Kickfurther Merchant of the Week: ProjectorTeam, Inc.

Today, I have the pleasure of interviewing Ed Goldman "chief cook and bottle washer" of ProjectorTeam, Inc., my Kickfurther vendor of the week.  ProjectorTeam Inc. specializes in assisting the end user in determining the correct projector and accessories for their situation. Whether it is for the classroom, corporate setting or conference center, ProjectorTeam will develop a program that not only promises optimal quality and price for the specific situation but also guarantees that the projectors will meet the customer's needs. Kickfurther, if you are new to this blog, is a company with which I invest.  It finances inventory for businesses  by purchasing it from them and then returning it to the business for the business to sell on consignment.  As the inventory is sold to customers, businesses repay Kickfurther investors.  

Q:  So, how did you get started in the projection/A.V business? Are you a computer guy or did you come up in the age of filmstrips and reel-to-reel movies (yes, I'm dating myself)?

Ed:  Fourteen years ago I was hired by a company to run the sales department as the National Sales Manager. They were a projector company and when I was hired I had no idea what a projector was. I was 45 at the time. I am a sales guy with expertise in telesales and telemarketing and I was fairly computer literate at the time. My focus was to build a powerful inside sales team, and of course, that meant I had to learn the projector business--the products that were available, the needs they filled and how to put the right projector in the right customer's hands.  

The company remained strong for five years but then the owner made some horrible mistakes and went bankrupt. I was hired by another company as a salesman, and though I was the top producer in the company for five years, no one else could sell and that company went bankrupt as well.  At at 54 years old, my dilemma was whether to continue on that path or take the risk of going into business for myself.  Five years later here I am running a million dollar company being the chief cook and bottle washer.

Q:  Looking at your website, it looks like you are a consultant as much as a salesman. What is the difference between buying a projector from you and buying one from my local big-box retailer?

Ed:  You are absolutely correct. Consulting is a huge part of what I do.   The majority of people to whom I speak are neophytes and really don’t understand projectors. The big box stores like Frye’s Electronics or Best Buy cater to the consumer market, particularly home theater which is a cut-throat business. I focus on the business community, churches, government and education, where CONSULTING is what wins orders.  My customers get my expertise to find them the best product at the best price. A box store has maybe 8 sku’s (unique products);  I carry over 1000 sku’s in projectors alone and can put together a whole package for a customer within a budget. Sales people at the box stores really don’t even know the terminology to discuss the items. 80% of the projector equipment sold in big box stores is not right product for the customer who buys it.

Q:  Do you work nationwide, or just in certain geographic areas?

Ed:  ProjectorTeam, Inc. sells nationwide and overseas as well. We are based in Huntington Beach, California. 

Q:  Anything else you'd like to tell us about your business?

Ed:  My business has grown on average of 20% per year with only me selling. 2016 will be our breakout year.

Q: Why is that?

Ed: With additional marketing efforts and the implementation of Search Engine Optimization we will have more eyeballs coming to the site and I am more competitive. I anticipate selling well over 500 additional projectors in 2016.

Q: How did you first hear about Kickfurther? 

A: I was actually contacted by a sales representative for the company and thought the opportunity was interesting and started looking into it.

Q:  You are now on your second Kickfuther offer. How does Kickfurther compare to other financing methods you have used?

Ed:  Kickfurther is a different platform. Getting unsecured financing today is almost impossible and takes a long time. I have credit lines but I like being able to use this capital to engage manufacturers to commit to better pricing for me .

Q:  So despite the fact that backers like me earned a 6% return on our money in less than three months with your first offer, and will hopefully earn  9% in six and a half months on your second offer, you still came out ahead? 

Ed:  Yes, absolutely--if the first offer hadn't been helpful to me, I would not have come back for a second!

Q:  Would you recommend Kickfurther to other business owners?

Ed:  Absolutely it is a great way for new businesses to drive capital and for an established business to fund opportunities in a relatively short amount of time.

Q: Obviously you are using Kickfurther as a business owner; have you tried it as an investor? If so,what is your impression so far? If not, can you see yourself doing so in the near future, or would you recommend it to friends?

Ed:   I have not invested in others. I use every dollar to thrust the growth of my company. I would however recommend it to friends who are looking to invest smaller amounts.

Q:  Sounds like a businessman to me!  I once read that the only way to really make money in this world is to invest in businesses--either your own or someone else's.  So far, Kickfurther has been an interesting way for me to invest in other people's businesses, and if all offers paid like  yours, it would be a profitable one too.  Anything else you'd like to tell us?

Ed:  I am constantly looking for salespeople and possibly someone in the Kickfurther family or you as a blogger could assist me in finding good people.

