Boppy Company founder is the mother of invention.

Susan Brown was destined to have her own business. She just wasn't sure what it would be.

That changed the day a friend asked, "Why don't you do that pillow thing?"

That "pillow thing" would eventually grow into an $18-million-a-year business, employ 22 and gain the gratitude of millions of moms everywhere.

Boppy, the flagship product of The Boppy Company Ltd., is an award-winning nursing and infant support pillow. Brown's prototype was the result of necessity being the mother of invention.

When Brown's now 17-year-old daughter Alistair was in day care, the providers needed a way to help the babies sit on their own. "I sewed the first pillow with a rounded shape and Boppy was born," Brown explained.

American Baby magazine readers named Boppy the No. 1 product for three consecutive years. It continues to be voted one of the top products moms can't live without. Actress Heather Locklear even raved about her Boppy during Oprah Winfrey's "World's Largest Baby Shower" show in October.

"I was always interested in being an entrepreneur," Brown recalled. "When I was small I built a bookshelf, put my books on it, then charged myself to check them out."

When Brown decided to do the "pillow thing" full-time, she quit her job and cashed in her 401(k). She wanted to introduce Boppy at a trade show for children's products but needed money to build inventory.

"I wasn't able to qualify for a traditional bank loan," she said. "Then I read an article about a microloan program. I presented a business plan and financial forecasts. I collateralized the house and received my first loan of $25,000 through the Colorado Enterprise Fund."

The nonprofit Colorado Enterprise Fund provides loans to small businesses unable to obtain conventional financing. In 1992, the Small Business Administration selected the CEF to be an intermediary lender for its new microloan program. Since then, CEF has loaned more than $7.5 million in microloans to 400 businesses. Brown was one of the first.

"The SBA's programs deal with commercial loans that are SBA-guaranteed, but this left out home-based businesses, part-time businesses and other businesses that don't need a lot of capital," explained Steve Muhlhauser, SBA assistant district director for economic development in Denver. "The microloan program was developed to fill that funding gap in the marketplace."

SBA microloans, through intermediary lenders, can be up to $35,000. The average is $11,000 to $12,000.

Credit alone does not guarantee small-business success. CEF also provides technical assistance to borrowers.

"We gave her feedback on her projections and business plan," said Ceyl Prinster, CEF executive director. "Sometimes businesses just need to have a resource to help work through issues, because even a little setback can cause big problems for a small business."

"CEF was a lot of help," Brown said. "They paid for me to go to a financial seminar to learn how to do the monthly books. They reviewed my annual plans and acted like a board of directors for me. They were there as a helping hand and moral support. Sometimes they'd call with a new resource. They even made the introductions for me when I was ready for bank financing."

A few stores placed Boppy orders after the first trade show. The potential for more orders came when the One Step Ahead catalog included Boppy. Brown approached CEF for a bridge loan of $15,000 to meet anticipated demand.

But even though Boppy won best of show at the Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association trade show, orders just trickled in. New products need time to become accepted in the marketplace.

"I was very stressed the first five years," Brown said. "I was just trying to stay alive. I knew the pecking order of stores and tried to be deliberate about the progression of how we grew."

Despite having $1 million in sales in 1995, Boppy Company was close to bankruptcy. "Revenue came from 800 stores, but it cost too much to process orders, make the products, and ship to so many stores," Brown explained.

During those difficult times, employees voluntarily cut their salaries. Then the first chain account came through with Burlington Coat Factory.

Boppy products are now sold nationwide in Babies "R" Us, Toys "R" Us, Target, independent stores and catalogs. About 850,000 Boppy pillows are produced each year at factories in Denver and Mountain Home, Ark. Finished components, including slipcovers, are made in Asia and sent to the factories.

"2004 was a regrouping year for us," Brown said. "We moved our factories. We did a lot of research to find the best system, find the manufacturers, negotiate with suppliers, and move without too much interruption to the business."

Just like its target market, Boppy Company continues to grow. A new line of pregnancy pillows called Prenatal Comfort is being introduced this year. Brown is also considering licensing the Boppy trademark to manufacture other baby products.

The Boppy Company Ltd. * www.boppy.com * 560 Golden Ridge Road, Suite 150, Golden, CO 80401 [phone] * Founded: 1990 * Employees: 22 * Revenue: $18 million * Principal: Susan Brown