Keeping Kids Safe Is A Hot Business Opportunity
“Eric Quint stumbled into his career six years ago when a cousin showed him all the precautions he had installed to keep his baby safe.
Quint was impressed with the work - until his cousin mentioned how much it cost.
“I could do the job way better and for less money,” Quint said he thought at the time. “I knew I had the ability.”
Today, he is helping parents and caretakers keep children safe from falling, tripping, electrocution and other at-home dangers. His job, as he describes it: “Find everything that’s a hazard to your child.”
He’s not the only one seeking to compete in this emerging field. A growing number of people are seeking fortune and fulfillment by ensuring parents’ peace of mind.
Lurking dangers take a huge toll each year. In 2004, the last year for which complete statistics were available, 5,359 children died from unintentional injuries, according to Safe Kids Worldwide, a not-for-profit group based in Washington, D.C., that works to prevent unintentional childhood injuries.
Jeffrey Jacobstein opened Crumb Crunchers Babyproofing and Child Safety Consultants early this year. It was tough slogging at first, he said, but the business has now caught its stride.
Jacobstein has branched out to provide safety classes for local mothers’ groups. He researched the idea and talked with other childproofers and the International Association of Child Safety, an industry trade group based in Lake Hiawatha, N.J. Then he secured startup capital.
“Our goal is to save kids’ lives and prevent injuries,” Jacobstein said. “We may not know the fruits of what we’re doing, but it helps kids to be safe.”
Before launching his business, Quint did his research, calling the child safety association just as Jacobstein had done. He received one-on-one training, and six months later, Eric’s Child Safety Service was born.”