diaperkit vs making my own?

[Equuskia]

I'm thinking of starting a diaper business here in PR. No one sells cloth here, not even the fancy baby boutiques! All you can get is gerber prefolds and and another really cheap brand MIC.

I'd like to sell prefolds/covers, pockets and AIOs. My question is, should I go with something already premade like diaperkit, where I just have to sew, or should I buy by the yard and do it myself? I'm going to have someone sew the diapers, and I sell them, because my sewing skills are limited to buttons. Since I'm not in the continental US, shipping will always be expensive, which is an important cost I must factor in. Any help would be greatly appreciated!

[Kari_mom]

Have you considered retailing some of the mass-produced brands of diapers, like Fuzzibunz and Motherease, as well as prefolds? I think it would be the most cost-effective way to start a diaper store especially since you don't sew yourself.

[Equuskia]

I had considered that at first. The problem is that if I were to just resell, I would have to charge sales tax. On the other hand, if I were to have them sewn here in PR, it can be considered an artisan craft, which exempts me from having to collect sales tax, plus allows me to be funded by the Economic Development Bank of PR with funds and loans specially designated for artisans. That's why I was considering diaperkit, since it doesn't matter that the materials aren't from PR, as long as the item is crafted here by a Puerto Rican.

[Kari_mom]

Ahh. I thought there might be more behind your thinking.

I think, if you plan to hire seamstresses to sew the diapers you sell, then the diaper kits might be the way to go as having precut diapers will probably save you money in employee costs and add to product consistency if you have more than one seamstress. That assumes that you like the diaper pattern and final product from diaperkits.com. It looks like a great diaper and I've heard good things about it, but I would still want to see one for myself before making too many decisions, you know?

If you source the materials yourself, you'll have to develop your own patterns (or buy a licensed pattern) but you will have more control over the manufacturing and final product.

Even with the incentives you've mentioned to sew your own, I think it would be worth your time to cost out each scenario, including straight retailing, and see what works best. It will take some time and research to do this, but then you will know your business that much better before you start. I also think you might get better answers in WAHM Well too, lots of good experienced businesswomen post there.

[Equuskia]

I do plan on testing out the diapers on my own girl before commiting to buying the kits wholesale. She's a heavy wetter so she'll make a great test subject! I have another on the way too, so there's two guinea pigs!

I guess my real question is, has anyone used the diaper kits successfully in their WAHM business? I know durability in part will depend on the seamstress, but are clients satisfied with the absorbancy of the dipes, the cloth doesn't get a hole after 10 washings, etc. Those are my main concerns.

I promise I'm not gonna put anyone here outta business! This island's got 4 million people to sell to, I don't need your mainlanders! Thanks for your help! I will crosspost in the WAHM well.

[Jenlaana]

I've used a ton of different patterns from Diaperkits to Fattycakes to freebies to non-sellable to sellable etc. I like the diaperkits stuff because its precut, but you loose out in what you can make by a lot.

If it was me, I would buy diaperkits aio's and pockets (but w/ fleece inners or something - not the cotton flannel inners ones) I would also get a pattern that I could resell from for fitteds. Fattycakes has a very inexpensive pattern you can resell from if you fit their guidelines (which is fairly easy to do) and they're very cute. The biggest reason that people buy non "mass produced" fitteds IMO is that you get some incredibly cute patterns and materials that way. Plus I think you could charge more for the more cute ones than for the generic colors.

Plus, if you use a pattern you can buy local materials for fitteds (any fabric shop would have it) instead of having to ship stuff in.

[love2bmom]

Just a note to say that if you are going to sell pockets with fleece inners you have to have a license from Mother of Eden - not sure how that works outside of the US. They hold a patent on that particular fabric/sewing combo. Just an FYI.

[ReneeC]

If you get Diaperkit pre-cuts, I don't think they have any pocket diaper combos that have a wicking inner and a waterproof outer, so I don't think you'd have a problem with the MOE Fuzzibunz patent.

