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