Karla says "Last year, at a Holiday Craft faire, we demonstrated the products, sold out of our inventory on the first day and had to take orders for more." They knew they were on to something hot...

They started out in traditional craft-markets and craft shows. Unlike traditional crafts, their products are both decorative and useful. After a year of positive response from everyone who saw the toys, the product line grew. They added "Sizzle Snakes", stuffed snakes that can be heated or cooled to provide relief or comfort and one or more new animals will be introduced each year.

They now had four products and were drawing crowds in public places. Karla carried a basket into health food stores and checkers began modeling snakes for customers and children were asking their mothers for bears. They realized that since everyone who saw the Sunny Bears loves them, the Web could be a great marketing tool for them.

To find a home on the Internet, they began talking with craft people at craft and holiday shows. There are several crafters pages and even a craft fair online at AOL, and these two sites had links to other useful sites. Linda and Karla also use the Internet to search for fabric manufacturers, patent attorneys, packaging material, marketing representatives and more.

In just a few short months, through the enthusiastic support and hands-on help of friends, communicating mainly via e-mail, they've designed a brochure and other sales materials, developed and placed a web site and are off to a running start on sales and distribution. They were very fortunate to have friends who developed their web site so they didn't have to learn the HTML programming language or pay a web site developer anywhere from several hundred to several thousand dollars to create a site.

Since they started out in craft markets, they were comfortable with the idea of a "booth" where they could showcase their wares. So, their first effort on the Web was a virtual booth in the Farmers Market online. The Virtual Farmers Market (see Farmers Market story in Folksonline) provides a forty word product description, and the option of a link to their own website. "There's something magical about these animals," says Linda, "especially the bears. They're hand-made and each has its own unique face, but that's not all. They come alive somehow when they're warmed up. And suddenly, after people hug a Sunny Bear, they want to help us get them into the hands of children."

The Hot Spots team has placed its web site on AOL, since Karla receives free space as a member. They also plan to use store-front spaces in online malls to point people to their site. "With the traffic the Virtual Farmers Market generates, and the publicity from the "malls" on line, we expect many people will find us on the Web," says Karla.

You can purchase your own Sunny Bear for $25, plus shipping and handling. Sizzle Snakes and Neck Warmers are $18, and Dream Masques are $15. Visit their web site or call 415-883-1907. To order by fax, use the on-line order form (available at the web site) and fax to 415-883-1911.