Mom's Inventions Catch HSN's Eye

We’re highlighting small businesses from around the country as nominated by you, our readers. If your favorite small business is using Twitter to communicate with customers, let us know about it @fbsmallbiz with the hashtag #mysbc, and it may be featured as an upcoming Small Business of the Day.

Small Business of the Day: Simply Solved Innovations

Who: Marcy McKenna, 42, @marcymckenna

What: Home and life products

When: May 2010

How: McKenna comes from a family of inventors, and had long kept her own binder filled with innovations she hoped to one day create and patent. She stumbled across a contest with TLC  and TV host Kelly Ripa on the night of the competition deadline, and convinced producers to extend the deadline for her for by 24 hours. Six months later, she won the TLC competition "Homemade Millionaire," winning a contract with the Home Shopping Network thanks to The Style and Go ™ product she invented.

Her product line will be rolling out with HSN in June, and she has also worked with designer Rachel Zoe on a handbag line with the network.

"HSN has opened so many doors for me and enabled me to build my base before my product even launches," McKenna said.

Where: Newport Beach, Calif.

Biggest lesson learned from a customer: "It's amazing how the Internet bridges the gap between you and your customer, and allows you to understand them in a way you never could before," she said.

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