Knowledge about pregnancy and money

A few months ago, I wrote an article with the title ‘The human aspiration’ in this column. It was about a young man who decided to work on a project that would help pregnant women during pregnancy. Dozens of housewives have sent me emails asking me whether they would also be able to do similar projects. Some of them asked me whether people would really pay for such products. This article answers their questions.

In 1998, I was living in Hamilton. On a rainy evening in August, I visited a friend for dinner. When I entered into his house, Mary Clapton, his wife, was doing something on their computer. As anything that is related to computer excites me, I looked at her work from the corner of my eyes to figure out what software she was using. But it was something I had never seen before. "Mary, what is the name of the software program that you are working on?" I asked her. She smiled and said, "PregProXyz. It is for pregnant women. I developed the software." (I have changed the name of the software program.)

"You developed!" I exclaimed and asked her, "When did you become a software developer?" Mary replied, "I never learnt how to develop software. I had a solid idea for a software program. I created the concept. I asked myself ‘If I were a pregnant woman and the user of this software program, what would be the features that I would like to have in it?’ I created an exhaustive list of features, content, questions and answers. I drew the screens with good old paper and pen. When I was satisfied, I hired a software developer and created the product."

"That’s brilliant. Have you been able to sell your product? " I asked her. She did not reply. She looked through the window. I followed her eyes. A new shiny four wheel drive was standing majestically in the garage. I told her, "I understand. Can you please tell me your success story?"

Mary Clapton gave birth to three children before the end of her fourth wedding anniversary. It was clear that she must stay at home for the next four years. She began her search for home-based project that would give her a few hundred dollars a month. She read dozens of books on small businesses, money and entrepreneurship.

Mary became so obsessed with the idea that she would discuss it even in birthday parties with strangers. But, the more ideas she came across, the more she became depressed, as she was not confident of anything. She tried things like mail order business, telemarketing, transcription and direct marketing business. She gained substantial knowledge about real world after losing $2,000.

Sudha was Mary’s neighbor, a cute Indian girl who never understood the concept of privacy. One day Sudha asked Mary, "Why do you always look depressed? Do you have any problem with your husband?" May was taken aback but politely said, "No, we are fine." But, when sudha insisted on knowing the truth, Mary grew impatient and said, "Look, I can’t go for a job leaving kids at home. But I want to make money. That’s my problem." Sudha innocently replied, "You have three children. Be happy about it. Your children are your real wealth."

There was a spark in Mary’s head. She told Sudha, "Just now I got a great idea. I know many things about pregnancy and child birth. I know answers for many questions that trouble the brides and the would-be mothers. I can help them and make money." Sudha felt sorry for her and said, "Please don’t think too much about money and business. Forget them and play some computer games with your kids. That will relax your mind."

Computers! There was another spark in Mary’s head. ‘I can combine computers and pregnancy to make money,’ Mary thought.

What an uninspiring combination of computers and pregnancy! However, for Mary it was real. Mary browsed hundreds of web discussion forums and prepared a list of common questions that future mothers asked. Then, she visited medical websites and library to find accurate answers. Then, she verified the answers with a registered nurse practising obstetrics and gynecology. Once she was confident, she hired a software programmer to create an interactive software program on pregnancy. Her software gave answers to all frequently asked questions including speculative questions such as favorable days and lucky days for pregnancy!

She sent pamphlets to all O&G practitioners and nurses. The professionals were pleased with the quality of the program. They understood that this program would save their time as it answered common questions that pregnant mothers would ask. So, they happily recommended it to their clients. She sold hundreds of copies of software on CD-ROM at $15 in the next few months. Then she started to offer the product as a subscription service over internet. Her business has grown into a prosperous one in two years.

The right combination of a computer and a great concept can give you an immediate self-employment opportunity to serve a limited local market. If you combine your computer with the ever-expanding Internet, you will have mind boggling number of global income opportunities.