We recently caught up with Cole Richardson, owner of Happy Tots Play Co. We love what she is doing for our community and moms!
How many kids do you have and what are their ages?
I have 1 daughter and she is 4 years old.
What do you love about living in the Sarasota area?
I love all the beautiful parks and the cleanliness of the streets!
What’s your favorite restaurant and place to shop in Sarasota?
Favorite restaurant is Speaks Clam Bar and favorite place to shop is along Orange Street, downtown Sarasota.
Tell us about your business.
My business is called Happy Tots Play Co. We bring the party to you! We specialize in soft play zone rentals for kids 5 and under. We also offer ball pits, inflatables, kids tables and chairs, balloons and backdrops for all occasions, and MORE! If you have a vision for your party, let us know and we can probably make it happen! We do a lot of first, second, and third birthday parties. My original business vision was to open an indoor playground to give little ones a place to play of their own, without worrying about getting trampled by big kids. And to give moms a place to meet and connect with other moms, because motherhood in the early years can be hard and lonely. While I’m still working on finding an affordable space to lease to bring our indoor play space to life, our mobile business has taken on a life of it’s own!
What do you love about your business?
The creative freedom I have to make events beautiful, while also knowing I’m serving local mamas. I’m also a high school soccer coach, so I get to hire my female athletes to help me with parties. When I was a high school athlete, I had a coach hire me for occasional “odd jobs” and it helped me stay in sports since I couldn’t have a regular job AND remain committed to my sports teams. I love returning the favor. I’m really happy I can help bridge the gap with the girls that work for me, in addition to hiring fellow moms to provide additional income for them. It’s actually one of my favorite parts of being a business owner – the fact that I get to help other people make money while helping mamas not stress about their party is pretty cool!
What are some of your hobbies?
I love to play soccer and be creative! I really like learning new creative skills like making shirts, screen printing, etc.
How do you juggle work and motherhood?
Still trying to figure that out!
What is the best piece of advice you’ve received from another mom?
Know that you’re not alone in your struggles.
What is something you would tell other moms wanting to launch their own businesses?
Just start! Done is better than perfect. It takes money to make money.
What has been the biggest reward of owning your own business?
Honestly, the biggest reward of owning my own business is being able to create something from nothing and being able to generate income on my own, without having to rely on anyone else! And being able to help other people make money by hiring them.
Cole is also one of our featured mom-owned business owners you can find in our 2023 Ultimate Guide to Mom Owned Businesses on our website! She fills up quickly for party reservations so be sure to book ahead and I think my favorite part is not having to do ALL the work! To view her pricing and reservations you can visit her website at happytotsplay.com and if you go to our guide there is a special savings just for The Sarasota Moms community.