March 2009 Momtrepreneur of the Month: Jill Chukas of Crafty Baby

The March Momtrepreneur of the Month is Jill Chukas, owner of Crafty Baby. If you love one-of-a-kind handmade creations, you'll love the designs from Crafty Baby. What is a momtrepreneur? It's a woman who balances her passions. She manages both a business and her family. And Jill the Founder of Crafty Baby certainly qualifies.

Crafty Baby is a brand of toys, bedding and accessories. Jill founded the company when she identified a need for practical and durable baby products. The small company specializes in unique, handmade items. One look at the craftsmanship involved in constructing the playful clutch balls ($16.50) or chenille blankets ($68) and you'll be won over by the quality.

Forget about mass marketing, this company is all about capturing the sweetness of childhood. Coming up with new products doesn't seem to be a challenge. Jill just looks to her own needs and figures other moms are in the same boat.

For example, the toddler pillow and pillowcase fills a need. Toddler beds are larger than cribs, yet smaller than a standard twin. Jill dreamed up colorful cases that measure 14" x 18"-the perfect size. Fun prints include airplanes, floral patterns and animals. ($32 for a pillow and two cases).

Jill is picky about what she puts into her designs and she has picky product testers. Her children help select fabrics and are eager to offer their opinions. It's no surprise Jill recently won an Award of Excellence from The Toy Man for her Nap Pack creation.

In addition to crafting gorgeous toys and furnishings, Jill is passionate about saving the U.S. handmade product industry. She's devoted countless hours to petitioning her representatives in congress on behalf of the Handmade Toy Alliance to ensure small business don't get wiped out by the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA). In 2008 the CPSIA was written to protect parents from lead and phthalates in toys.

The act mandates third party testing and certification for all toys and requires toy makers to permanently label each toy with a date and batch number. The problem is that the same rules apply to small operations like Jill's as well as huge companies, such as Hasbro.

According the Handmade Toy Alliance it would cost between $300 and $4,000 per toy for an American company to get a new toy approved. Jill and her co-workers on the alliance know that simply won't work in today's economy.

For her commitment to quality and support of other businesses, Jill Chukas is Momtrepreneur of the Month.

The year my business launched: Fall of 1998

Hometown: Born and raised in Hyde Park, NY; currently live in Stamford, CT

I'm most proud of: I was able to take a hobby and passion that I had for sewing to the level of a business that gives me pleasure and supplements my families income.

Recent success: I doubled my internet sales from 2007 to 2008.

What I tell other women looking to launch a new business: Find your passion, channel it, and just do it!

When I'm not working on Crafty Baby you can find me: Driving a minivan all over town - usually late for something!

I wish someone had told me ________ before I launched this business. That it would be all consuming - in my time, my thoughts, my schedule, etc.

The person I'd most like to network with is: Martha Stewart

The hardest thing about owning a small business: Balancing family and work.

Best thing about owning a small business: Having flexibility in my schedule; making my own decisions.