Double Duty

When four Midlothian women started their own home-based businesses, they might have each had different goals, but they shared one characteristic in common - gumption.

That drive to succeed was important since, according to the Greater Richmond Small Business Development Center, 80 percent of all new small businesses fail within their first five years. Fortunately, these women - and many others like them in the county - are beating the odds. Below are their stories:

FAT Cookie

Whenever When-Dee Morrison's husband landed a new client, she'd bake them a batch of her unusual homemade cookies. Morrison confesses that she never had all of the ingredients on hand, so she experimented with different mix-ins. "It was mad science," she recalls.

With the encouragement of happy clients and friends, the Morrisons started FAT Cookie , an Internet-based business that sells custom homemade cookies.

A cross between Cold Stone Creamery and Mrs. Field's Cookies, FAT Cookie involves three simple steps: 1) choose from a selection of five cookie dough flavors and 80 mix-ins 2) name your creation and 3) select a quantity. The pancake-sized cookies are individually wrapped and labeled and then shipped anywhere in the world.

The business flourished while Morrison worked from home to raise her two children. She'd drop off her children at American Family Fitness' Kid Zone and forgo a workout to work on her business plan in the cafe. "I should have exercised before working, but I was only allowed two hours."

Morrison created a step-by-step business plan. She perused the Small Business Administration's Web site and downloaded forms and read business books by writers such as Guy Kawasaki.

Like a pregnancy, the planning began in January 2006 and the business launched nine months later in November.

"My concept is not hard. We carefully researched the type of company and could not find any others like it. I can't imagine I'm the first person to think of this, but maybe I'm the first to put it together."

The Health Department inspected the Morrisons' kitchen, requiring a separate work area for the "cookie kitchen." A convection oven cuts baking time down by more than half compared to their conventional oven. The Morrisons adjust their schedules so When-Dee can be "mom" from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and "baker" from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. During the holidays, she starts as early as 4 a.m.

For six months, When-Dee regularly scoured the candy aisles at Wal-Mart and Target to find potential mix-ins. Her husband found chocolate Pop Rocks. "If I can get it, 99 percent of the time it is doable," she said.

The other one percent includes ingredients such as Skittles and candy corn. "As soon as they were baked, they turned rock-hard."

Part of the appeal is harnessing the creativity of the customer. "People have made so many creative choices for their cookies. Naming the cookie is the fun part," she says.

For a trunk show at the Watermill Clubhouse, she tested cookies she called "Champagne on Ice," a sugar cookie concoction with champagne oil and topped with fancy sugar crystals. "It is a kind of high-end cookie."

An ice cream storeowner liked the cookies so much that he is considering buying and reselling When-Dee's cookie creations at his store.

The most requested cookie is the Creamsicle, with sugar dough, orange extract and yogurt chips.

Morrison wasn't driven toward cookies; it just seemed to be a good idea. She wanted a product that was simple, affordable and edible, so you don't have to store it. "I'm a cheap gift person - I don't like to spend more than $25," she says.

The Morrisons have focused their marketing on their Internet presence. Their Web site is now listed on the coveted first page of a Google search of the words "fat" and "cookie."

What's next in the oven? The Morrisons would eventually like to open a retail shop in Midlothian where they could serve walk-in customers and produce cookies for the online business.

Oodles of Doodles

Terri Fantell (left) and Colleen Robinson utilized their artistic talents to start Oodles of Doodles Their business cards read: Colleen Robinson , Chief Oodler, and Terri Fantell , Chief Doodler. Neither has an art degree - Fantell has a master's in education and Robinson has a chemical engineering degree - but they are both artistic.

The idea for their business, Oodles of Doodles , spawned five years ago from a hand-decorated gift bowl that Fantell received. She decided to design her own version for a friend's gift.

Robinson borrowed the idea and made a decorative snack bowl for her daughter's coach. A woman saw the bowl and asked, "How much do you charge?" She immediately called Fantell and exclaimed, "People will pay money for these!" That sparked their first order for five items and the business took off.

Robinson and Fantell hand-decorate and personalize useful household items such as plastic snack bowls, tubs, clipboard cases, ceramic platters, bowls, mugs, and bulletin boards and lap desks with themes such as "Life's a ball" or "Life's a beach."

Their trademark is simple, fun artwork using characters and names. Robinson designed a platter for a family reunion that depicted 20 family members - complete with accurate eye, hair and skin color and other features such as eyeglasses, freckles or curly hair.

They market their personalized products through local craft shows, school events and home parties. Similar to FAT Cookie, a local retailer may begin to carry some Oodles of Doodles products.

"It's a seasonal business," says Robinson, adding that they're swamped from October through December and in May. Many customers buy the personalized items and fill them with gifts for children, teachers, coaches or family.

People often remark that Oodles of Doodles could charge and sell so much more. "Our products are priced to sell," said Robinson. She uses the money she earns to pay for family vacations.

While they don't have plans for an Internet-based business, Robinson would like to open a virtual shop on an Ebay-type Web site.

All of the work is currently done in their homes. Both find they have reaped more benefits than just profit. Robinson's three children have learned from the process. "I have actually seen their artwork improve," said Robinson. "They add details that they see me do." It's a marketing lesson, too. Her children help package the items and know to include a business card.

More importantly for Robinson, she is teaching her children that you don't have to stay in your chosen career. By starting a home-based business, you can be creative and flexible to meet your family's needs, she said.

Tickle Your Fancy

Heather Hughes (left) opened her shop, Tickle Your Fancy, in Stony Point Fashion Park last April While working at her "traveling boutique" at the Bizarre Bazaar craft show last December, Heather Hughes was approached by the short-term leasing agent from Stony Point Fashion Park about signing a six-month lease.

After losing her job two years ago, Hughes started Tickle Your Fancy from her home. She began with custom jewelry and slowly added handbags, housewares and other gift items. Her traveling boutique shows eventually migrated from homes to corporate offices.

Hughes took a leap of faith and moved from home shows to a storefront at Stony Point on Apr. 1 this year. She remarks, "I always wanted to work for myself, and I love to shop, so it is fitting."

Originally, Hughes planned to open a store at Woodlake Commons, but she couldn't secure bank financing. "I am so thankful that it didn't work out because it ended up being something better."

Hughes continues to sell her line of custom jewelry, which comprises about 10 percent of her products. The other 90 percent includes shoes, belts, baby items, dinnerware, totebags, stationery and other gifts. She also offers interior decorating and buying services and monogramming. The store will remain in the former See's Candies location through Christmas.

She says her shop carries a little bit of everything to appeal to different people and budgets. Prices range from $3 to $400. "Business has been phenomenal," she says.

Starting small and based from home was a good segue for Hughes. In those two years, she networked heavily, learned about hundreds of products and fleshed out the financial, administrative and marketing tasks. She also added a third child to the mix.

Now Hughes manages home and a shop with five employees. "I would not be at the store today if I hadn't gone through a learning process." She advises, "You can't go directly from A to F. You have to take it step-by-step." Check out more stories in this edition of the Chesterfield Observer , now a weekly publication.