Mission

KidBean.com's mission is to provide a wide variety of products that positively impact the total health of the earth and all its inhabitants by promoting breastfeeding, attachment parenting, and plant-based diets. In order to have the greatest impact, I strive to make compassionate consumerism more affordable.

Story

When I first began searching for safe, natural, vegan baby products when I was pregnant with my daughter in 1998, I was frustrated with the limited options. I found a thing or two here and there, but had to purchase from dozens of sites to get what I needed.

I remember very clearly a meeting I had with my boss during this time. It was in the third trimester of my pregnancy, just after I had moved my office to my home so I could maintain my 50+ hours/week schedule. My boss was concerned about me maintaining my managerial duties after my baby was born, and I assured her I would be back at work full-time within a week after the birth!

When the time came, my daughter was born by an emergency C-section. As so many of you have discovered when you became parents yourselves, children have a powerful way of changing your priorities in life. Within weeks after Sara's birth, I gave my notice to my boss because I realized that my duties as a mother were far more important, and my husband and I felt I could best care for my baby by giving her my full attention.

Unfortunately, we quickly felt the pressure of trying to survive on one income. We knew it was best for our baby to have her mommy at home, but we needed to pay our bills. As a new mommy, I was passionate about all things that I knew were best for my baby--breastfeeding, co-sleeping, organics, babywearing, natural health. Combining my personal ethics with my desire to fill the big gap that I saw in the baby market, I sought to create an online store where customers could buy a wide variety of natural, organic, vegan baby products easily and inexpensively.

The name "KidBean" was an obvious choice because of my husband's nickname: Bean. Our infant daughter had already been called "Baby Bean" by his friends, but I wanted the name to be broader because I planned to offer products for older children as well. Thus, KidBean was chosen.

I drafted the first business plan for KidBean.com. It consisted of three core requirements:

• First, every product had to be vegan.
• Second, every product had to be safe and natural (natural fibers--certified organic whenever possible, and recycled materials would be the focus).
• Third, the store had to be like a department-store in its offerings, so that customers would have options for sizes and colors of individual products as well as options for different lines of products.

I also firmly believe in supporting fair labor standards and other small businesses. For economic, environmental and ethical reasons, I choose USA-made products whenever possible, and will NEVER knowingly carry a product that was made with sweatshop labor.

Standards

KidBean.com is dedicated to providing the highest quality products available, anywhere. This means longer life cycles (so you can hand them down to future generations), greater safety and less waste. But quality isn't my only goal. I sell only those goods manufactured with the highest regard for the people who made them, the children who use them and the planet we all share.

For most compassionate consumers, shopping has become a hit-and-miss endeavor to find companies that offer a product or two worth buying. If you've ever tried it, you are well aware of how much time and effort is involved. At KidBean.com, I've done the hard work for you.

My friends and family know me as someone who researches everything thoroughly and carefully (some have even called me "anal" or "insane", but in a loving way of course). Over the years, my customers have benefitted from this as well as I do the research for them when selecting products and provide as much information as I can about the items I sell. For example, other sites may tell you a toy is made from "finished wood" while I will tell you it is made from solid maple wood grown in a sustainably managed family farm in PA and finished with food-grade vegetable oil.

To satisfy the ideals of KidBean.com's mission statement, I require that my products and suppliers adhere to the following standards.

Products

All products must be:

• vegan, and
• made from materials that support sustainable living.

Suppliers

All of my suppliers must share my commitment to:

• fair labor practices and
• environmental concerns.

While a company may pass my standards, only some of its products will live up to the high levels of safety, compassion, and quality that I demand. In this case, I may choose to offer the products that meet my standards while working with the company to improve the products that do not.

Simply put, if a product is not safe for the planet, safe for our children, and safe for all animals, I do not offer it.

Business Practices

KidBean.com is a socially-responsible business, and a member of Co-op America. I use only 100% recycled paper (100% post-consumer waste) for all in-house printing, and use both sides of the paper whenever possible. I save junk mail to print on the other side. All office paper waste that cannot be used is recycled at a local recycling facility.

I reuse boxes and packing materials whenever possible, collecting them either from local businesses or from my own incoming shipments. At the holidays, I reuse wrapping paper as packing material. I use only Energy Star certified energy-efficient computers and lighting equipment and try to turn everything off when not in use. Whenever possible I choose other socially-responsible businesses for my business needs.

Future

I will continue to strive to be a positive impact on the world around me through what I offer in products and information. I do recognize, however, that the products I carry and the information I provide must be constantly updated. That can sometimes be a daunting task for any business. With this in mind, I ask that you let me know if there are any products or links you would like to see on KidBean.com. The more we, as socially conscience consumers, aid one another, the greater impact we will all have.