Oliver's Labels

Oliver, my sister Marla's son, is my inspiration for my business. When Ollie was young, Marla lived in New York with her husband. When I would come to visit, Marla and I would go exploring the city, with Ollie in his stroller. Like any young child, Ollie just loved to wiggle out of his shoes and toss them out the side of the stroller. Luckily, we would usually notice soon enough, retrace our steps, and find his tiny shoe somewhere on the sidewalk. I knew there would be a time when we would not be so lucky. That's when I got the idea to make some homemade labels with Ollie's name and phone number on them. I stuck them on his bottle, shoes, and on anything else Ollie decided he was bringing with him that day. When I was back in my hometown (Toronto, Canada), I got a phone call from Marla. “You will never believe what happened!”. It turned out that as usual, on one of their walks, Oliver had managed to maneuver out of one of his new shoes. Marla was so disappointed, having only noticed it missing once they got home. Later that day a woman called saying that she had found the shoe! The shoe was returned and I was so delighted that my labels worked! Marla was so happy at having saved a $60 pair of shoes! By the time that Oliver started daycare, attending class with 15 other children, I started thinking about my labels again. This time, I used my 6 years of experience in the printing industry to design a label that would be both waterproof and beautiful. Marla put them on his water bottle, books, and of course his shoes. His stuff always comes home with him. His teachers appreciate the time they save, always knowing what belongings are his. And Ollie’s classmates' parents started to ask Marla where they could get these same labels, both for their own children, and as birthday gifts for their children’s friends. And so, my business was born. With Ollie as my inspiration, I bring you Oliver’s Labels! How kids’ stuff finds its way home!™