When Alison Musser became a mother in 2010, her daughter became the inspiration for her entrepreneurial venture. After a particularly difficult time renting a crib on a family vacation, Musser created the concept for Babies Travel Too, a solution to an ever-present problem for parents traveling with children.
As a 2005 graduate from the MBA program at Case Western Reserve University with a concentration in entrepreneurship, Musser saw a need in the market for a business that would provide the high-quality, brand-name baby gear parents needed to keep their traveling children safe and happy. This rental service is one of a kind and currently only offers services in Cleveland, but Musser plans to expand to five locations by 2017.
Babies Travel Too is innovative in the way that it approaches the baby-gear rental market, and offers a consistency in quality and cleanliness not available in many other companies.
Musser cites a frantic phone call from a customer who had rented a car seat that wouldn’t buckle into the car and was dependent on Musser to deliver a safe car seat for her infant to travel in.
“It is time that infant and child safety become a priority and not an afterthought, and this is the gap that Babies Travel Too can fill,” Musser says.
In addition, Musser noticed the inconvenience of traveling with bulky baby gear and wanted to find an alternative that parents would feel is as safe and dependable as the gear they carry at home.
Because Musser realizes the obvious opportunity to expand Babies Travel Too into a national brand, she is pursuing an aggressive growth model with a possible franchise structure. She continues to build the business with an innovative hand, and her online ordering system has been both well-received and is considered an indication of her talent for management. She is currently pursuing contracts with hotels whose supply of cribs is limited, and also offers a “Hotel Concierge” program that allows hotels to have baby gear delivered immediately.
In the industry, Musser is smart to focus on the relationship with the customer, as her company revolves around keeping the customer safe and happy. Musser’s problem-solving skills and intuition for market needs are designed to make Babies Travel Too a leader in the baby equipment rental industry.
How to reach: Babies Travel Too, (216) 404-7673, @babiestraveltoo or www.babiestraveltoo.com
