What entrepreneur doesn’t want it: to come up with a solution or product that nobody had thought of before. In this series, entrepreneurs talk about the gap in the market they discovered and their way there. This time: Never Again a towel that slides or blows from your beach bed.
Hold-YT (Hold your Towel), an elastic band that keeps your beach towel in place
creator: Barbara Bruggeling
how much did you sell? the idea was actually born ten years ago, out of my own frustration. During one of my trips as a flight attendant, my towel had been blown off my sun bed so many times while I was lying at the beach or pool. I was wondering if I could come up with a solution for this myself. Then I went looking.”
” I also went to Curaçao, where my in-laws live. There I went by hotels and beach clubs with my product and that worked.”
“I quickly reached the Squeezer to hold the towel in place. Business friends had taught me:’Mass is cash register’. You know, I’ve been thinking about corporate gifts with a lot of people. But then I had to be able to personalize them and printing on pegs Didn’t work.”
” so I started brainstorming with a graphic designer on something that has the same function and can also be printed. We ended up with a’band’. But then you have to develop that idea into a final product.”
” my work brings me into contact with many people. So I also met an entrepreneur from Hong Kong who could make a band that is partially elastic for me. I also designed my own closure, because I didn’t want it to look too much like a suitcase strap. Before the closure, I ended up with a manufacturer in Taipei. In the end I asked a social workshop here in the Netherlands to put the closures on the tires.”
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“I jumped into the deep end and decided to visit fairs and network drinks. I was young and had nothing to lose. Up until that point, I put all my savings and energy into it. Eventually, people wanted to give me a chance. I also went to Curaçao, where my in-laws live. There I went by hotels and beach clubs with my product and that worked.”
” indeed. It went super well, also beach clubs and travel agencies in the Netherlands wanted them to have. But there was also demand from consumers, so I opened a webshop with links with texts. This one went so well, I couldn’t take the question anymore. I had also become a mother and wanted to have more time for my family. Sales to companies continued. Meanwhile I have two children and the product is still in demand. So I started picking it up again.”
” the crisis has given me the time and energy to put the product back on the market.”
“I have always kept my steady job. I wouldn’t want to cancel that, because I have built up a large network through my work that has always helped me a lot. I still fly with great pleasure, although there is less flying by corona. But the crisis has given me the time and energy to put the product back on the market.”
” I now need to focus more on social media. It takes a lot of time for you to be really good at that, but I really like diving into this. To grow, you need to step out of your comfort zone. If it doesn’t work out, that’s okay. Then at least you can’t regret not trying afterwards.”
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