First Impressions are Important!

By Melissa Coffey
Diaper Decisions

Recently I read a “marketing tip” that I found very interesting. The tipper advised putting your business cards in all books related to parenting at the library, or bookstores. That sounds great! However, one instruction was missing: Remember to ask the librarian or book store owner if they will let you do this. Common sense would tell you the answer might be no. So if you find out the answer is no, that they would prefer you not do this, how do you proceed?

Respect is a two-way street. If you want your business to receive recognition and respect, it is best to think through your actions and to really pay attention to what reputation you are giving your business. If you are aiming to be the cloth diaper “go to person” in your community, you need these people on your good side. You do not want them irritated that you have disregarded proper respect to promote your business.

The library especially is an important part of every community and if you really want to promote yourself here, there are many other ways to do so while showing some respect. You can offer free bookmarks at the counter. You can compliment the librarian on the community bulletin board and ask how to display your information. You can ask about the community rooms available and ask if there are currently any natural or parenting type events scheduled, leading into describing your business. Find the free publications offered at the library and check out adverting opportunities.

First impressions are so important. While it may be tempting to follow advice that seems cheap and easy, you run the risk of being associated with unethical and rude behavior. That is not good for any business and it’s best to avoid these types of marketing techniques. Your business is worth it. You are set up to provide a great service to your community! Don’t lurk in the shadows, thinking of passive ways to promote yourself. Smile and tell the world!

The Difference is in the Numbers

by Melissa Coffey
Diaper Decisions


Diaper Decisions really believes in local business and the hands on approach to retailing cloth diapers. There are many reasons we advocate for taking your business to your local neighborhood.

Number one, for the advancement of cloth diapers, people need to see cloth in action. They can’t truly do that just look at web pages. It can also seem daunting to wash, and use cloth on the go, with the usual mental picture being quite messy. Living with cloth diapers is a whole new thing to most people, and they want to see it “for real.”

But aside from helping cloth become a real option for families in your community, what does doing businesses locally do for YOU? Cloth diaper purchases on the web, for the most part, are for people already looking for, or using cloth diapers. For someone already involved in this lifestyle, the purchase from you will often be minimal, based on a product of yours that caught there eye. Local business is completely different. Yours are the only diapers “available” locally and the orders will usually be considerably bigger. For example, below I have listed the orders Susie, from Lucy Luvs, has received in the past couple of months from people she has personally converted, or just helped with cloth diapering questions:


12 aios, 12 fitted, 48 wipes, 12 doublers
24 aios
24 aios, 4 fitted, 48 wipes, 12 doublers
12 fleece covers
24 fitted, 48 wipes, 4 covers, 12 doublers

These are not small orders. These are some big numbers, and herein lies the difference between the local and internet market. If you convert someone locally, you will often be the one they ask to get them started. By serving your local community, you also start to establish yourself as the “go-to” person for anyone interested in cloth diapering. Instead of a friend saying “go to www dot com” they say, I got these from “Susie in playgroup, she owns a cloth diaper business.”

Susie’s method for obtaining these large orders is to always have a few “cute” diapers from her stash with her. When someone mentions the cute “diaper cover” her daughter is wearing, she shows off the diapers and invites the customer to view her website to pick fabrics and select a package. Her site offers lay away and military discounts, which is a good sales tool for an Army wife to use. The packages are what she sells the most of because already has these listed on her site. She takes a lot of the work out of the “trying to decide” for the customers.

If you haven’t reached out to your local community with your business, now’s the time to start thinking about your plan to do so. It benefits your community, your business and the cloth diapering movement. Web marketing is great, but local marketing is better. The difference is in the numbers!