Web Site Provides Tips to Make Parents More Clever

May 1, 2006. NBC17.com

RALEIGH, N.C. — A Web site developed by a local couple offers clever tips for harried parents looking for ways to manage their lives.

Time becomes even more valuable for people once they become parents, and Kris and David Jackson said being clever is the key to making the most out of every day and every dollar.

So, the Jacksons created www.cleverparents.com and have collected information from parents far and wide for their thoughts and advice on family life.

“It’s a community-driven almanac for parents,” David Jackson said.
The site goes beyond parenting tips to offer fitness, food and style information. There are also product recalls, clever toys and a section devoted to charitable work. Columnists contribute in their area of expertise, and the Jacksons manage the content.

“I love our clutter-busting section,” Kris Jackson said. “The reason is, Betsy (the columnist) is so wonderful and so organized. She has the most amazing amount of tools, suggestions and information to organize your life.”

David Jackson said he prefers the business profiles by people he likes to call “parentpreneurs” — parents creating a business at home.

“(I like it) just because they are in same boat as you — pushing a second job, sometimes it’s a full time job with dads staying home. You get good vibes from people,” he said.

The Jacksons hope the site eventually provides a second source of income through advertising revenue.

“Right now, it’s a cost center, not a profit center. So far, we’ve been spending on our own to get the site up and going,” he said, noting they have hired a graphic designer and programmers to tweak the site.

But the couple has worked for a few technology start-ups, so their immediate focus is on the written lines, not the bottom line. They hope visitors find cleverparents.com easy to read, informative, even funny.

“We believe so strongly in what we are doing and in this Web site and the whole community aspect of things where parents are able to contribute tips and suggestions and write columns,” Kris Jackson said. “We think that it’s going to be a natural evolution.”