Kids Belts – Toddler Belts – Dapper Snappers Blog

I have to say that the people at Coca Cola are geniuses. I came across the coolest thing since Dapper Snapper kids belts the other day.

The hubby and I went to lunch at a local burger joint last week and when we ordered, they handed us our order number and our empty cups and pointed us in the direction of the soda fountain. Their new, very large, very sleek, and very cool soda fountain. When we saw it, I think I heard a small choir of cherubs singing “Aaahhhh aaahahhah”. It was that amazing.

Now, I am old enough to have seen the many changes and faces of soda fountains over the years (but not old enough to remember Soda Jerks, thank you) and they have come leaps and bounds over where they started. I remember when our choices at one were Coke, Sprite or Orange (orange was never cool enough to have it’s own name, just orange). Yes, kiddos, we were mighty limited, but we thought it was pretty nifty at the time.

Look at that… sweet, huh? “Memories…. like the corners of my mind… misty water colored memories…” Ahem.. Excuse me, I was caught up in nostalgia.

Meanwhile, back at the burger joint, there it was, the Coke Freestyle. It was pretty amazing in that there are over 100 different flavor combinations. That brings a whole new meaning to “Fountain Suicides” that we did as kids. You know where you got a little bit of every flavor in the machine (you could be there all day trying that with this one, and that’s only if you could find a giant to steal a cup from). Aside from all of the flavors, this machine looks pretty cool too, like something out of the future…

Impressive, huh? I thought so, but maybe that’s just me. Anyway, this got me to thinking… Dapper Snappers Freestyle. You know you could mix colors, scents and flavors… Ok, maybe not flavors, the kids shouldn’t be eating their belts, but scents?? Maybe, like the old scratch and sniff stickers? Oh, wait…. nevermind, again, probably not a good idea to have kids scratching their belts and asking other kids to sniff them.

Blessings,

Toddler Tech USA Wins Red Tricycle’s Totally Awesome Award

Toddler Tech USA takes home the Totally Awesome Toddler Years Must Haves Award.

Port Orange, FL November 8, 2011 – Toddler Tech USA, a mom-owned company, won the Red Tricycle’s Totally Awesome Toddler Years Must Haves Award for their Dapper Snappers Original Toddler Belts. “We were thrilled to hear that we won this award because it is an award that was determined by votes from the public. It means so much to us to know that so many people took the time to participate and vote!” Michelle Cazella, Owner, Toddler Tech USA.

Throughout the month of October, Red Tricycle, a west-coast based website that offer ideas for cool things to see, eat, make and do with kids locally, hosted the Totally Awesome Awards which was presented by Giggle. Red Tricycle asked readers to nominate and vote for the most awesome mom, baby and kid-related businesses around. Over 142,000 individuals participated by voting for their favorite items. Toddler Tech USA was nominated for their kids belts and was crowned as Totally Awesome. “We couldn’t be happier with the exposure that the Red Tricycle Awards has brought to the Dapper Snappers brand.” said Cazella.

In addition to their original Dapper Snapper Toddler belts, Toddler Tech USA also distributes Big Kids Belts, Dapper Snappers for Moms, Mitten Clips, Add on Clips and multi-packs of the Dapper Snappers Toddler Belts. For more information about Toddler Tech USA and to view their whole line of products visit, http://dappersnappers.com.

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I’d like to thank the Academy… but seriously, you know what this means, right?? “You like me… you really, really like me!”

Blessings,

Believe it or not, customer service is not dead! At least not here in the land of Dapper Snappers kids belts. I have always been a firm believer that customer service can make or break a small company.

What made me think of this was a comment on our Facebook page this morning (YAY! I love our customers!):

I know, I know there are all of these big companies out there that continue to get bigger and richer all the while losing the customer service aspect, but that’s not us. I’m pretty sure that no matter how big we get, our customers (whether they are retail stores or individuals) will always be number one for us.

