New parents agree: some days there's simply not enough coffee in the world. While most new parents expect to lose some sleep due to nighttime feedings and fussiness, many find themselves dealing with an extra challenge—a colicky baby. When colic hits, complete exhaustion becomes a way of life.
According to KidsHealth.org, up to 40% of all infants have colic.
All new parents want is a few hours of sleep, but their precious angel won't stop crying out in pain. Feeling guilty and helpless, perplexed parents can't understand why their touch isn't enough to calm their baby. A sense of defeat envelops their tired souls, and they will do almost anything to get their infant back to sleep.
A Baby Born Every Minute (And Then Some)
Giving birth is a lucrative business. The CDC reports that 3.6 million babies took their first breath in 2020. That's over 10,000 births in the United States each day!
Pair that statistic with the prevalence of colic and let your capitalist brain imagine the possibilities. Think you might find it rewarding to help parents regain their sanity and babies to get the sleep they need to grow into strong, healthy toddlers?
Good news! There is a massive market for baby products that can help moms and dads survive the early years. Grand View Research, Inc. estimates that the baby industry will surpass $16.78 billion by 2025. As long as colicky babies cry all night, parents will open their wallets to buy hope and solutions.
Say Hello to Baby and Goodbye to Sleep
A study done by the sleep technology experts at Simba reports that new moms and dads only get about 4 hours and 44 minutes of sleep each night. That's much less than the recommended 6-8 hours! Moms tend to get even less shut-eye than dads. In total, parents lose up to 59% of their sleep during a baby's first year. Bring more kids into the equation, and that number is likely to increase.
However, welcoming a new life into the world is worth the sleep deprivation, and there is an end in sight. But, if a baby is colicky, it only makes adjusting to parenthood worse. Screaming, inconsolable babies keep parents up nearly every night. Nobody functions well on so little sleep.
What Exactly Is Colic?
Colic is an often misunderstood condition that causes distress and discomfort in infants. It usually begins around two weeks of age—at a time when parents are already exhausted and at their wit's end trying to adjust to a new baby. Lack of sleep makes it difficult to enjoy parenthood.
To further complicate matters, colic can last for a few dreadful weeks or several endless months.
Doctors have theories as to what causes this disorder, but no one really knows for sure why some babies are prone to colic. Some experts suspect food allergies or intolerances are to blame. Others think gas and acid reflux are the culprits. But, there is nothing set in stone. All doctors can do is tell parents that their baby will eventually outgrow this phase. And while that may be true, it's certainly not what parents want to hear. They want to know how to end colic right now—once and for all.
Colicky babies often cry for hours on end, and many parents worry their child is in pain. Unfortunately for moms and dads, bouts usually occur in the middle of the night. Babies experience outbreaks multiple times a week, if not nightly. Parents often try feeding, rocking, swaddling, and singing—but nothing they do seems to calm their distressed infant.
All-In-One End Colic Kits
What if you could offer something to help parents get the relief they need? What if you could fill this void and create a product that would genuinely benefit this baby niche? Well, you can!
The market for an "end colic" business is HUGE and building a $1.2 million per year business would be child’s play.
Colicky babies all respond to different home remedies. What works for one may not be the best solution for another. That's why colic treatment kits will be a hit with parents. You can create an all-in-one kit that provides them with multiple tried-and-true products that are sure to help calm their infant. Exhausted parents will pay a premium to get everything they need in one order.
Be sure to include these popular baby products (included with estimated retail prices):
- Swaddling blanket - $7.99 and up
- Pacifiers - $3.19 and up
- Anti-gas bottles - $7.19 and up
- Medicine dropper - $2.39 and up
- Baby bib - $0.99 and up
- Natural gas drops - $6.54 and up (recurring)
- Essential oils - $4.99 and up (recurring)
- Diffuser - $14.98 and up
- Calming baby wash - $4.99 and up (recurring)
- Sound machine - $15.99 and up
- Cuddly stuffed animal - $11.98 and up
Organic products are more popular than ever, especially in the baby world. After all, new parents are cautious about what they give their infants, so it's wise to include natural products (like drops and oils) in your kits. Consider partnering with a well-known natural baby company and include their most popular products.
