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Spotlight on Mom Entrepreneur: Rebecca Cousins, founder of Freckles Crafts
Once your child discovers arts & crafts, you will start looking for inspiration. From Michael's to parenting magazines, local playgroups and library events, I have looked everywhere for ideas. Though now our projects resemble a shoebox of various crafting tools and a heavy load of stickers, I can certainly appreciate a crafting product that contains all the necessary elements in one convenient package, so you can follow directions and complete a craft from start to finish. Freckles Crafts offers just this kind of an ingenious product. Rebecca Cousins, the mom behind this wonderful idea is a self-starter who was inspired to start this venture by her own kids. She makes crafting easier for kids and less stressful for parents. Read our interview with this Mom Entrepreneur to see how Freckles Crafts business was born and what keeps it growing.
When and how did you come with the idea for Freckles Crafts?
I came up with the idea for Freckles Crafts several years ago when I was involved in numerous playgroups with my then three year old son and newborn. Often the topic of conversation would turn to what we do to keep our kids entertained. For me, the answer was crafts. My oldest child and I did crafts together almost every day. So often, I would hear other moms say how much they would love to craft with their kids but could not come up with the craft ideas and felt overwhelmed by going to the store to buy the supplies needed to create something. They had tried other “mail order” crafts and were not happy with the quality, nor did they really want large quantities of each craft. Overall these moms just became frustrated with the whole idea of crafting. I felt there was a true need for a high quality product that would allow moms the opportunity to enjoy crafting with their kids in a convenient, non intimidating way. Something they could just pull out at a moments notice and not have to worry about coming up with an idea or searching for supplies. That’s when the idea of a craft kit containing everything needed to make one craft came about and Freckles Crafts was born!
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Spotlight on Mom Entrepreneur: Kathleen Weinberg, founder of Nibbles' Play Cafe
Drop by the Nibbles' Play Cafe in the Arlington Heights suburb of Chicago and you will see happy moms and happy kids. It's a simple concept of combining food and play in a safe environment that is popular around the country. Yet, Nibbles takes it further with live performances, movie and disco nights for kids, and of course storytime. This extra effort on top of the solid basics is what I think recently earned them the Nick’s Parents Connect Parent’s Pick Award for the Best Breakfast in Chicago. Parents know that the best topping on that bagel is a stress-free morning, and that's what you get at Nibbles - kids play and you relax. And the place is spotless clean! Kathleen Weinberg, owner and founder of Nibbles, is very hands on - you often see her around helping kids and chatting up parents; you can tell she puts her heart in this business. If you are in the business of working with kids, you have to work hard - they are tough critics, since they usually speak their minds. Kathleen has worked hard to make this a success and I asked her a few questions to see what other moms who want to start their own business can learn from her experience.
Why Nibbles?
I spent a long time determining what my real passions were, what I really enjoyed doing and what I believed in. I have always worked with families and their children and have a strong commitment to providing services to families. I love planning events for children, always loved working in restaurants. I also wanted to be able to create a space where families could hear live music. I hated going to some of the other indoor play areas where it’s loud, hard to watch the kids and there isn’t adult-friendly food…eventually I came to the concept of Nibbles.
