Lauren Siclare is the mother of two young children and one new business – Bucklebath.
She realized how dirty and unsanitary her kid’s car seats and stroller were and that if she wanted them clean, she had to do it herself. There wasn’t an Uber-like service who, at the push of a button, a magic cleaning fairy would fly in and clean her kid’s messy, unsanitary strollers and car seats.
Her pain became the springboard for her business – Bucklebath.
“I started BuckleBath to solve a common Mom problem that many other parents had as well – dirty car seats and strollers without the time or mobile service to clean them. Parents trust BuckleBath because we understand the convenience and provide a high-quality service.”
When she couldn’t find someone willing to come to her home and clean her kid’s car seats and strollers, she knew there was an opportunity. It was at that moment the idea of a mobile service that could sanitize and clean car seats was born.
The origin of the business’s idea came about on a typical morning at her daughter’s preschool car line. Siclare noticed how messy her kid’s seats were as food would fall out of the crevices as she took her daughter out of the car.
“I was embarrassed, and I thought to myself, ‘my house is spotless, my daughter is immaculate, where are these crumbs coming from?”
A former Google Cloud Enterprise sales employee, Siclare, decided that if no one else could provide a solution, she’d make one herself. She cashed in some of her valuable Google stock options and used them to fund and find a solution. She has no plans to take investor capital currently and see growth potential alliances, partnerships, and ultimately franchising.
Customers can book an appointment in about twenty New Jersey towns as Lauren gets the business off the ground and into customer’s driveways. Started only last September, the concept has attracted interest from parents searching for a convenient way to clean car seats and strollers. To date, she and her team have cleaned thousands of car seats and stroller.
Following Standards
Lauren had to take four-days of classes to achieve her certification as a licensed National Child Passenger Safety Certification. Siclare taught herself the ins and outs of sanitizing and germs and brought in a doctor specializing in germs who is now on the company’s board.
Dr. Allen Friedland, a pediatric primary care physician, and an internist. He focuses on pediatrics and internal medicine professor with impressive national presentations and academic achievements. He is a respected leader, innovator, and educator in his combined specialties.
Through her research, Siclare discovered that even something seemingly as harmless as letting your child sit in a grocery cart could bring many germs to a seat. She and her team follow all car seat manufacturer guidelines, and it only uses all-natural products in its cleanings.
Two Services
She offers two services – the basic Bucklebath and the Biobath.
Basic BuckleBath – Sanitizing, disinfecting, and cleaning in roughly 30 minutes per car seat and right in your driveway.
For the most significant messes, the BioBath treatment squashes stubborn stains and stinky smells from tummy troubles, diaper blowouts, and other code red situations.
Typical cleaning is done on-site in one of the company’s vans and takes about 30 minutes while costing $57. A popular, more extensive process can be finished by the end of the day and runs for $107.
BuckleBath has also partnered with some YMCA locations and Kiddie Academy to cleans seats while children are in daycare so that parents can pick up their kids and the seat at the same time. And they have a pending relationship with a major retailer that will further expand their reach.
One shocking detail Siclare learned that a child’s toddler car seat can often harbor twice as many germs as a toilet seat.
Both salmonella and e-coli can be present in car seats and strollers as food particles grow unfettered. Siclare was informed that something as harmless as germs in a grocery store shopping cart can transfer to a child’s car seat.
“It’s not easy starting a business,” Siclare admitted.” If you think it’ll be all rainbows and sunshine, it isn’t. The reality of it is, when we first launched, even as we hired a lot of cleaning associates to go out there, I did a lot of cleanings myself. I rolled up my sleeves and went out to provide the best possible service because I know that moms have their hands full, and they’re non-stop busy.”
Lessons about starting a business
- Businesses started with a pain point you experienced, bring an essential dimension to a new business. When you have a visceral understanding of the problem at hand, it gives you a leg up.
- Starting slow and local. Lauren is careful not to expand too quickly as she figures out how to operate the business to bring maximum satisfaction to clients. She realizes how important it is to spark word of mouth. Word of mouth helped get her some great publicity on Good Morning America. One of her Facebook group moms was a producer for the show.
- Do every job. Create a process, a checklist, and good training. As she expands, Lauren needs to have a repeatable process and structured training. When you have done every job in a business, you understand who you need to hire, and it helps you create a system.
- Bring advisors closer. Lauren mentioned having the friendship and mentorship of a successful businesswoman who has been a critically vital rudder to help guide the direction her business has explored.
- 24/7 – Starting a business takes long hours, hard work, and a highly organized discipline. There aren’t shortcuts, and anyone who has started a business knows this intimately.
Are you thinking about starting a business? Make sure you solve a problem and be mindful of who you are serving and what they value.
And, you better buckle up and get ready for a bumpy ride.
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Photo by Wilfried Santer on Unsplash
