XOXO Urban Kidz: May 2011

Sunday, May 22, 2011

Owner Lila Metcalf receives two top honors

Local Boutique Owner Honored as One of Nation’s Leading Moms in Business and as Best Kids’ Boutique

Lila Metcalf, mompreneur and owner of Urban Kidz, Wins Top Honors in StartUpNation.com’s Mom Business Competition and named Best Kids’ Boutique by So Scottsdale! Magazine

(SCOTTSDALE, Ariz.) – From among contestants across the United States, Lila Metcalf, owner of Urban Kidz in The Shops at Gainey Village, was ranked in the top 100 of StartupNation.com’s 2011 Leading Moms in Business competition. In addition to being recognized for her hard work and dedication on a national level, Metcalf’s Urban Kidz was also named the “Best Place to Buy Kids Clothes” in the May 2011 edition of So Scottsdale Magazine.

“With startup rates at an all‐time high, these leading moms are leading the pack in startup rates,” says Rich Sloan, chief startupologist and co‐founder of StartupNation. “They’re going after their business opportunities and developing their innovative products and services with fervor,” Sloan adds.

Millions of votes were cast in the annual competition, demonstrating America’s interest and support for moms building businesses, while also tending to their families at home. Rankings highlighted some dominant trends, motivations and attributes among moms in business, including an eye for value, innovation, a conscience‐driven business, sustainability and their presence in social media.

“Upon starting the company I realized how much of a need there was for moderately priced, unique boutique kids clothing in the local market,” said mompreneur and owner of Urban Kidz Lila Metcalf. “It’s amazing to be recognized – both on a local and national level ‐ for all the hard work I’ve put into it thus far, in addition to our commitment to giving back, which has allowed us to donate over $200,000 to various charities since opening our doors in 2005.” Lila’s winners profile for StartupNation.com can be found here and Urban Kidz featured in So Scottsdale! Magazine seen here.

For more information on Urban Kidz, or to shop online, visit www.UrbanKidzWear.com or call 480.483.6800.

ABOUT URBAN KIDZ:

Since 2005 Urban Kidz has provided one‐of‐a kind boutique style children’s clothing at affordable prices, in addition to being a community/charity driven company that has given over $200,000 to various causes. A favorite

of local celebrities as well as LA celebrities such as actress Taylor Longbrake, of the television show Monk, and America’s Most Talented Kid, Urban Kidz carry favorite brands such as Splendid/Ella Moss, Wes & Willy, Joe’s Jeans, Mogo’s, Mish, Knuckleheads, Haven Girl, and mostly specialty brands not available anywhere else in Arizona. Clothing from Urban Kidz has also been featured in various publications, including People Magazine, Wall Street Journal, So Scottsdale Magazine, Raising Arizona Kids Magazine and The New York Times. With the tagline “Urban Kidz: Grow Up in Style,” the specialty boutique carries clothing to fit infants up to teens and everything in between and is located in The Shops at Gainey Village at 8787 N. Scottsdale Road, Ste 220, Scottsdale, AZ 85255. www.urbankidzwear.com

ABOUT STARTUPNATION:

StartupNation (www.startupnation.com) provides over 200,000 pages of business advice and networking for entrepreneurs and serves millions of entrepreneurs annually. StartupNation is a free service founded by entrepreneurs for entrepreneurs with the intention of providing a one‐stop shop for entrepreneurial success, including blogs from a host of experts, podcasts, webcasts, eBooks such as Start Your Own Mom Business (www.startupnation.com/mom‐business), award‐winning step‐by‐step advice, and more.

StartupNation co‐founders, Rich Sloan and Jeff Sloan, are two of the country’s leading small business experts. The Sloan brothers speak frequently at entrepreneurial forums and recently hosted a Public Television special helping people transform their passions into business opportunities. They are authors of StartupNation: Open for Business, published by Doubleday. The Sloan brothers are regularly quoted and featured in media such as The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Fortune Small Business, Entrepreneur Magazine, CNN, CNBC, MSNBC, FOX News and many others.

Real Kids Shades™ honored by Prevent Blindness America as Star Pupils Partner

Urban Kidz Accessory Awarded Top Honor

Concord, MA. - Prevent Blindness America, the nation’s oldest volunteer eye health and safety organization, announced that Real Kids Shades (RKS) has been honored as one of the recipients of the Star Pupils™ Inaugural Partner Award, along with The Abbott Fund, Transitions, Healthy Sight for Life Fund, and VisionDirect.com. The award was presented in recognition of the outstanding support that each company provided to launch Star Pupils, the new children’s eye health program from Prevent Blindness America.

Real Kids Shades has teamed up with Prevent Blindness America since 2009 to support their ongoing efforts to inform and educate parents about the need to protect their children’s vision in order to be successful in school and at play. In the spirit of this collaboration, RKS designed a pair of Star Pupils-branded infant sunglasses and pledged that 20 percent of the proceeds from every purchase will be donated to the Star Pupils’ efforts. A main component of the program is education on eye safety, including UV protection.

“We know that many parents are not well-informed about how critical quality UV protection is relative to their children’s vision,” comments Lisa Medora, VP of Marketing, RKS. “By teaming up with Prevent Blindness America, the leading consumer eye health advocate, we are now able to help educate parents on the importance of UV protection as well as provide much-needed funds to support such an important program.”

“Thanks to the ongoing support of such wonderful partners like RKS, we are able to continue our efforts to help ensure that every child has the opportunity to enjoy a lifetime of healthy vision,” said Hugh R. Parry, president and CEO of Prevent Blindness America.

“We want to thank RKS for their support of Star Pupils and their dedication to children’s vision programs.”

Even though every parent has been warned about the harmful effects of UV rays, and 82 percent of parents use sunscreen to protect their children’s skin, only 32 percent take action to protect their children’s eyes. This is especially dangerous because children’s eyes are

more vulnerable to sun damage than those of adults. Long-term UVA/UVB exposure has long been linked to adverse effects such as the development of cataracts, sun burning of the eyes, known as photokeratitis and macular degeneration, which scientists now believe is a leading cause of blindness in adults.

But with Real Kids Shades, it is now easier than ever for parents to quickly and thoroughly shield their children’s eyes from what could turn into a lifetime of disease. With a complete line of sunshades that feature 100 percent protection against UVA/UVB rays along with shatterproof, impact-resistant polycarbonate lenses, parents now can have the protection without the hassle.

About Real Kids Shades:

Real Kid Shades meet the strictest American, European and Australian standards in eye protection and are Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA) compliant. They are also CE Certified and FDA approved for protecting children’s eyes. To purchase the Star Pupils infant sunglasses, or to find out more about Real Kids Shades and their line of innovative children’s sunglasses, visit www.realkidshades.com. Colorful shades can be purchased at Urban Kidz!