Kimberlee Mitchell wants to make the world safer for babies, and she’s succeeding – one house at a time. Winning a Ford Transit Connect, said the owner of Boo Boo Busters, a full-service babyproofing company in Ladera Ranch, Calif., will help her company not only better manage inventory, but also get the job done quickly and efficiently.
Mitchell is one of five grand prize winners in Ford’s “Connect with Connect” contest. Winners will receive a customized Transit Connect, the versatile new van that debuts in February 2009 at the Chicago Auto Show. With a cargo capacity of 143 cu. ft., compact maneuverability and efficient 22 mpg city and 25 mpg highway, it’s the perfect vehicle for small businesses on the go.
In the case of Boo Boo Busters, motherhood was the impetus behind the birth of the business, Mitchell said. After her first child was born, she realized her house seemed almost booby-trapped with items dangerous to children. Since she couldn’t find the help she needed, she used her journalism background, did her research, and started a company of her own. Her services, she soon found, were in great demand.
“Since I founded Boo Boo Busters in 2002, we’ve babyproofed hundreds of thousands of homes in L.A., Orange and San Diego counties,” she said. “In an effort to educate new parents about home safety issues, I serve as a guest speaker at local hospitals, I’m a safety expert for local and national news organizations, and I’ve been a featured guest on various TV shows and in film.”
She takes her business seriously – and she needs a vehicle that can support her job requirements. “We carry thousands of pieces of assorted hardware, from space-hogging safety gates to five-foot long sheets of Plexiglas. Organization and storage is essential, since the installers need to have a full array of the product line in their trucks to be aptly stocked for same-day installations.”
The Transit Connect would serve as a mobile warehouse, she said, allowing installers to transport tools quickly and safely. Currently, she said, employees find it difficult to find the correct inventory, and often have to make extra trips to restock. “Not only does that mean a frustrating, costly return trip,” she said. “But we have a customer with an unresolved hazard in their home until we return.”
Her dream? To end the unintentional injuries that occur in homes that aren’t properly babyproofed. The Transit Connect, she said, will help bring her that much closer.
“I’d like to offer professional babyproofing services to parents nationwide. My goal is to franchise Boo Boo Busters and be in every metropolitan city in the U.S. Going global would be a dream! While baby/childproofing is our core business, it’s integral to our business model that we concurrently work to educate expecting and young parents and grandparents about home safety. Boo Boo Busters is a labor of love – we make our living keeping little ones safe.”
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