Jill Leech: Mompreneur, Potty Queen

It seems every parent has an idea for a great product that would make life with young kids a little easier. But Jill Leech took her ideas and turned them into a business. Potty Tots is a potty training program that Jill developed for her third child. So how do you go from good idea to Mompreneur? Here’s the poop, I mean scoop…

How long does it take to go from ‘ah-ha’ to getting press in the magazines?

For Potty Tots, it took us two years from the idea phase to having a complete product that we could market. From there it has taken us a year to get some coverage in the media (mostly social media and local parent magazines). It is difficult to get into the major parenting magazines as a feature article. We are actively pursuing all avenues of marketing including retailers, children’s catalogs, and trade shows. We have even sent Potty Tots kits to over 50 celebrity parents! (even Hollywood stars have to potty train their children!)

How do you go about finding an illustrator?

I found most of my artists online at www.ifreelance.com. (illustrator, animator, musician, printer etc…) I was so fortunate to be able to find a talented illustrator (Jennifer Ware of Zenware Designs) who captured my vision of the Potty Tots and brought them to life! I am happy with the way everything turned out, especially considering I worked with most of the development and design team online! (very 21st century!)

Did you partner with someone who had experience starting a business or did you just figure it out as you went along?

Most of starting Potty Tots was learning as I went along (and I learned a lot! ) Luckily my husband had the business background and experience with manufacturing and sourcing in China and was able to find a great printer for us and handle the logistics of shipping etc…

Did you ever consider just throwing in the towel?

I never considered throwing in the towel. We launched Potty Tots right in the middle of a recession and I knew it would be tough. But I knew we had a great product and that there is a great need for help with potty training so I kept on believing!

You partnered with your sister. What do you say to the people who warn against going into business with family?

With family, as with any business partner, you have to make sure that you are on the same page when it comes to anything from ideas on how to develop the product to how much money you are willing to spend on production, advertising etc… My advice is to find someone with the same vision, excitement and work ethic and you will be successful.