Marketing and Branding Your Colic Remedies
If you want to enter the multi-billion dollar baby market by storm, you need to invest some time into creating a fail-proof business plan. Sure, anyone can pack together these anti-colic products, but what will drive parents to close the sale with you?
Your Website
Build one that shows the world what your company is all about. Branding is your best friend. Instead of selling generic products, work with a supplier to create a private label. Come up with a catchy name and even better logo. Incorporate colors that parents find soothing, such as lavender and sky blue. Make your website easy-to-use for someone who only got two hours of sleep the night before.
Your Presence
You can serve sleepy parents best by being a reassuring presence. They're halfway wondering whether they've lost their minds, after all. Include enough content on your site to entice moms and dads to learn more. For example, you can upload videos demonstrating each product. Interview experts (doctors, influencers, etc.) to make your content more relevant and believable. Become the colicky baby guru.
Build a YouTube Channel
Don't just include these videos on your website—plaster them across the internet. YouTube is the perfect outlet - but don't forget to use Instagram and post on Pinterest, too.
Reach Out to Your Fans and Influencers
Word-of-mouth is equally crucial. After all, why would someone buy your organic calming baby wash if Johnson's is readily available everywhere? You need to get your name out there. Google parenting articles, and you're sure to find a plethora of mommy blogs. Contact the most popular bloggers and offer to write a guest post. You can even submit your product for review or giveaway. Parents trust these bloggers, so getting a positive review will instantly boost your sales. Scary Mommy has over 768,000 followers on Instagram. Pregnant Chicken has over 80,000, and Taza entertains 421,000 fans each day. Sponsoring a post with one of these influencers will introduce your brand to a vast number of moms (and dads) at once.
Run Ads Online and Off
The number one place parents go for information is online, and they often check out social media sites first. Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram are great places to advertise your products. Approximately 68% of Americans use Facebook, while Instagram has the fastest growing platform. Adding a PPC campaign is a perfect way to target and attract new customers.
New moms visit the doctor almost monthly, whether for their baby or themselves. While sitting in the waiting rooms, they're bound to pick up the nearest parenting magazine and flip through the pages. First-time parents may even subscribe to a few. Ask about buying ad space in the most popular baby magazines. You never know—they may even showcase your anti-colic kits in a feature article!
The Takeaway
Right now, millions of parents are walking around like zombies from exhaustion, thanks to colic. Now is the perfect opportunity for an aspiring entrepreneur to enter the "end colic" niche. They don't have the time to get to the store and shop around. If they didn't get a crucial product at their baby shower, they'd probably end up ordering it online. Moreover, desperate parents will pay a premium to soothe their baby and get a few more hours of much-needed sleep.
A handy colic kit with everything needed to naturally soothe their baby is sure to be a hit with tired parents everywhere. Sourcing the products from China will save you money, and creating a unique private label will add personality to your brand. Market to everyone in the baby business to reach the most customers and these colic kits are sure to fly off your virtual shelves.
Contemplate this: Of the 300,000 babies born each month, up to 120,000 will suffer from colic. If you price your kits at $100 a piece, you'll only need to sell 1,000 a month to make $1.2 million a year. Even better, mothers everywhere will sing your praises as they finally get a few extra hours of much-needed sleep. Let parents count sheep while you count your profits.
We bet one of our Capitalism Incubator students will start this business. Maybe it’ll be you?
We’ll coach you, step-by-step, to turn this idea into a million-dollar business. Plus, you’re going to need some connections (influencers, investors, suppliers) and we can make those introductions for you, too. Are you ready? Apply here to join the Capitalism Incubator.
