A serendipitous turn of events.
A desire to give her boys more than just the run-of-the-mill toy guns and trucks.
| A business born out of a sheer passion to help other parents educate their children. Josephine Yoong is a young mother of two active boys, three year old Micheal and two year old John. Josephine or fondly known as Jo, runs her home-based educational toys business from her home in tranquil Pulau Tikus, Penang. | |
How she jumped into this business was something even she did not anticipate.
"I was eight months pregnant with my first child and I was looking for flash cards for him. Flash cards were found everywhere in Kuala Lumpur but I could find nothing over here in Penang."
She began her arduous search, and got down to discussing with her Penang friends about getting these educational materials (which she had seen in many places back in her hometown, Kuala Lumpur).
| Many directed her to Nurture Craft, where she was delighted with many of her finds there. "When the owner started a division on baby flash cards, I worked together with him on it. When he eventually decided to close it, he asked me if I wanted to take over but I declined," says Jo. Yet Jo knew the market was ripe for such a business and she felt she could share this passion with other parents. With her husband's support, Jo began selling the educational toys right from her spacious apartment. Precious Ones had begun! | |
Stimulating Young Minds
She believes that toys are an indispensable part of childhood and many an indulgent aunt or uncle or parent would be ever generous to buy toys for Junior.
She adds that many well-educated middle-income parents these days were on the search for toys that combined creative play with education, and toys that were long-lasting and produced with children in mind.
Says Jo, "The right toys at the right time will enrich any child's play experience and provide the foundation for learning."
With the right toy, coupled with a child's natural curiosity and interest in the world around them, would transform them into eager learners. Well-planned toys can develop children's thinking skills and sense of logic.
| She usually sells to friends and those who hear of her through word of mouth. Since Jo attends playgroups and baby groups with her sons, her friends become potential customers! "They usually get in touch with me whenever they want something more educational and stimulating for their children or their friends' newborn." | |
Over the four and a half years that she has been in Penang, Jo, has seen her clientele of parents and excited children extend beyond those that she knows.
She's one enterprising lady as she directly contacts the local suppliers of the toys and she's always on the look out for newer and better toys. She recalled her excitement at finding a Vietnamese woman who could supply her with toys made of good quality wood. She was equally amazed no one had heard of the Vietnamese toys!
Her boys usually get to "test" out the products and that's one of the perks her boys love, Jo says, of mummy selling toys.
Jo also picks days to set up her 'open day' home shop so that she can invite interested parents and show them her toys and educational materials. Last December, Jo was super pleased that her one-day home shop drew the crowds of parents like no other. In one morning, she had sold almost all of her stock.
Sharing with Other Mums
| Friends too get to share in Jo's enthusiasm for the business. She smiles as she tells the tale of how one mother, after buying her toys, decided to take some down to Melaka during Chinese New Year to introduce them to her relatives. As her relatives and their friends oohed and aahed over the ingenuity of the toys, she managed to sell them her 'samples' and made a tidy profit. Now this friend is thinking of getting supplies from Jo to begin her own home-based business in Sungai Petani, Kedah. | |
Jo believes that a good toy is safe, durable, fun to use, interesting to the child, encourages inquisitiveness and resourcefulness and involves parent-child interaction.
Her products teach young ones about sounds, as the soft books (made of cloth and other material) emit sounds that usually captivate children and encourage them to explore. Others are tactile, encouraging the toddler to touch them and feel their texture.
Jo recounts a story of a young mum who bought a creative puzzle for her child and ended up staying awake the whole night trying to figure out the puzzle. So it's not necessarily that the children's games or puzzles are easy.
Because she herself is a mother, most of her recommendations are based on what has been tried and tested and from the experiences of other parents who have used these educational toys. She even shares her knowledge on what she comes across especially from her trips overseas and her jaunts back to Kuala Lumpur.
Among the brands she carries are GD flash cards, Ks Kids, Read & Play soft books, Aristoplay award winning board games, USL kindergarten supplies, LASY creative training sets, play puppets, personalised books, parenting books, Vietnamese wooden toys, Plan Toys and others. CDs and cassettes are also available. She also carries the Glendorman system which teaches babies about learning.
This business-savvy mum also takes orders for personalised bibs, baby hats and nappy holders - all which make marvellous gifts for newborns.
Truly a treasure trove of toys for your precious ones!
by Krista
15th April 2002
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