My Not So Short Summary:
I have spent the vast majority of my adult life jumping on and off planes, running in and out of meetings, and frequenting coffee shops and restaurants across the country. Inevitably Mother Nature calls and I found that in an alarming number of bathrooms the hook meant to be in the stall was missing. Either it was broken off, or completely missing with just the faint outline of where it had once been remaining. Which left me juggling a bag and a jacket.
I had seen portable table hooks for purses so I knew that there must be something similar for the bathroom. If a woman isn’t willing to put her purse down on the restaurant floor there was zero way she was putting it on the bathroom floor. I looked for a solution on line and to my utter amazement there were thousands, and I mean thousands of purse hooks for table tops, but nothing for the bathroom. It blew my mind there wasn’t one. Determined to solve at least my problem I sat down that night and drew out the initial concepts for what would become The Loo Hook. And that is as far as I got for maybe a year. An idea, but no practical way of making it happen, until I learned by chance an old friend had opened a shop in which he made carbon fiber parts. I called up my old friend and he in his enthusiastic and friendly way said he would absolutely help me. After a few ... like 10... variations of the hook we came up with one that I liked. The prototype came out great. It was strong, but light, and it easily fit in a jacket pocket or a bag, but it cost almost 20.00 to make because of the high cost of carbon fiber material.
Undeterred I started on Kickstarter, and too my disappointment failed to get funding. The biggest feedback was that the idea was great, but the cost of 45.00 was just too high. I was at first dejected, but soon began to search for high grade plastics that would give the same high-end strength and portability, but at a fraction of the cost of carbon fiber. I discovered polycarbonate. I was ecstatic. Polycarbonate would allow us to create a hook that weighs less than 3oz, that would still hold up to 55lbs, and unlike carbon fiber would allow us to make the hook in any color. I quickly commission a single chamber mold and we had our first run of hooks.
I want to keep growing this product, but I need help. In order to get our product into the big box stores we need to get our per piece manufacturing costs down 100%. The only way to do this is by creating a multi chamber mold, which is not cheap, so I decided to try again to harness the power of crowdfunding by moving my campaign here to Indiegogo!
What We Need :
More people using The Loo Hook. I have discovered... there are two types of people; people who always wanted a product like the Loo Hook and had no idea it existed and stumbled into it online and happily bought it and everyone else who would never think to look for it online. I am convinced that once it is in the big box stores and everyone else is exposed to the idea of the product that the upside of having their very own personal portable hook will become apparent, and that a fair amount will discover they need and want one too.
The Impact:
What your support will do? Help me take this product from a few online stores to a full scale product nationally and internationally.
Risks & Challenges:
There are few to none. We are currently manufacturing, shipping and running a functional online business. We just need funding to increase our capacity and allow for a larger color pallet
What your support will do? Help me take this product from a few online stores to a full scale product nationally and internationally.
Other Ways You Can Help:
Don't think The Loo Hook is a good idea? Don't see the point? I get it... but I bet you know someone who would love one! Really love it! So pass the word onto others and help that way.
Want to support on a bigger scale? Buy a bunch and put them in your stores!
