| Sylvia Acevedo needed a break from her | | | | person in the first focus group had such a huge |
| technology job so she bought an old Victorian | | | | need to solve the communication problem that he |
| house to remodel into a bed and breakfast. "Being | | | | approached her about investing in the company. |
| an engineer working in technology, I really felt I | | | | She accepted, and for a stake in the company, |
| didn't do a lot of tangible work. But with the bed | | | | he paid for the initial production of the cards.The |
| and breakfast, at the end of the day, I felt like I | | | | company is now in the middle of its second year |
| had actually done something."And, of course, she | | | | and sales are increasing. So far, they've sold |
| had-because as she renovated the house, she | | | | thousands of the cards, but it's slow going. Sylvia |
| transformed it into a beautiful B&B. She had no | | | | originally thought the product would be sold |
| problem communicating with the construction | | | | through retail stores, but she found that her |
| crew, who were mostly Hispanic, because she | | | | previous distribution experience was no longer |
| grew up speaking both Spanish and English. "My | | | | valid."My experience was dated. It was years |
| mother was from Mexico and all of my | | | | before Wal-Mart had taken over and many of the |
| grandparents lived there," she says."People would | | | | people that I went to call on in the industry were |
| see me talking to a crew of workers and I | | | | no longer there. In fact, the businesses were |
| literally would have contractors stop and hand me | | | | gone."Finding a roadblock in the path to retail |
| the phone, asking me to translate for them," she | | | | distribution was a big disappointment, but the |
| says. That's how she realized communication | | | | company simply adjusted its thinking and found |
| between Hispanic construction workers and | | | | another way. Now, instead of selling through |
| non-Spanish-speaking supervisors was really a | | | | national retail chains as she had hoped, |
| problem.Being a software engineer, Sylvia's mind | | | | CommuniCard products are sold through trade |
| immediately went to solving the problem. "I think | | | | associations and the company's website, as well |
| it's because I've always been an innovator and I | | | | as through a few local retail stores.To promote |
| see things maybe in a way that provides a | | | | the innovative product, Sylvia doesn't use |
| side-door solution. I don't just look at the situation | | | | traditional advertising. She has found that public |
| and say, 'Okay, it's a bottleneck'. I try to look at | | | | relations works best because it's such a new |
| new ways to solve the problem. And in this | | | | product that requires too much education and |
| particular situation, the problem was | | | | explaining.It's a low-price-point item, with the |
| communication." But she didn't follow through on | | | | housekeeping cards selling for $15.95 and all the |
| her ideas for a few more years.After two years | | | | others selling for less than $10, so Sylvia has |
| of renovating and running the B&B, Sylvia was | | | | found that tradeshows are not particularly |
| ready to get back into the technology field, so | | | | effective, either. "You're competing with so many |
| she hired a manager for the bed and breakfast, | | | | giveaways at tradeshows that I found it really |
| and started a software development company | | | | diminished the value of our brand. People would |
| with three others. A few years later, Sylvia and | | | | say, 'Gosh, they just gave me this really cool saw |
| her partners later sold the software | | | | that's worth 30 bucks and you're not going to |
| company."That was really interesting," she says, | | | | give me this for $10?' So I found it to be very |
| "because we sold it for stock and then the stock | | | | expensive and unproductive," she |
| market crashed. But that was an important | | | | says.Nevertheless, in its first year of business |
| learning lesson because I learned a lot about | | | | CommuniCard -- found at -- sold well over 5,000 |
| creating a company that supported intellectual | | | | units of the housekeeping cards, and somewhat |
| property and taking it from literally concept to | | | | less of the others, generating just under a |
| actually building a company."By this time she had | | | | $100,000 in sales.The company has branched out |
| also sold the B&B for a tidy little sum and was | | | | into consulting as well as product sales because |
| ready to solve the communication problem she | | | | there's a need for the expertise Sylvia has |
| saw a few years before. She realized there were | | | | acquired through all her research. "Most marketing |
| a lot of non-Spanish-speaking people in the United | | | | firms focus on selling consumer products to |
| States who were hiring people who only spoke | | | | Hispanics," she says. Instead, she focuses on |
| Spanish for service jobs. "And you have a | | | | solving problems. For instance, the bus company |
| challenge because how do you direct the work | | | | hired her to find out why so few Hispanics ride |