You would think that we should be able to look up to bigger companies as an example, but on a recent trip to Target, I realized that might not be the case. A friend had bought Super Dude a new outfit as a gift only it was too small, so we had to return it. The teller at Target explained that she couldn’t return it without a receipt. I proceeded to explain to her that it was a gift and the gracious giver had not provided me with a receipt. She replied, “I’m sorry, I have to have a receipt.” Now the outfit we were returning had all of the original tags and totaled (with tax) $17.57, so it’s not like I had slipped an iPod under my coat and was now trying to return it. I will say that eventually (after about 5 minutes), she said “Well, I can’t give you cash, I’d have to put it on a gift card.” Um… ok, why didn’t you say that in the first place? I’m fine with a gift card.In fact, if you would have said that to start with, we could have bypassed this whole conversation!

Now, Kohls on the other hand, has always had amazing customer service. I don’t think I could think of a complaint. I have also heard nothing but great things about Zappos. I’m pretty sure that they are known for their customer service. In fact, when I typed the words “customer service” into a Google image search, Zappos’ logo popped up.

I expect all of  you to hold me accountable to this, so if you ever call or email or fax or send a telegraph or Morse code and we don’t respond promptly, please let me know!

Blessings,

I know that I have been talking a lot about how quickly the Dapper Snappers brand is growing, but I am truly amazed. Things are happening so quickly that its hard to keep up with all that is happening. We have some big changes coming up and I wanted to share some with you.

The first change we are making is that we are moving the business side of the business (office stuff) out of the kids belts warehouse and into our very own office! I am excited about that change, but it makes me feel a tad disconnected since I’m not actually at the warehouse to see whats going on there on a day to day basis. That also makes me sad, kind of like sending a kid off to college, at least I imagine, since I haven’t actually sent a kid off to college, yet. However, this is my little Dapper Snapper baby growing up, graduating and leaving the nest. Ok, I know technically I’m the one leaving but you get my point. Man, stop being so picky…

The next change is super cool and will take Dapper Snappers to a whole other level. We are changing our logo! Yep, we feel the time is right to make that huge step and I am totally in love with our new logo. Officially, we will launch it the first of the year, but you heard it here first! Here it is….

YAY! Oh wait, now reality sets in… The work that goes with changing a company logo. New packaging, new displays, new letterhead, new website, new blog header, new catalog, new everything it seems, but that’s ok, because like I said, the new logo is super cool! I can’t wait to see how everything looks redesigned with it and the new colors.

I really have my work cut out for me, ah… but wait, that’s where my handy dandy assistant comes in to play.

Blessings,

Isn’t it great to have answers when someone asks you a question? That’s why we want to provide you answers to all the most commonly asked questions about our kids belts.

What is a Dapper Snapper?
The Dapper Snapper consists of a short piece of suspender elastic with snaps that fits in the back 3 belt loops of the child’s pants and snaps over the outer 2 loops to cinch the pants to keep them from falling down. Go to the http://DapperSnappers.com to see a video and get more information.

What sizes do Dapper Snappers come in?

Dapper Snappers come in 2 sizes. Measure the distance between the first and third belt loops on the back of the pants to determine proper sizing. The Toddler Belt size, which is great for children ages 9 months to 6 years old, will fit pants with a belt loop distance of 5” to 10”. Dapper Snappers Toddler Belts are adjustable to 4 different sizes. Dapper Snappers for Adults work great for pants with a belt loop distance of 9” to 23”. There are 6 snap settings for easy adjustment. And now we offer the new Big Kids BeltsTM, there are even more choices! If you haven’t seen the new belts yet, check them!

What is the 4th size on the Kids Belts?

Well, the 4 sizes work like this…

Tada!

Is it true that Dapper Snappers only work on elastic waistband pants?

Absolutely not! Dapper Snappers work on any pants with belt loops, even adjustable waist pants.

Speaking of Adjustable Waistband pants… Why do I need a Dapper Snapper anyway?

Well, there are several reasons you would need Dapper Snappers. First; adjustable waist pants are adjustable, but they do not provide any stretch. So a lot of moms will cinch up the waist on the pants so that they are nice and snug and won’t fall down. But then, when it comes time to get the pants off and your little one is in a hurry, their little fingers aren’t nimble enough to unbutton their pants and they can’t slide them off, so accidents are bound to happen. Second, we hear all the time from customers that the adjustable waistband pants won’t get tight enough to stay on, so they end up using Dapper Snappers anyway. Third, adjustable waist pants can be pretty spendy for those of us on a budget. So trust me when I tell you, you need Dapper Snappers!

