The Little Virtues | Application Preview
The Little Virtues is seeking government grants to support its growth and further enhance its offerings focused on children's emotional and character development. The proposed funding allocation includes $20,000 for advertising, split between testing/optimizing and scaling efforts, $10,000 for hiring a publicist to boost media exposure, $12,000 for developing plush dolls based on the characters to increase sales, $10,000 for a copywriter to create 60 blog posts and improve SEO, and $8,000 for hiring a media specialist intern and developing a brand ambassador program.
The business plan emphasizes a shift away from product development in 2023, focusing instead on digital marketing and publicity strategies to generate consistent revenue and visibility. This includes Facebook ad spending, public relations, partnerships with schools, and various online marketing tactics. In subsequent years, The Little Virtues plans to expand by hiring remote specialists, develop digital learning tools, increase product offerings, and enhance e-commerce capabilities.
The motivation behind seeking funding is a deep passion for fostering healthy emotional development in children, which resonates with many parents and professionals today. The founder believes that the books and resources created are essential for helping children build character and emotional skills, ultimately benefiting families and communities. The application highlights a commitment to working with talented individuals in fields such as branding and marketing to ensure success.
The Little Virtues faces competition from brands like Slumberkins and Diane Alber's works, but sets itself apart by combining emotional intelligence training with character development. While competitors focus primarily on emotion regulation, The Little Virtues delves into the reasons behind emotions and encourages moral decision-making. The founder’s personal journey and relatability, combined with professional insights from therapists and counselors, enhance the authenticity and appeal of the stories.
Overall, the grant would significantly aid The Little Virtues in realizing its vision of creating impactful narratives that support children’s growth and emotional health through engaging storytelling.
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General Information
Business Registration Number: 604403959
Location: Bremerton, WA, United States
Length of Operation: 1-5
Number of Employees: 1-10 Employees
Annual Gross Income: Less than $100k
Annual Gross Expense: Less than $100k
Open to Loans: YES
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Funding Usage
20k on ad spend (10k to test and optimize, and 10k to scale ($100 a day) 10k to hire a publicist to get into media outlets, and publications ($3k a month for 3 months) 12k to finish the development of plush dolls of all the little virtues (to increase average order value) 10k to hire a copywriter to write 60 blog posts and seo optimization to drive traffic 8k to hire media specialst intern and develop brand amabassador program
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Business Plan
My focus in 2023 is to step back from product development and focus on digital marketing and publicity to bring in consistent revenue and awareness. My focus will include facebook ad spend, PR and media outlets and publications, school partnerships, social media, email marketing, SEO creation, and podcasts. 2024 Expand contractors. I have no plan to create overhead expenses with an office building or full time employees. Rather I will continue to contract and hire remote specialists to manage systems and help me with further development, such as the creation of a brand ambassador program. This will include marketing training for ambassadors in the program, and the opportunity to earn money while they share the books through word of mouth. 2025 Once digital funnels have been optimized to bring in consistent revenue, then I'll pivot to expanding digital learning and a curriculum that will go in tandem with the books. This will be a partnership through schools and counselors, an animated tv series, or a digital learning app that teaches emotional and social learning with the characters. (i have a meeting next week with the producer from bill nye the science guy) It could also be a children's musical. This will focus on a more national expansion into entertainment that's accessible and easy to use. 2026 Product line will increase with more book releases. (two more are already written) and more interactive products such as interactive play sets, board games, birthday party downloads, and other products that expand the love of the characters. 2027 Expansion of ecommerce shipping and warehousing to support national expansion. I'm deeply passionate about the healthy development of kids into happy and functioning adults, which is a sentiment shared today by many families, parents, and professionals. I believe the creation of these books and source materials is not only timely but necessary to help children develop character and emotional life skills to be able to handle life's challenges. Virtues bring out the best in all of us, and are what make the world a safe place. Things like kindness, courage, and honesty. Teaching kids on their level, through reading, is a fun and non threatening way that allows them to internalize powerful lessons and connections that can only improve communities and schools. To this day I have core memories connecting with my dad because he read to me. I very much agree with the sentiments of companies and entertainers before me like Mr. Rogers, and Jim Henson, who all understand the impact of positive storytelling to children. I believe these books and resources are not only wanted but desperately needed by parents who are trying to find wholesome messages to encourage, connect with, and uplift their children. The second reason is because I'm not afraid to bet on myself and hire smarter people than me. My background is in branding, marketing, and design for 18 years. I understand the emotional responses consumers have to products and brands, and I know this skillset has been an integral part of why the books are so successful among readers and parents. I have kids dressing up as these characters for halloween, school spirit week, and constantly want them read over and over again. I would never release a product I wouldn't buy myself, and believe in these books so much that I've willingly invested and risked my own time and money. I feel like I'm just getting started. I simply need the funds and help to grow these books into the much bigger vision I have for them.
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Self Identified Competition
Slumberkins has most closely developed my vision with their forest creatures and apple tv show. You can check them out at www.slumberkins.com Diane Alber created a series called a little spot of emotion. https://www.dianealber.com/ https://consciousstories.com/ is the third competitor. The biggest difference from my competitors is The Little Virtues focuses on both emotional intelligence and character development while most of my competitors focus solely on identifying emotions or regulation. They'll teach helpful tactics such as breathing, and cognitive behavior, but The Little Virtues dives deeper into the psyche of why children feel the emotions that they do, and how to respond from a place of compassion and integrity. Each book has a full story arc that show not only external behavior, but the internal reason behind it. Each book has a mentor that teaches and models for the child as they're struggling so they can learn not to simply have good behavior, but develop a moral system that helps guide their decisions. (ie being honest because it's the right thing to do) I believe this tenderness is what makes these stories so heartwarming and relatable to readers of all ages. The other difference between me and my competitors is i'm not a licensed therapist or counselor. I'm simply someone who is passionate about learning what makes positive relationships, and have been on my own journey of personal development and growth. While I continue to consult licensed therapists and counselors for credibility as I develop the books and curriculum, I believe this relatability is also a strength as someone's who simply highly curious and cares about being a good human. My constant desire to learn, grow, and share my desires with others is what keeps me going.
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Contact Applicant
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