| that needs to be done?" she says.The solution? | | | | the bus.Sylvia was also recognized in 2004 as the |
| The CommuniCard, easy-to-use Spanish/English | | | | National Businesswoman of the Year by the U.S. |
| communication cards. There's a deck of | | | | Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.CommuniCard |
| housekeeping cards with pictures of the tasks and | | | | recently introduced a new set of cards for law |
| English/Spanish translations, and several | | | | enforcement, and police departments have had |
| accordion-folded, laminated pocket cards for the | | | | great interest in them. Sylvia offers to customize |
| construction industry showing tools, tasks and | | | | the cards with the police department's badge, and |
| translations, and a similar pocket card for the | | | | this requires an order of hundreds, which |
| lawncare industry. This allows the supervisor to | | | | customers are readily doing.The company has also |
| merely show the card to the worker to | | | | been researching other languages to see what |
| communicate. For instance, one of the cards | | | | new products might be developed, but so far |
| shows a person cleaning a big window with a | | | | they haven't found the right match. "When we |
| spray bottle in one hand while using a squeegee in | | | | tested the (original) cards in Chicago, people |
| the other. The wording below the illustration says, | | | | wanted cleaning cards in Polish. But that's such a |
| "Clean the windows. Limpia las ventanas." So if the | | | | small market. We'd only be able to sell those in |
| worker cannot speak English, or even read, it is | | | | New York, Chicago and maybe Boston. Whereas |
| clear what is being asked.Before putting it into | | | | the housekeeping cards in Spanish/English are |
| production she tested it extensively, first in | | | | selling across the country," she says.One of the |
| Texas, and then across the United States. "I | | | | things that Sylvia made sure to do was protect |
| went to Northern California, Southern California, | | | | her idea. She has a patent pending and, of course, |
| New Mexico, Colorado and across the South and | | | | everything is copyrighted and trademarked. As a |
| Texas. I found the biggest needs were in | | | | result of her software engineering background, |
| construction and housekeeping," she says. She | | | | she knew how important this was. She says she |
| began by interviewing the people who hired these | | | | often urges other women inventors to protect |
| workers-everyone from Junior Leaguers, to | | | | their assets, and she has helped several either |
| people in office settings who hired workers, to | | | | copyright or trademark their ideas.One of the |
| companies and construction firms. She also began | | | | things that has surprised her is people need these |
| to go to day-labor sites and construction sites to | | | | products so urgently they are willing to pay FedEx |
| interview the workers. But the supervisors | | | | delivery charges to get them overnight. "I bet we |
| weren't appreciative of her being on jobsites, | | | | get no less than three orders per week where |
| even if she only spoke to workers while they | | | | people want the product so fast that they're |
| were on their breaks."So I would approach them | | | | willing to pay more in shipping than the product |
| at bus stops, churches, and schools." And what | | | | costs," she says, which leads her to wonder if the |
| she learned was very informative. "We began to | | | | product is correctly priced. "We're constantly |
| get a lot of feedback and the product changed | | | | evaluating," she says.Lois Carter Fay, APR, is a |
| dramatically as a result," she says.All in all, she | | | | 30-year veteran in the P.R. and marketing field. |
| spoke to over 4,000 people. After the informal | | | | She works with women business owners and |
| research, it was time for something a little more | | | | small business owners to help them improve their |
| elaborate. "We've done many focus groups, and | | | | marketing and business success. She now |
| we do them on all the products," Sylvia says. The | | | | produces three marketing ezines, Brainy Tidbits, |
| interviews are conducted by a professional, | | | | Brainy Flash, and Success Secrets of Women |
| trained moderator who's bilingual."And that's a | | | | Entrepreneurs. All are free. She's also the |
| very important issue," she says. "When you have | | | | co-author with Jim Wilson of "Sales Success! |
| a vision for a product, you really need to get | | | | Strategies for Women," a quick-to-read ebook |
| customer input. But there's also a fine line | | | | containing 52 easy-to-implement sales tips. The |
| between getting too much input and not enough. I | | | | ezines and ebook are available through her |
| didn't want to go into analysis paralysis or | | | | websites.Visit or to learn more sales, marketing |
| information overload."One of the important | | | | and publicity ideas and subscribe. Claim your free |
| outcomes of the focus groups was that one | | | | special report when you subscribe. |