Molalla's Molly Shadrin began Tick-a-Too, an online children's boutique, in 2004, as a way for mothers to shop in an easy, fast, cheap, safe and more convenient fashion

In a recent competition conducted by an online entrepreneurial content and community resource Web site, Tick-a-Too was ranked the sixth best mother-owned-and-operated business in the country.

StartupNation.com, a Web site that markets itself as one founded by entrepreneurs for entrepreneurs, launched its first annual Leading Moms in Business Competition earlier this year to find the top 200 best mother-owned businesses. The company released its competition's results this week, and Shadrin's online children's boutique, which sells everything from clothes and baby gifts to furniture and mothers' "must-haves," was voted into the sixth spot.

The winners were determined by popular vote.

In all, six Oregon companies were included in the list of top 200 mother-owned-and-operated businesses in the nation. Besides Tick-a-Too, Coupon Girls LLC of West Linn was No. 15; Little Busy Bodies Inc. of Beaverton, No. 37; Whippersnappers Studio of Bend, No. 71; Hot by 6 of Sherwood, No. 127; and ChefzTable.com in Portland, No. 143.