Well, Ed, if any of my readers think they would be a good fit for your company, they can go to your website and get your contact information.  If they are looking for projectors they can learn what some of your customers have said about you.  Your projectors are available in my Kickfurther Store and if readers buy them there, I get a 5% commission.    And of course, since I'm one of your Kickfurther backers, I have a vested interest in seeing you sell those projectors I helped finance.

If you have a business and think that Kickfurther can help you finance your inventory, use this link and I get a finder's fee.  If you are an investor and believe that Kickfurther is a good place for you to invest, use this link and I get referral credit.  

Kickfurther Merchant of the Week: Panda Poles

 One interesting thing about investing with Kickfurther is learning about all sorts of products that would not otherwise cross my radar.  I live in New Orleans.  Ski equipment isn't on the top (or even bottom) of my shopping list, yet I know skiing is a sport many people enjoy.  My Merchant of the Week this week is Panda Poles, a manuafacturer of bamboo ski poles.  Their co-creator, and "Chief" (CEO, CFO, COO), Tanner "TanSnowMan"  Rosenthal took some time to speak with me this week.

Q:  Tell me a little about your business.

A:   Panda Poles is a manufacturer of bamboo and sustainable products, specializing primarily in bamboo ski and hiking poles.

Panda Poles got started from a vision I had in the Spring of 2008 about making bamboo ski poles with baskets that didn't snag in the trees. Not only is bamboo more sustainable, but it is much easier to work with than aluminum or carbon fiber. And because of their cone shape, the baskets work great in powder, but won't snag in trees like other big baskets. I told my good friend and co-worker at the time--Oakley White-Allen--about the vision, and he was all about helping me get the project going. By 2010, after a couple of seasons of testing different bamboo and basket designs, we settled on a product we felt like we could bring to market. PandaPoles.com launched on Jan. 18th, 2011, and we sold our first 125 pair before the end of the season. Now, after almost 5 seasons, we have sold over 3000 pair.

Q:  How and where are the poles made?

A: Our grips are made in California, the baskets are molded in Michigan, our straps are sewn in both Utah and Idaho, and other than the bamboo and the hemp and Recycled Polyester strap webbing, all the parts and pieces are made in the USA. We receive all the parts in Pocatello, Idaho, where we then lovingly craft every custom order pair by hand. We start by intaking, weighing, measuring, and sorting our bamboo. Then we pair the poles with a similar size and weight, attach baskets and insert the hardware which holds the strap. We brand our logo by hand using a customized wood branding tool, and then sand the top of the poles to the correct diameter for grips. We then attach the grips using sugar water (one would be surprised at how strongly it holds the grip), attach the straps, apply a linseed oil topcoat, and package the poles for shipment. We sell mostly online, but have 12 retailers in 5 countries.

Q:  Do any professionals use your products?

A:  Our team of world class athletes includes the like of Panda co-founder Oakley White-Allen (5th place overall - 2012 Freeride World Tour), Angel Collinson (one of the best female skiers to ever exist), and Drew Tabke (2013 Freeride World Tour overall champion). But that is only a small sampling of the athletes that make up our tribe.  You can read more about them, and learn about how we consider those who use our poles to be part of our "tribe" on our website.   

Q:  How did you come to use Kickfurther?

A:  I heard about Kickfurther from Chase Howard, who is an account manager at Kickfurther. He had reached out to us about getting involved, and really helped us design our first campaign. Without his efforts, we would not have gotten the ball rolling so quickly with the campaign.

When we decided to start a Kickfurther campaign, it seemed like a beautiful, simple concept, that moves the power of investment from large venture capital firms and banks to the grassroots platform of crowd funding. It has been nothing short of an amazing experience in the new world of crowd funding, and grassroots economics. I have been blown away at how simple the platform is to use, and am really eager to see where we can take our products in the future using Kickfurther.

Q:  Would you recommend Kickfurther to other businesses?

A:  I would recommend Kickfurther to any business that has a solid following, and would like to expand their product line or bulk up their inventory that they know they will sell. Buying parts in bulk saves a lot of money.   In our case, Kickfuther has allowed us to purchase bamboo in bulk directly from India rather that from the retailer from whom we had been buying.  Even though we will give our investors a10% return on their money, we still come out ahead.

I'd like to thank "TanMan" for visiting with us today.  I have a selfish reason for wishing him well with his bamboo poles--I'm one of the investors who stands to gain 10% of my investment over six months, or less (paybacks are based on sales, and right now they are ahead of schedule). If you would like to invest in businesses like Panda Poles (or maybe even Panda Poles if (when?) they come back for a second offer), use this link and you'll get $5.00 toward your first investment.    If you own a business and want to see if Kickfurther can help you finance new inventory, use this link and I get referral credit.    You can buy some of their products in the Kickfurther store and if you use this link I get a sales commission.  