My kid’s pants/skirt don’t have belt loops, so how is a Dapper Snapper going to help?

Never fear! We have Dapper Snapper Add-on clips, so No Belt loops? No Problem!

Are Dapper Snappers machine washable?

Dapper Snappers are made from durable suspender elastic, but they are susceptible to warping in high temperatures. This is why Dapper Snappers are hand-wash/hang-to-dry recommended.

Why would I buy “Adult” Dapper Snappers?

The number one reason? COMFORT! We all have a pair of “those” pants. The ones that fit perfectly all over except for that ridiculous gap at the back of the waistband. Dapper Snappers eliminates that gap and helps keep pants in place. Dapper Snappers are small and sleek, perfect for when you don’t want the added bulk of a belt!

I’m pregnant, but not quite ready to give my favorite jeans, can I use Dapper Snappers instead of the rubber band trick?

Absolutely! Dapper Snappers won’t break in the middle of the day and leave you with your pants down, and they are much more comfortable against bare skin. They are also adjustable, giving you a little more leeway.

Have a question that wasn’t answered here? Let me know!

Blessings,

Social network, microblog, status updates, tweets, oh, my! Confused yet? If you are, it understandable. In 2004, the world changed as we know it, Facebook was born and two years later, Twitter was introduced. That was when we became all to “aware” of what our friends were up to. The plus side is that we are now able to keep in touch with those long lost high school friends, distant relatives and business associates. Even more recently, businesses have been taking advantage of the free advertising aspect. Where else can you get your company’s name, brand and product in front of hundreds if not thousands of people DAILY? Even in the kids belts business, we rely very heavily on social media.

Now the questions to ask are, “What are they?” and “What can they do for me and my business?”

However, before we get into that, lets define a few words for you…

• Social Network – a platform (generally web based) made up of individuals connected by similar interests such as friendships, beliefs, knowledge, hobbies, etc…
• Microblog – think small blog (web based commentaries maintained by individuals which allow visitors to interact and leave comments). Microblogs are much more concise, usually consisting of a few sentences. They can be as simple as “I just read the most amazing book!” or geared more towards your business “Check out our new website, www.123company.com and let us know what you think! We revamped it to make it more user friendly for all of you”
• Status Update – (most commonly attributed to Facebook) a short group of phrases related to the account holder. The most frequently used status update answers the question “What am I doing?”, however individuals also use it to describe their mood, political views, vents and ramblings.
• Tweets – Are very similar to status updates but are limited to 140 characters it also provides a microblogging service.

Facebook and Twitter are similar in that they are both social networking sites that allow users to connect with other users from the convenience of their keyboard, they both revolve around profiles, relationships and newsfeeds. Facebook users can updated their status while Twitter users get to “tweet”. One of the key differences seems to be that Facebook tends to be more personalized because users are connecting with “friends” and therefore tend to share more private information, ie. their moods, relationships, thoughts and rantings. Twitter tends to be more information driven focusing on news, links and brands making it business friendly.

Social media is becoming THE way to self promote. Whether you are promoting a product, a company, an event or youself, brand awareness is key and what better way to create that than by having “followers” or “fans”? Both Twitter and Facebook are tools you can use to get you message out to many people in a short amount of time with just a few keystrokes. The two sites can also be linked so that updating your status in Facebook automatically Tweets for you in Twitter as well. So, have a new, exciting product? Tweet it! Hired a new employee? Facebook it! Have an amazing summer sale? Tweet and tweet it again! The point it to stay fresh, stay relevant and stay involved, keep you customers informed. There is no sense in having a Facebook or Twitter account if you don’t do anything with it. After all, it’s free advertising, why would you waste that?

Not sure which one is right for you? Why not both? They both have pros and cons:

Courtesy of sproutsocial.com

The bottom line is that the benefits of social media are limitless. Use these tools to help your business grow and succeed in this competitive market.

Resources – Help is everywhere!
http://blog.hubspot.com/Portals/249/docs/facebook_for_business_ebook_hubspot.pdf
http://www.twitip.com/twitter-versus-facebook/
http://www.techipedia.com/2010/how-to-use-facebook-for-business-and-marketing/

Blessings,