Delafield Company Offers Online Store for Kids' Health Food
Yum Yum Snacks Press
The Freeman --
Nov 21, 2005 --
Delafield Company Offers Online Store for Kids' Health Food
By MELISSA RIGNEY BAXTER - Special to GM Today November 21, 2005
DELAFIELD - Sisters Mindy Dorff and Joelle Lefevre had talked for years about going into business together. They tossed around ideas and made some plans, but finally, it was their concern about children’s nutrition that led to them starting Yum Yum Sisters. The company’s virtual store at www.yumyumsnacks.com sells natural and organic food for children. One-stop shop for healthy snacks "We’re the only company out there that we know of that concentrates solely on children’s health food," said Dorff. "Even at organic health stores, there’s not a big emphasis on kids."
Before opening the virtual doors of their Web site in April, the sisters were concerned about the snacks their children were eating. Now, Paulayna Lefevre, 5; Jade Dorff, 5; Payton Lefevre, 3 and Shay Dorff, 2, serve as taste testers and inspiration for their moms’ business.
Dorff, 34, of Delafield, and Lefevre, 38, a registered dietitian who makes her home in Oconomowoc, say what large food corporations market as "healthy food" often isn’t overly healthy. A look at the ingredients of well-known snacks such as granola bars reveals a list of chemicals and preservatives. The Yum Yum Sisters, however, guarantee their products contain no trans fats, hydrogenated oils, high fructose corn syrup, genetically modified organisms, preservatives, artificial color or artificial flavoring. Even the sisters were shocked when it came to investigating some of their favorite products. A leading chocolate syrup had high-fructose corn syrup as its first ingredient. Fruit snacks had no real fruit in them. In their search for healthy alternatives, they found suppliers throughout the United States that offered fun, tasty food. The business, Dorff said, combines both the sisters’ talents. Lefevre evaluates products using her expertise as a registered dietitian. Dorff develops advertising and oversees marketing activity.
Parents and caregivers can find a variety of snacks and accessories, such as plates and juice box holders, at Yum Yum Snacks. "A lot of the products," said Lefevre, "taste like the popular name brands but they’re healthier and better." Pop-Tarts, granola bars, cereal - Yum Yum offers healthy alternatives to all. "The first step," said Dorff, "is to get it in their mouths." For children with food allergies, the company offers products that are wheat-free, gluten-free, dairy-free and peanut-free. Vegan products are also available.
Sisters face challenges, gain rewards Lefevre said many factors they enjoyed about starting a business occurred at the beginning - the research, design and creation of their Web site. The business development process took seven months and the sisters were able to use the talents of family and friends for technical support, accounting and photography.
They have reached a point where they would like to grow the business slowly and steadily. They both believe they can serve more people, especially those without a health food store close to their home, from the Web site. There have been some surprises, Dorff said, including the cost of shipping items. And she said the company’s profit margin on food is not great. But other products, such as baking sets and dinnerware, offer greater profit potential.
The point, however, is not just to make money, the women said. They operate a business together, which they’ve always wanted, and have flexible work hours to meet the needs of their families. Besides, healthy food is a passion for both of them. "It’s all really rewarding," said Lefevre. Educating parents about what’s in the foods their children are eating is important to both sisters. They believe once parents are made aware of healthier, organic alternatives, they will invest in their children’s nutrition. "We spend so much money on getting our kids the best of everything," said Lefevre. "We’re not taking into account the investment in health." Eating healthy can be more costly, sometimes 20 percent to 50 percent more for organic snacks, said Lefevre, but it can pay off in healthier kids who perform better in school while also helping them avoid the hazards of poor nutrition such as childhood obesity. She hopes to speak at schools and other organizations to spread the news about good nutrition and healthy eating. Dorff asked, "What’s more important than your child’s health and safety?"
This story appeared in The Freeman on November 19, 2005.
