Short Summary

My name is Chase Massingill and my business partner is Mark Bell, who also happens to be my best friend since high school. We have both worked all of our adult lives and most recently were both locomotive engineers with a class 1 railroad. We decided to strike out on our own to have more control of our lives and to be able to make our own schedules instead of having to work according to a train lineup. Our goal is ultimately more freedom and family time.

While in the gym lifting weights one day, we were both grumbling about having to carry all of our personal effects from machine to machine. Gym etiquette dictates not to put your stuff on other machines as other people might need to use them, so this led to us always piling our stuff on the ground and often kicking it over, not to mention the inconvenience of bending to pick things up and put things down, especially on leg day! Through this inconvenience, we realized how handy a magnetic bag would be, especially since there is so much metal in gyms, and just like that, Metal Monkey was born. 

Over the past year, we have tirelessly worked on developing and improving Metal Monkey, which will conveniently hold a large drink or even a speaker, a phone, tablet or notebook, keys, air buds, workout towel, and more, all safely suspended off the ground by the strong 35 lb rubberized magnet riveted to the back of the bag. We even developed a "mini" version for those who have no need to carry a notebook / tablet or workout towel.

One thing we did not take into account, at least to the degree that has turned out to be the case, is the versatility of the bag. We have not sold a single bag, but we have given out around 50 to family and friends to "test" them out and try to find areas of improvement. What we have found is that people can use the bags for so many things. The list includes, but is not limited to, sticking them to tents at the beach, sticking them to cars just about anywhere, such as tailgating, watching a kid at soccer practice, mechanic shops, using them while operating or working on heavy equipment, on construction sites, and the list goes on and on!

What We Need & What You Get

What we need to be able to scale our business now is funding. We are setting our goal at $48,000. We have chosen this amount because after forming our business, running through many prototypes, setting up our websites and socials, paying a patent company, funding our first order of 1,200 bags, and many other misc. expenses, this is the amount that will get us back to even. If we fund more, even better, that will go directly to our next order and ramping up advertising!

We really want you to take this adventure with us! Metal Monkey is not going to be a discount bag and we are going to do everything we can to make sure it grows. That said, we do not foresee another time in the near future where we will offer these products at a discount, and maybe never another discount as substantial as we are offering here. To keep it simple, we are offering a 20% discount across the board until we sell out of inventory, so 1,080 bags! Metal Monkey bags are $50, but our early backers will be purchasing at $40 per Metal Monkey. Our Mini Metal Monkeys are $40, but our backers will be able to purchase them for $32. We will be able to have these first 1,080 bags in our backers hands before Christmas! After the first 1,080 bags are gone, for as long as we are running this campaign, we will offer Metal Monkey bags at $42 and Mini Metal Monkey bags at $34. That is a 16% discount on Metal Monkeys and a 15% discount on Mini Metal Monkeys. The catch on the bags after the initial 1,080 is that we will have to wait on production and shipping, so it definitely pays to be early!

The Impact

There has never been a product quite like this one. We see it as revolutionary in helping people throughout their daily lives and especially while engaging in activities or work. It is an idea so simple, yet so effective that when people see our Metal Monkeys in action, they can't believe that this isn't already a "thing". This is an opportunity for you to be involved in making something big happen that you had the foresight to recognize long before almost anyone had ever heard of it!

Risks & Challenges

Manufacturing and shipping seem to be the largest hurdle for many nowadays, but luckily, we have a great relationship with our manufacturer, so that will help us navigate a lot of these challenges. That said, there are still longer than normal shipping times from overseas. Because we already received our first order of 1,200 bags, we have many currently ready to ship, but after those bags are gone, we will have to wait for additional bags to be manufactured and shipped, which should be here by April of 2023 (hopefully sooner). To get a bag promptly, I encourage you to support us quickly as it will be first come first serve on the initial 1,080 bags that are currently in stock!

After this funding, we will be able to build a large enough surplus of inventory to never have a lag time in supply again! 

Other Ways You Can Help

We understand that some people just can't contribute, but that doesn't mean they can't help:

• Please help us get the word out and make some noise about our campaign!
• Please don't forget to use the Indiegogo share tools!