The thing you *do* need to consider is that you'll need a licensing agreement with the maker of the pattern (or kit) in order to sell from that pattern. Some charge a fee for the licensing as well as wanting to see a completed sample before granting the license (like the Very Baby pattern) while others only want pictures of a sample and your active membership in their board (the Fattycakes pattern). I know that Diaperkit sells wholesale, but I'm not sure what all the requirements are. I'm sure you've already looked at the info page on their website, though

In addition to Diaperkit, I highly recommend Kayla's Cloth Kits (on HyenaCart). They aren't pre-cut, but they're very reasonably priced, and I know that she sells just the pattern as well (if you wanted to choose and buy your own fabrics)--I'm not sure if Diaperkits sells just their pattern

[Equuskia]

Originally Posted by ReneeC

If you get Diaperkit pre-cuts, I don't think they have any pocket diaper combos that have a wicking inner and a waterproof outer, so I don't think you'd have a problem with the MOE Fuzzibunz patent.

No, She only sells flannel and Birdseye inner. I really don't like fleece personally. I have two pockets like that, and poop just sticks to it. The two flannel I have, the poop rolls off pretty easily. Maybe it depends on the fleece, but I think it has to do with how the fleece gets pilly and I guess makes the poop stick. But thanks for the info love2bmom

Jenlaana, I do like the idea of buying a pattern for fitted and getting the fabric here. I am looking for an inexpensive end product though, because most people here aren't well off, and I would like to offer them the alternative of saving money with cloth diapers, and showing them the numbers (sposies are frightfully expensive here, compared to FL for example.) to convince them that cloth is the way to go. However, I do plan on consigning some nicer diapers to maternity stores and places that offer maternity classes (especially in the metro area), which are usually attended by people that are more well-to-do and probably wouldn't mind shelling out $25 for a cute fitted after they just shelled out $325 for a Peg Perego. I do plan on offering embroidered diaper covers so people can have something cute to use with prefolds without causing a major dent in their budget.

As my seamstress becomes more experienced in diaper sewing, then we may just make our own design for diapers depending on what people here are looking for, but perhaps continue to purchase the diaper covers from diaperkit since I'm sure I won't find PUL here. I already have a design for an awesome diaper bag, but I'm keeping that to myself. :

Thank you ladies for your wonderful insights. I'm keeping them all in mind for my business plan.

[Jenlaana]

the cheapest way to go is usually to get things local IMO. I just get my materials when they go on sale and have ended up with some great $2 a yard flannel for fitteds that make gorgeous fitteds where if I bought stuff online it would have been much more expensive, even before you count cost of shipping.

Regarding wicking vs non-wicking... I would never buy a non-wicking pocket and I hate hate HATE the pockets that I made from diaperkits, only because of the wicking from the inner lining. It wicks onto pretty much anything and everything - including my clothes and my couch covers - way before the others do. I hadnt considered the copyright though honestly, since I havent sold anything in months, so I guess that shoots that in the foot for my suggestion there.

But back to the fitteds issue, if you cant get cheap materials from local sources, then that probably wouldn't be the way to go obviously. I dont know the way things work there, but here I can easily get a dozen different cotton flannels for $1 to $3 a yard if I just take the ones they have on sale. I end up with a bunch of different materials to mix and match, but its always worked out to some very pretty combinations and an interesting offering of diapers.

[love2bmom]

I'm sorry to hear that you are unhappy with the diapers, feel free to pm me about it - I'm always happy to make changes if they are needed. My experience with pockets of varying brands is that in general they do wick/leak more quickly. I have had wonderful success with our new baby (who wets more than any of my other kis have) using our Deluxe Flannel AIOs. He does not have any leaks at all with them. Since he's not pooping at night anymore I use fitteds and covers at night.

[ktracy1]

I would totally go with a diaperkit to start with. You could make kit diapers until you get your foot in the door with places so to speak and are able to source out better deals on fabrics for all your products you intend on making.

You have to keep in mind that not every diaper out there will work on every baby because every baby is different. A diaper that is PERFECT for my baby might suck terribly on yours etc. Anyway, I have used every single one of Amber's kits and have nothing but good things to say about her kits, her customer service etc. She is a super sweet mama and she really cares about her product, service and customers.

