Gemini Greetings Interview

Gemini Greetings LLC provides specialty greeting cards focused on twins, triplets and higher order multiples. These cards, professionally printed on recycled paper, are currently sold primarily through www.GeminiGreetings.com; with a few sold via wholesale. Ideally, Gemini Greetings will be sold by retailers across the United States for parents on the go and for those who do not shop online.

How does your idea benefit today's consumer?

As a mother of three-year-old twins, I have experienced firsthand the frustration and disappointment of not being able to locate greeting cards to give/receive for my twins. The absence of this niche product is quite evident in 99% of stores.

Although Gemini Greetings LLC focuses on families with multiples, it is not just families with multiples who would buy these cards. Friends, family members, business executives and others benefit from having a greeting card line like Gemini Greetings LLC to shop for the multiples they know and/or love. Gemini Greetings cards also make great touch-points for sales managers, physicians or other businesses servicing families with young children.

Parents of twins are often concerned about treating each child as an individual. However, parents with multiples aged five and under are less likely to buy one card for each child to give to a playmate or relative for a special occasion. Seeking the savings from buying only one card from the two, three or more kids just makes sense.

Within the first two years of my twins' lives, we received numerous cards for holidays and birthdays that were targeted for just one child and had been scratched out or altered to fit my children's duplicity.

There are many other reasons and occasions for sets of twins or triplets to express themselves, but very few places to find these types of greetings.

Is there anything like your idea in the current marketplace?

According to the Greeting Card Association, there are an estimated 3,000 greeting card publishers in America. These companies range from small businesses to major corporations, selling over $7 billion in greeting cards in the U.S. each year. Of these companies, most do not publish a specialized line of greetings for families with multiples.

A few parents of multiples have attempted to create cards for twins, triplets and even quadruplets, which they have offered through websites. However, more times than not, the cards were decorated with cute sayings, not specifically tailored for celebrating birthdays, holidays, etc. More importantly, they were not available at local retailers. Let's face it: all moms, whether they stay home or not, like the convenience of picking up what they need when they need it, and not have to wait for a delivery.

According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, there were 133,122 twin births and 6,694 triplets or high order births in the United States in 2005. For the years 2003–2005, twins accounted for more than 4 percent of all births (or more than 40 per 1,000) in Connecticut, Massachusetts, and New Jersey. These states, plus Nebraska, also reported the highest levels of triplet-plus births (more than 245 per 100,000). The lowest rates were reported for New Mexico: 24.2 (twins) and 65.9 (triplets).

With the understanding that twin birth rates will continue to rise, there is a consistent and growing need for greeting cards for these duos to receive or give in their early years.

Do you have a story with how you came up with the idea? If yes, please share.

It was a chilly morning in January 2007. My twins were invited to their first playmates' birthday party. After picking out the perfect two-part gift, the search was on for a birthday card with two boys saying, "Happy birthday from us!" I wasn't looking for the perfect "twin" card, just one to fit my situation. Unfortunately, there were none to be found. This frustration nestled in the back of my head and lurked for months. I knew that if I really wanted to do something about this, I could, and during my recovery from a hysterectomy, the idea began to take shape.

Gemini Greetings was a distant dream at first, but with a resurgence of energy, I decided to make this dream a reality. It was only in September 2007 that I began my search for an illustrator. I envisioned warm and cheerful characters on greeting cards for families with multiples, from twins to quads and possibly more! I just knew that if I had a hard time finding cards for my twins that it had to be even more difficult for those with triplets and quads. Ideally, these cards would be suited for first-time parents with no other children ages five and younger. Of course, I place no restrictions on my designs. I just hope that my creations bring smiles to many faces and happiness to many homes.