A couple started a business, directly addressing the pain points of mothers, and earned 4 million yuan a year

"70% product selection, 30% operation" is a classic motto in the cross-border circle. At present, online business competition is becoming increasingly fierce, which is a fact that is obvious to all. However, the three sellers in this article still stand out from the market with serious internal competition with excellent products, and have opened up their own business territory on platforms such as Amazon, Etsy and TikTok Shop.

41-year-old makeup artist makes $600,000 a year selling diaper bags

When her son was 18 months old, Alexandra Rutkay, 41, was so excited that she could finally throw away her diaper bag and carry those long-neglected designer handbags. But in August 2021, when the family of three went to dinner in New York, she found that she couldn't fit wet wipes, snacks and emergency pull-up pants into her fashionable Saint Laurent messenger bag. At that time, she was very angry and thought to herself: "There must be something more suitable for us moms." With this idea in mind, she used her spare time to turn the idea into reality.

In June 2022, Rutkay launched her own brand Citymouse, which features a cross-body diaper bag with replaceable shoulder straps. By 2024, Citymouse had earned nearly $600,000 (about 4.35 million yuan) through its independent website and TikTok Shop. Today, Rutkay and her husband run the brand together. Her husband is responsible for operations, logistics and customer service full-time, while Rutkay works part-time as a makeup artist and spends 40 hours a week busy for Citymouse. The two estimate that Citymouse will bring in about $150,000 in profits in 2024.

Rutkay is passionate about Citymouse. She feels that this brand has special emotional value for herself and other mothers. In her opinion, tapping into the emotional elements of a product and letting consumers develop feelings for the product is the key to opening the door to commercial success.

Unlike White, Rutkay refuses external investment. She firmly believes that self-reliant companies have unique charm and underestimated potential. "You can have a full say in all matters and make your own decisions, which is a powerful force in itself." However, she does not rule out selling the company. According to her plan, in the next five to seven years, she plans to sell Citymouse and try new fields. She said frankly: "I know everyone says don't think about selling when you start a company, but I know myself. I am a serial entrepreneur and may eventually get involved in different fields, different products and different industries."

In fact, this is not Rutkay's first entrepreneurial venture. After giving birth to her son in February 2020, she thought about making a pizza-themed baby milestone blanket. She quickly invested $6,000, found a factory overseas to produce it, and then sold it on Amazon. But at the time, she thought that as long as she did a good job of search engine optimization (SEO), consumers would be able to find the product automatically, and she didn't spend a penny on advertising. Any seller who has worked on Amazon knows that this simply doesn't work. Sure enough, after only 4 months, Rutkay closed the company. Fortunately, this experience accumulated valuable experience for her later founding Citymouse.

50-year-old company executive sells multi-functional measuring tapes and earns $500,000 a year

One day in 2019, Joshua White from Florida, USA, walked into Home Depot to pick out a suitable tool for his daughter. However, he searched the shelves and found that he could not find any children's tools that were safe, practical, and not toys. He was disappointed. At that moment, the idea of ​​finding a better solution germinated in his mind.

Previously, White worked in creative companies for 25 years and rose to the position of director. This experience taught him that the best ideas often solve practical problems that are closely related to people's lives. As a father of six children, he is well aware of the difficulties faced by parents: keeping their children away from electronic screens while enhancing family relationships. This sets the tone for what White wants to do: not only to engage people in hands-on activities and be fascinating, but also to be educational, fun, safe and reliable. In addition, this product must be versatile enough so that it can be further developed into a DIY tool with a wider range of applications.

In this way, Handy Famm, a multifunctional TEM learning tool brand for children, was born. The brand's first product is a playful and unique bird with a measuring tape on its tongue, a practical and interesting Eye-conic™ level in its eyes, and a built-in angle measurement protractor. White carefully selected a unique color and gave it an interesting name, giving it a distinct personality and further deepening the brand's heritage.

After launching the first product, White first tested it on Kickstarter and successfully raised $10,000 in start-up funds, which he then used to improve and optimize the product. In October 2022, the improved product was officially launched on the Amazon platform. In the first year, with the help of Amazon and the independent website, Handy Famm's sales reached $185,000.

At the end of 2023, White used the seed funds raised to start Handy Famm's in-depth layout, including developing more character-themed tools, using social channels more effectively, building a factory in China, and forming sales, social and operations teams. This series of measures has achieved remarkable results. In 2024, sales of the two products, Bird Measuring Tape and Puppy Measuring Tape, soared to $500,000.

Looking back, it all started with a simple shopping experience. Who would have thought that such a small opportunity would lead to a magnificent entrepreneurial journey?

41-year-old nurse earns $120,000 a year selling plant wall decorations

Megan Walsh of New Jersey grew up listening to her mother's Zinger sewing machine thumping fabric for Halloween costumes. It's one of her most cherished childhood memories, and she says it was this experience that gave her a deeper understanding of the smell, feel and way handmade items resonate with people, and became the source of inspiration for her business.

In 2009, Walsh opened a shop called MegansMenagerie on Etsy. At first, she used a sewing machine in her living room to make scarves and other products for sale. In 2021, the shop began to focus on plant-themed wall decorations. Over the years, the income from MegansMenagerie has become a solid support for her life. It not only helps her repay her student loans on time every month, but also helps her buy a used car for her daughter and go on vacation with her family.

In 2023, the store brought in more than $121,400 in revenue, and as of September 2024, the store's revenue is expected to exceed six figures for the third consecutive year.

The store hasn’t always had great sales, but once it hits a hit, sales are impressive. Walsh recalls that in 2012, she made enough money from scarves made with the same Singer sewing machine to buy a then-new Dodge Journey SUV. She estimates that she’s made about $60,000 a year from selling wall decorations since she started, which is about the same as her other part-time job as an endoscopy nurse. But she only has to work 12 to 24 hours a week to run the store, while she has to work 24 to 32 hours a week as a nurse.

Walsh's current achievements are closely related to her personality. She has always been keen on exploring new things. Before 2021, she worked as a forensic nurse for many years. Later, the sales of her Etsy store continued to rise, and the time and energy spent on running the store became more and more. It was really difficult to balance the two sides, so she chose to stop this part-time job.

"If you burn yourself out, you'll miss out on your life," said Walsh, 41.

Multifunctional measuring tape

Diaper Bag

Plant wall decoration