Kickfurther Merchant of the Week: DIY Screen Printing Supplies

I've run a couple of posts touting my Kickfurther Store (and I definitely encourage everyone to go over and see if there is anything there that can find its way onto your Christmas list) but this week I'm starting a new series that will hopefully go on for sometime--I'm interviewing people associated with businesses which raise funds on my most interesting investment: Kickfurther.

RTR: We're here with Gary Jurman from DIY Screen Printing Supplies. DIY just completed a fifty thousand dollar round of fundraising with Kickfurther.com. I'd guess you're feeling pretty good about that.

Gary: You bet. We're super happy about making our goal, and can't wait to get started putting the funds to good use. I'd like to thank the Kickfurther team. They helped us fill in some of the blanks with our offer, and gave us some pretty key advice about how to entice the investors.

RTR: So you'd say your experience with them was a good one?

Gary: Definitely. It wasn't our first run with them, though. For the first one, we were a bit less ambitious and only raised six thousand . We did well with that, and wound up paying back the investors earlier than expected. For the next round, we were able to shoot higher.

RTR: This time what did you raise the money for?

Gary: Well, as you know, we are a screen printing supply house, but we also develop our own products. We have a new screen printing system called Merchmakr that we are launching into orbit, and we need a good bit of inventory. Up until now we've only had just enough product to prove our customers want to buy it, but we haven't been able to keep them in stock long enough to develop our channels. We'd get the sales funnel up and running, and then, poof, we're out of stock again. Not that we're complaining about selling so fast.

RTR: Merchmakr must be pretty popular, then. You're very lucky to have a product that is so popular.

Gary: Truth be told, we had to pivot a little to get Merchmakr to be what it is. Our first product kind of flopped.

RTR: If you didn't start out this way, then how did you begin. How did you change?

Gary: When we first started kicking around the idea of DIY Screen Printing Supplies, we decided we'd release a build-it-yourself screen printing kit. It was a pretty good product for our first attempt. It had video tutorials, and was designed so that even someone not awesome with tools could build it. The problem was that the customers were few and far between.

RTR: Why do you think your customers were so rare?

Gary: Mostly because people didn't want to have to build the press just to get to the part where they were making T-shirts. We had customer after customer asking us to build it for them. It took a while, but eventually we started to get the hint.

RTR: So you started building Merchmakrs.

Gary: Well, yes, but first we had to come up with a design that people wanted. So we asked them what they were doing and why? We asked them a lot of questions about how they were using screen printing supplies, That's when we realized we needed a special system that was until now completely unavailable. Hence the special HotSwap clamp and registration system.

RTR: I know screen printing can be used to put logos on shirts, is that what Merchmakr is for?

Gary: Merchmakr is a screen printing system, so yes, you can use it for that. What makes Merchmakr special is its size, portability, and the quality of product you can make with it. It is designed so a band can take it on the road and produce merchandise as needed. It's small enough for a crafter to keep on display in their home, or for a webstore owner to use in their kitchen as needed.

RTR: Did you start DIY Screen Printing Supplies to launch Merchmakr?

Gary: Sort of. Not really. Really DIY was a pivot from being a more traditional custom screen printing company. We tried a few different ideas before we solidified on screen printing supplies and product development. We tried a few other ideas like custom screen printing niches, screen printed T-shirt design lines, screen printing classes, and crowd-sourced T-shirts. Any one of those ideas can work, but for us, we found just the right mix of what we love in product development.

Merchmakr with HotSwap Clamp: Two Very Cute Little Girls from DIY Screen Printing Supplies on Vimeo.


RTR: Everything seems to center around screen printing, then?

Gary: Well, I've been doing it for over thirty years, so I kind of know a bit about it. Sometimes I wish I could do more of it for my own personal projects. But, yes, we take all of our other competencies and hang them on a scaffolding of screen printing.

RTR: So do you see DIY as more of a traditional company or a startup?

Gary: In a lot of ways we identify more as a startup, but I think we are both. We do the kinds of things startups do: customer exploration, product development, high energy idea storming... But we also do the things that many startups don't but traditional companies do: worry about the bottom line, engage in long-term thinking, and not be so concerned with an exit strategy. Plus too, we've never really had what they call "runway."

RTR: So was it the startup mindset that brought you to Kickfurther?

Gary: Probably. Kickfurther is crowd-source financing. It's a way of getting funding without going through the traditional bank loan process. Instead, it's a little more like pitching your product. It also has a much more personal touch, where the people who finance you are actually purchasing your inventory, and then you sell it for them on consignment. They are a partner, investing in your products."  They are not just loaning you money, they are also rooting for you. We had been exploring crowd-source technologies since back before we created DIY Screen Printing Supplies. We tried our hand at crowd-sourcing T-shirt designs for a while, and there was something really appealing about it. Kickfurther just seemed to mesh with our paradigm.