As you get more experienced with the sewing of diapers and find good reliable sources for materials you could bring it all closer to home.

I wish you lots of luck!

[Equuskia]

Well, I have seen dollar flannel in walmart. I haven't had any time to check local stores yet. Is there anything I should be on the lookout for when I shop for flannel? Is it mostly the same? I also want to check to see if I can find birdseye and maybe make my own prefolds?

[ReneeC]

Originally Posted by Equuskia

Well, I have seen dollar flannel in walmart. I haven't had any time to check local stores yet. Is there anything I should be on the lookout for when I shop for flannel? Is it mostly the same? I also want to check to see if I can find birdseye and maybe make my own prefolds?

The flannel you buy locally is pretty much all the same--unless you go to a quilt shop and get quilter's flannel. That's thicker and more like the higher-priced Diaper and Killington flannels you'd buy online from places like Very Baby (which was One Stop Diaper Shop).

You *might* find birdseye or diaper twill (the other fabric that prefolds are usually made from) locally (check Joann Fabrics or Hancocks if you have one near you, and ask someone if they carry it--it is usually in the "utility fabrics" section), but your best bet to find it inexpensively enough to make prefolds out of it is to buy an entire bolt online from Very Baby or through a co-op. It takes a lot of fabric to make a prefold, and unless you buy the fabric in bulk, it is cheaper to just buy pre-made prefolds.

[Jenlaana]

Originally Posted by love2bmom

I'm sorry to hear that you are unhappy with the diapers, feel free to pm me about it - I'm always happy to make changes if they are needed. My experience with pockets of varying brands is that in general they do wick/leak more quickly. I have had wonderful success with our new baby (who wets more than any of my other kis have) using our Deluxe Flannel AIOs. He does not have any leaks at all with them. Since he's not pooping at night anymore I use fitteds and covers at night.

Just wanted to clear this up. I have no issue with diaperkits.com's diapers in particular. I love the covers I made from their kits. I just don't like pockets/aio's with cotton inners (including kushies brand and others that I've tried). They all seem to wick onto clothing way before the wicking inners (fleece/microsuede etc)

[milehighmonkeys]

Originally Posted by Equuskia

Since I'm not in the continental US, shipping will always be expensive, which is an important cost I must factor in. Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Shipping to you should be about the same as shipping to anyone else in the US. I've sent stuff to PR (we just got back from there on vacation, in fact) and the price has been the same. I don't know why some places don't ship there, though. I just use DC just like shipping anywhere else.

[Equuskia]

Originally Posted by ultconsumer

Shipping to you should be about the same as shipping to anyone else in the US. I've sent stuff to PR (we just got back from there on vacation, in fact) and the price has been the same. I don't know why some places don't ship there, though. I just use DC just like shipping anywhere else.

Only if it's thru USPS. UPS/FedEx charge an arm, leg and eye to ship stuff, especially heavy stuff. And since I don't live on the mainland, I usually don't qualify for free ground shipping on the sites that offer it. As for why some people don't ship here, especially if they use USPS, they think this is international for some reason. Besides, I wouldn't trust UPS with my shipments. I have seen them throw packages from the truck, and if it landed in a puddle, oh well. If the box broke, oh well. You don't know how many boxes I've received (I work as a game and collectable card merchandiser in Walmart and KB toys, and all the merchandise arrived through UPS) crushed, wet, or not even in the same box it was shipped in. All boxes from the company are bright orange, so they're no mistaking them. They are truly horrendous in service. I've even gotten boxes sent to the wrong store. I absolutely don't trust them.

[Brilliantmama]

FWIW, I love, love, love my diaperkits diapers.

(My mom orders the kits and makes them for my daughter.)

If they (the fully made diapers) were available locally, I would totally buy them.

The covers are great and I think people new to CD would do well with them.

[Equuskia]

Well, my husband wants to sew them. If he sews them well, that means that I don't have to pay someone else to do it. He says he doesn't need to be paid. He's willing to ....take it out in trade. :

[love2bmom]