I’m a wife, mother of two boys, native Detroiter and graduate of Detroit Public Schools. Although, we didn’t have much growing up, my family instilled strong values in me. Those values included; caring for others, giving back to my community and striving to make the world a better place. I’ve taken those values along with me throughout college, in my career and now with my family.
I’ve been able to rise above many challenges in my life. I know many Detroiters are still faced with adverse situations limiting their abilities to succeed. I’m a testament of how perserverance and strong family support can lead to greater outcomes. I strive each day to make Detroit a better place to live, work and play! I’m blessed to live in a very supportive and beautiful neighborhood known as North Rosedale Park. I’m hoping to help make more Detroit neighborhoods as nice and welcoming as my own.
Today, I’m an entrepreneur working as a consultant in the K-12 industry and I’m the founder of the first indoor playground in the City of Detroit – Kidz Kingdom Open Play and Party Center. My dream is to create safe places where children can play, including my own. I’ve always had an entrepreneurial drive and spirit. I can remember starting a business with one of my friends in the 6th grade. We were planning on creating a newsletter or paper in order to reach out to the community. Since then, I’ve had a few busineses of my own and have always wanted to fully pursue my entrepreneurial goals and dreams. I’m grateful to finally live out that dream!
Kidz Kingdom Open Play and Party Center is the very first indoor playground in the City of Detroit. This center offers a safe and fun place for kids to play and a relaxing and enjoyable place for parents. Our approach to play takes all of the simple and yet fun and exciting childhood moments and creates a “Kingdom” for children to engage and rule in a kid’s way.
I actually decided to start this business about two years ago after the birth of my second child. I have two children and they enjoy playing at indoor playgrounds. The only problem is there isn’t a single center in my city. I tabled the idea and a few months ago, I decided to revisit the idea and haven’t stopped going since. My children are my primary reason for pursuing this business. Furthermore, all of the children and families in Detroit deserve this space.
The playground equipment and activities are geared toward children 12 years and younger. Our main attractions are a custom-designed treehouse and imagination inspired spaces. My biggest challenge is my desire to expand and have more sites in the city to serve this need. After we launch the first location and measure success, we will determine the next best location for our business model.
I am most proud of the fact that my 6 1/2 year old son named the business, acts as an advisor and considers himself a Jr. Entrepreneur. He’s learning how to start his very first brick and mortar business alongside his mother. I am totally honored by this and grateful to work with him to make this a reality.
Kidz Kingdom will display the utmost level of customer service and care for the children and families visiting the center. As a result of this business model, a minimum of two staff members will be required for all weekend and some weekday shifts. In addition we hope to offer at least one youth summer job to Detroiter. A great deal of marketing and outreach is required to effectively engage the community in this process. Furthermore, professional signage, fliers and other forms of advertisement will be necessary to ensure a proper launch. Lastly, the inventory and equipment will be of the highest standards and inspected by trained experts.
This loan will help Kidz Kingdom have a successful launch and sustainable model through the first six months of operation. This combination will go a long way towards the future success and customer satisfaction that will be needed for our business to grow.
Staffing is a substantial cost and for the first four months, this line item will take up nearly $5,000.
The professional building sign is quoted at $2,000.
Marketing materials and postage are an additional $1,500.
Purchasing additional inventory and ensuring the proper inspections are handled will cost another $1,500.
This loan will truly impact the opening and crucial months of business. In addition, this loan will remove a burden from our family’s financial commitment to the launch. It will also ease my concerns about several needs for the business.