RTR: So would you recommend Kickfurther to other companies?

Gary: Definitely! We already have, actually, and they've done two rounds already.

I'd like to thank Gary again for doing this interview. If you'd like to invest in a business like Gary's (or in Gary's when he comes back for yet another round--that's another thing about Kickfurther--businesses can't finance another batch of inventory before their prior round is paid out) use this referral link and you'll get $5.00 toward your first investment. The Kickfurther Store carries the kit shown above (not the Merchmakr) and if you use my link and buy anything in the store, I get a commission. If you are a business owner who sells merchandise, consider Kickfurther for your needs. If you use this link, I get a finder's fee for bringing you aboard, and it sounds like Gary would recommend you give it a try.

To learn more about the companies mentioned:

Kickfurther: http://kickfurther.com

DIY Screen Printing Supplies: http://diyscreenprintingsupplies.com

Merchmakr: http://merchmakr.com

From My Kickfurther Store: LorettaRose L.L.C. Dolls for Boys

As I explained last week, Kickfurther users all get thier own storefronts.  Once you enter the store through my link I get credit for the sale.  This week the items featured in this post will be at the top of the page; clicking on any one of them will allow you to either put it in your cart or click a link at the top of the page to see a more organized store.

The vendor I am featuring this week is Loretta Rose, L.L.C.  One great thing about Kickfurther is getting to support new young businesses who are doing good things, and to make money in the process.  Loretta Rose has said she plans to pay out her first deal earlier than expected, which means I earn my money in less time than expected (the profit on the deal is set up-front; the term is estimated).

LorettaRose, LLC is a family-owned company whose mission is to produce high quality dolls and plush toys with theme booklets for children to learn from and enjoy. Their focus is on raising children’s social consciousness about caring for their peers and environment. They educate the public about the need for more services for teens and adults with developmental differences. My Sibling and My Pal dolls are outfitted and packaged by people with disabilities who participate in Loretta Rose's Work Experience Program.

Here are some of their products:

Andy, pictured above, has a brother with autism and Andy comes with a story about his brother.  

This is  My Pal for Giving Thanks. The cover of the book has the phrase "Thank You" printed in 15 different languages, to catch children's interest in discovering the many different customs for showing gratitude and giving thanks around the world.

My Pal for Peace comes with a booklet in which children can write about their thoughts on becoming a peace maker.  They can read the lyrics to the song "Let There Be Peace On Earth" as an inspiration and prompt for thoughtful consideration of how one person can make a difference.

The dolls are "American Girl" sized, but most are boys, so you son can have a pal of his own. You can see these dolls under the Kids label once you enter my Kickfurther store.  Once you are in the store, click any item to be taken to page with a directory at the top.  

You can read more about LorettaRose L.L.C. at their website.

From My Kickfurther Store

When companies borrow money from most lenders, writing the check is the end of the lender's involvement.  Kickfurther is different.  Kickfurther runs an online store and investors and others can create thier own storefronts to promote (and hopefully sell) merchandise being financed.  I'm going to start a regular feature about these items; I'm hoping that some of my readers will purchase these goods.  I'll get a commission and if I've invested in the company's inventory, sales mean my payback comes more quickly.  

Yumms! - Basting Brush/Marinating Brush

I've written several articles about my experiences with Kickfurther, a platform that allows us ordinary folks to finance inventory for businesses.  Ideally, Kickfurther investors will be able to profit from businesses banks do not want.  As of this writing, I am still adding a small amount of money monthly to my Kickfurther account and I am re-investing paybacks, but I am not ready to add substanial money to the account; the downside is still, in my opinion, unknown.  When a deal works, the profit is great; the question is how many will not work. Hopefully enough will work to allow me to eat steaks that look like this one.

Yumms! - Burger Press Double Hamburger Patty Press 

As I've noted in other posts, Kickfurther is a new platform and they are still ironing out the kinks.  User's Kickfurther stores are like garage sales, without the discounted prices.  By that I mean there is a large conglomeration of stuff with little organization.  My store is here and if you click that link, you will see what I mean.  Take a look at the stuff there, and pick one, it doesn't matter which one, and click.  When you get to the next page, you will be able to add the product you picked to your cart, or, if you look at the top of the page, you'll see a directory that will take you to a somewhat more organized store.  As long as you entered through my store, I get credit.  

So, what kind of things can you buy?  Well, I know some places don't consider winter to be BBQ weather, but there are all sorts of things to make you king or queen of the grill.  Again, go to my Kickfuther store, click on any item there and then look under Lifestyle for the items pictured in this post:

BBQ Grill Mat Set of 2 15"x13"

Hamburger Press Hamburger Patty Maker

Stop by next week to learn about some dolls that teach about those with disabilities and give work to disabled young adults.  Again, click here to go to my store; these items are at the top of the front page.