Snibbie: Spit Happens (a)

Who hasn't had a great idea and believed they could make millions if they moved on it? Greg Heard actually took his idea and developed a bib for adult childcare workers--the Snibbie Bib. His strategy is to follow the Diaper Genie model: develop the product, open enough doors in the baby-product market to grow the business to sufficient scale, and then sell it to a major player like Gerber or Procter & Gamble for buckets of money. The A case describes Heard's learning experiences and progress in approaching institutional buyers, attending his first vendor fair, working with vendors, moving his operations out of his garage and into a warehouse, and becoming an international company. He also gets help from a mentor who steers him through the retailer-distribution process. The news that his biggest buyer has just filed for bankruptcy is unsettling and raises many questions about how this will affect his company. Also, what should he do about an offer from a large, national company to private label his products? The B case (UVA-M-0701) describes the direction he takes regarding private labeling, working with the bankrupt company, and further developing his brand by creating additional products.