Kelly first became interested in herbs and essential oils as a way of treating her son's allergies. She launched her company in 1997 with a top selling product, the "Boo Boo Bear™.

Herbs for Hurts biggest selling item is the Boo Boo Bear™, a handcrafted warm/cool herbal pack that provides cuddly comfort for kids with tummy aches, ear aches and other maladies.

Aromatherapy is used by 34% of the population in North America.

The company wholesales between 5,000 and 10,000 Boo Boo Bear™ units each year, along with a variety of other products. Herbs for Hurts also retails products on the Internet.

Herbs for Hurts is a cottage industry. The herbs, material and packaging are boxed and provided to the seamstresses, who are mainly single mothers. They return the completed items ready for shipping. Kelly has had up to ten women working for her at one time.

The company sells nationally and exports to the US and Japan. The Boo Boo Bear™ represents 70 percent of gross sales. Customer service is very important. The products are all guaranteed and Kelly follows a customer contact schedule with all wholesale orders.

The global market for herbal medicines is currently US $60 billion and is growing steadily.

Most of the new business is generated through trade shows. These are very expensive, particularly in the US. Kelly now uses sales agents to generate trade show sales, rather than attending and paying for an entire booth. Most trade show profit is realized in the re-ordering from new customers. The Internet accounts for approximately 10 percent of sales.

Kelly borrowed $25,000 for new marketing and print material to revamp her corporate look. She feels it was an excellent investment that continues to pay off.

Herbs for Hurts is looking for a US distributor to really expand their sales. All the systems are in place, the products are well developed and the company is ready to take-off.