them at bus stops, churches, and
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| | to pay more in shipping than the product
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| schools." And what she learned was very
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| | costs," she says, which leads her to
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| informative. "We began to get a lot of
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| | wonder if the product is correctly
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| feedback and the product changed
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| | priced. "We're constantly evaluating,"
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| dramatically as a result," she says.All
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| | she says.Lois Carter Fay, APR, is a
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| in all, she spoke to over 4,000 people.
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| | 30-year veteran in the P.R. and marketing
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| After the informal research, it was time
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| | field. She works with women business
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| for something a little more elaborate.
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| | owners and small business owners to help
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| "We've done many focus groups, and we do
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| | them improve their marketing and business
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| them on all the products," Sylvia says.
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| | success. She now produces three marketing
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| The interviews are conducted by a
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| | ezines, Brainy Tidbits, Brainy Flash, and
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| professional, trained moderator who's
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| | Success Secrets of Women Entrepreneurs.
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| bilingual."And that's a very important
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| | All are free. She's also the co-author
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| issue," she says. "When you have a vision
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| | with Jim Wilson of "Sales Success!
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| for a product, you really need to get
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| | Strategies for Women," a quick-to-read
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| customer input. But there's also a fine
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| | ebook containing 52 easy-to-implement
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| line between getting too much input and
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| | sales tips. The ezines and ebook are
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| not enough. I didn't want to go into
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| | available through her websites.Visit or
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| analysis paralysis or information
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| | to learn more sales, marketing and
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| overload."One of the important outcomes
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| | publicity ideas and subscribe. Claim your
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| of the focus groups was that one person
| |
| | free special report when you subscribe.
|
