Devoted to WAHMs -Work at Home Moms

• At CNNMoney, Kolcraft recalls 425,000 play yards
  
  
• At chicagotribune.com, RC2 recalls more Thomas the Train toys

The answer is: a lot.

Quality has never been so important. Whether it be because of poor engineering or because of a business choice to manufacture in countries that don't share our safety standards, major manufacturers have allowed their quality standards to slip.

The lesson for all of us small business owners who work from home: don't do this! Quality is one area where a small business can beat the "big boys."

What can a small business owner do to avoid recent quality problems similar to those faced by Kolcraft and RC2 Corp.? Here are a few tips:

Safety First - First and foremost, if you manufacture a product from home take every precaution to make sure that it is safe. Evaluate it in terms of the intended audience. Could the product become unsafe, even accidentally? Next, look at the product in terms of family members. Would the product be dangerous for a younger member of the target audience's family? If needed, add warning labels such as: Toy Not Safe For Children Under Four Years of Age.

Examine your material vendors - Can they be trusted to keep their materials pure and free from contamination? Contact your supplier and ask them about their quality control process. Ask the tough questions. If the supplier can't give satisfactory answers, it may be time to find a material supplier who can guarantee quality and purity. Remember, your business is at stake!

Thomas the Train may be a popular children's toy, but that doesn't mean anything now that the Thomas products have been found to be unsafe. It's not always all about marketing.

As small business owners, let's not let this lesson pass us by.

What about you? What do you think is the cause of the recent product recalls? What changes do you think should be made?

Leave a comment and let us know.